Civ7 Crashes or Not Launching? Here’s the Real Fix!

After almost a decade-long hiatus, Civilization returns with its highly anticipated seventh installment. However, the premiere hasn’t been as glorious as many hoped, with bugs and performance issues plaguing the game—ranging from crashes to the game refusing to launch at all.

If you, too, are facing these frustrating problems, don’t worry. In this article, we’ll show you some of the best ways to fix the Civ 7 crashing or not launching problem and get back to building your empire.

Before you start: Make sure your system meets the minimum requirements

Before diving into troubleshooting, it’s important to ensure that your system meets the minimum requirements for Civilization VII. Without the right hardware to support the game, it might struggle to run.

Below is a table listing the official Civ 7 system requirements:

Component	Minimum Requirement	Recommended Requirement
OS	Windows 10 (64-bit)	Windows 11 (64-bit)
Processor	Intel i5-4690 / Intel i3-10100 / AMD Ryzen 3 1200	Intel Core i5-10400 / AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
Memory	8 GB RAM	16 GB RAM
Graphics	NVIDIA GTX 1050 / AMD RX 460 / Intel Arc A380	NVIDIA RTX 2060 / AMD RX 6600 / Intel Arc A750
Graphics	DirectX12	DirectX12
Storage	20 GB available space	20 GB available space

If you’re unsure about your system specs, here’s how to check your system specs:

1. On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and R at the same time to open the Run dialog, then type dxdiag and press Enter.
   
2. The DirectX Diagnostic Tool will pop up with detailed system information, including your CPU, RAM, and GPU specifications. You can compare these details against the system requirements table to see if your system is ready to handle Civ 7.
   

However, if your system meets the requirements but you’re still experiencing issues, you can start working your way through the methods below to address potential software-related problems that cause your game to crash or not launch.

Fix 1: Update your drivers

When Civilization VII crashes or refuses to launch, the most common culprit is outdated device drivers – the essential software handling the communication between your computer and the game. If they’re not up to date, they can cause a range of issues, from crashes to failed launches, preventing Civ 7 from running properly.

You can update your drivers one by one manually from the manufacturers’ official websites, but if you are short on time or patience, you can use Driver Easy to handle it automatically.

Driver Easy is a one-click driver updater tool that automatically scans your system, identifies outdated drivers, and updates them for you. You won’t need to worry about downloading the wrong drivers or worrying about installation errors — it takes care of everything.

Fix 2: Repair game files

Sometimes, crashes or launch issues can occur because Civ 7’s installation files are corrupted or incomplete. Fortunately, both Steam and Epic Games offer a simple way to repair the game by scanning and replacing any damaged or missing files.

Here is how you can repair game files to see if it fixes the crashing or launching issue for your Civilization VII game:

For Steam:

1. Open Steam.
2. Click Library, right-click on game Civilization VII and select Properties….
   
3. Under the Local Files tab, click Verify Integrity of Game Files.
   
4. Steam will check for missing or corrupted files and replace them.

For Epic Games:

1. Open the Epic Games Launcher and go to your Library.
   
2. Click the three dots next to your game and select Manage.
   
3. Scroll down and click VERIFY.
   

Once the process is complete, launch Civ 7 to see if it plays smoothly. If the crashing or not launching problem still occurs, please move on to Fix 3, below.

Fix 3: Switch from DirectX12 to Vulkan 

The Civilization VII crashing or failing to launch issue could also be related to the graphics API the game is using. By default, Civ 7 uses DirectX 12, but this version may cause instability on certain systems, especially if your hardware isn’t optimized for it. To check if this is the issue, try switching to Vulkan, a more compatible graphics API.

For Steam:

1. Launch Steam.
2. Go to LIBRARY, right-click on your copy of Civ 7 and select Properties…
   
3. In the General tab, click the Launch Options box, then type (or copy & paste) -vulkan.
   
4. Close the window.
5. Try firing up the game to see if the issue is resolved. If yes, then great. But if it still crashes or won’t launch, please skip to Fix 4.

For Epic Games:

1. Open the Epic Games Launcher and navigate to Library.
   
2. Choose Civ 7 and click on the three dots > Manage.
   
3. Under the Launch Options section, make sure the toggle is On. Then add -vulkan.
   
   
4. Close the window.
5. Try firing up the game to see if the issue is resolved. If yes, then great. But if it still crashes or won’t launch, please move on to Fix 4.

Fix 4: Lower graphics settings

If your system meets the minimum requirements but Civ 7 is still crashing or not launching, the issue could be related to the game’s graphical demands. High settings can overload your hardware, causing instability. Lowering the in-game graphics settings can reduce the strain and help the game run more smoothly.

Here’s how to adjust your graphics settings:

1. Launch Civilization VII.
2. Once you’re in the main menu, go to Options > Graphics.
   
3. Lower the settings for Texture Quality, Shadow Quality, and Anti-Aliasing.
4. If your system is still struggling, try reducing the Resolution or turning off more advanced options like V-Sync or Ambient Occlusion.
5. Once complete, click CONFIRM CHANGES.
6. Launch Civ 7 to see if the game runs well. If it’s still no joy, please proceed to Fix 5, below.

Fix 5: Disable overlays

Sometimes, third-party software like Discord, GeForce Experience, or Steam’s own overlay can interfere with Civ 7, causing crashes or preventing it from launching. Disabling these overlays can help eliminate any conflicts.

Disable Discord Overlay:

1. Click on the Users Settings icon.
   
2. Locate and click on Game Overlay. Then toggle off the option Enable in-game overlay.
   
3. Apply the changes and exit Discord.

Disable Geforce Experience in-game overlay:

1. Click on the Settings icon.
   
2. Under the GENERAL tab, scroll down and switch IN-GAME OVERLAY to OFF.
   
3. Apply the changes and exit GeForce.

Disable Steam overlay:

1. Launch the Steam client and select the tab LIBRARY.
2. Right-click on Civ 7 and select Properties.
3. Select GENERAL and uncheck the box Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game.
   
4. Apply the changes and exit Steam.

After disabling overlays, restart Civilization VII to see if the issue is resolved. If the game still crashes or won’t launch, move on to Fix 6.

Fix 6: Disconnect your internet

The Civ 7 constant crashing or failing to launch issue could be related to network processes that occur during startup, like authentication checks, cloud syncing, or server requests. While this may sound strange, disabling your internet can help prevent these processes from interfering with the game’s launch, allowing it to run smoothly. This workaround has been reported to help many players, including one Redditor¹, who found success with this solution.

Here’s how to disconnect from the internet:

Go Offline with Steam (for Steam users):

1. Launch the Steam client and click on the Steam menu at the top left.
2. Select Go Offline from the drop-down menu.
   
3. Confirm and restart Steam in offline mode.

Disable Wi-Fi:

• If you’re using a wireless connection, turn off your Wi-Fi in the system tray or disable it via your network settings.

Unplug the Ethernet Cable:

• If you’re on a wired connection, unplugging the Ethernet cable will disconnect you from the network.

Once you’ve unhooked the internet, run Civ 7 to see if the crashing or launching issue is resolved. If it still crops up, go on with Fix 7, below.

Fix 7: Disable AMD FidelityFX Options (For AMD GPU Users Only)

If you’re using an AMD GPU, certain features like AMD FidelityFX may be causing crashes or launch issues with Civilization VII. FidelityFX is a suite of advanced visual enhancements that aim to improve graphical fidelity and performance, but on some systems, it may cause instability, especially if your hardware is struggling to handle the additional processing.

How to disable AMD FidelityFX:

1. Right-click on your desktop and click AMD Radeon Software.
2. Go to the Graphics tab, then scroll down to locate AMD FidelityFX options.
3. Toggle off all FidelityFX features, including Super Resolution, CAS (Contrast Adaptive Sharpening), and any other available options.
4. Restart Civilization VII and check if the issue is resolved. If it works, enjoy your game! If the issue goes on, you may want to try Fix 8.

Fix 8: Edit Game Files (Advanced solution)

Sometimes, issues with game files may go beyond simple repairs and require manual adjustments. Editing certain configuration files can help fix crashes or launch issues. However, this is an advanced fix that requires an understanding of file editing. If you’re not comfortable with modifying game files, it’s highly recommended that you skip this fix or make a backup of the files before proceeding.

If you’re ready, here’s how to edit the required game files:

Modify the Tooltip Controller File

1) Navigate to the directory where your game is installed.

2) Open tooltip-controller.js with a text editor such as Notepad++.

3) Go to line 88 and replace the existing function with this corrected version:

onTooltipAttributeMutated() {

    if (this.scratchElement) {

        this.scratchContent = this.scratchElement.getAttribute("data-tooltip-content") ?? "";

        this.previousContent = this.scratchContent;

        this.controller.showTooltipElement(this.scratchElement, this.scratchContent);

4) Save the file and close the editor.

5) restart the game to check if it resolves the issue.

Adjust the Age Scores Model File

1) Open model-age-scores.js in your game folder.

2) Scroll to line 142 and replace the code with the following:

engine.whenReady.then(() => {

    const updateModel = () => {

        if (AgeScores) {

            engine.updateWholeModel(AgeScores);

        }

    };

    engine.createJSModel('g_AdvancedStartModel', AgeScores);

    AgeScores.updateCallback = updateModel;

});

3) Save the changes, close the file, and relaunch the game to see if it works.

Edit the Great Works Model File

1) Open model-great-works.js in your game directory.

2) Go to line 252 and replace the code with this updated version:

engine.whenReady.then(() => {

    const updateModel = () => {

        if (GreatWorks) {

            engine.updateWholeModel(GreatWorks);

        }

    };

    engine.createJSModel('g_GreatWorksModel', GreatWorksModel);

    GreatWorks.updateCallback = updateModel;

});

3) Save the file, close it, and restart the game to check if the issue is resolved.

Once all these changes are made, try launching Civilization VII again. If the issue persists, proceed to the next fix.

Fix 9: Reinstall the game

If none of the previous fixes have resolved the crashing or launch issues with Civilization VII, a fresh installation of the game may be necessary. Reinstalling the game ensures that all files are properly restored, free from corruption or errors, and can eliminate any issues caused by damaged or incomplete files.

To reinstall, simply uninstall the game from your platform (Steam or Epic Games) and make sure to delete any leftover files in the installation folder. Once the game has been fully uninstalled, reinstall it fresh from your game library. After the reinstallation is complete, launch Civilization VII to see if the crashing or launch issues are resolved.

While reinstalling can be a bit time-consuming, it’s a reliable method to address persistent issues that might not have been solved with other fixes. If the issue continues even after reinstalling, you might want to reach out to the game’s support or wait for the developers to release a patch.

---

That’s it – 9 effective solutions to the crashing or failing to launch problems in Civilization 7. Hopefully, one of these fixes has resolved your Civilization VII crashing or launch issues. If they have any questions, ideas, or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to leave us a comment below.

1: EmpressLust. (2025, February 6). Anyone having a lot of trouble with Civ 7? [Online forum post]. Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/civ/comments/1iip0wg/anyone_having_a_lot_of_trouble_with_civ_7/

• Civilization VII
• game crash