How to Fix Forspoken Not Launching, Crashing, or Freezing

Hey there! I know how frustrating it can be when a highly anticipated new game like Forspoken runs into crashing or freezing issues. As a fellow gaming and tech enthusiast, I totally understand the disappointment of not being able to fully experience this magical action-RPG after waiting so long.

Not to worry – in this comprehensive troubleshooting guide, I‘ll walk you through all the potential fixes to get Forspoken running smoothly on your system. We‘ll cover everything from updating drivers, verifying game files, adjusting settings, to ruling out hardware incompatibilities.

Stick with me through each section and we‘ll have you adventuring across the sprawling fantasy landscapes of Athia in no time! Let‘s get started.

A Quick Overview of the Most Common Fixes

Before jumping into the details, here‘s a quick summary of the most essential troubleshooting steps we‘ll cover:

Update your graphics card drivers – This is one of the first things you should try, as outdated drivers cause a significant chunk of game crashes.
Run the game as administrator – Granting admin access allows Forspoken to modify files which is required for smooth operation.
Add exceptions for Forspoken in your antivirus and firewall – Overzealous security software can block games from working properly.
Disable overlays like Steam, Discord, GeForce Experience – These overlays can interfere with game processes and cause instability.
Verify integrity of game files – Steam can scan for corrupted files and restore any missing components.
Adjust in-game settings like resolution, framerate cap – Lowering graphics settings isolates problems and reduces crashes.
Check your PC meets minimum system requirements – Upgrading hardware like GPU or RAM may be necessary if specs are too low.

Let‘s explore each of these common fixes in more detail. I‘ll provide step-by-step instructions to make the process easy to follow.

Step 1: Update Your Graphics Drivers

Outdated graphics card drivers are one of the biggest causes of game crashes across the board. Forspoken utilizes advanced visual effects and ray tracing features that require the latest drivers for stability.

According to an Nvidia report, updating to their latest Game Ready Driver can provide up to a 20% boost in performance and dramatically improves stability. AMD has also stated that their Adrenalin software offers "up to 15% better performance" in games by keeping drivers optimized.

So I highly recommend updating your drivers as the very first troubleshooting step:

If you have an Nvidia card:

Open the GeForce Experience app on your PC
Click on the "Drivers" tab at the top of the window
Check for an available "Game Ready Driver" update
Click the "Download" button to install the latest driver
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation
Restart your computer once it finishes

For AMD graphics cards:

Go to AMD‘s driver download page [link]
Click on the "Auto Detect and Install" option
AMD‘s software will automatically detect your card and offer the latest supported driver
Click "Download" to save the installer file
Run the downloaded installer when complete
Follow the prompts to finish installing the updated driver software
Restart your computer

Having the most optimized graphics drivers drastically reduces the chance of freezing, crashing, or other instability while playing Forspoken. Be sure to keep them updated in the future as well for smooth performance.

Step 2: Run Forspoken as Administrator

Another common fix is running Forspoken with admin privileges. This grants the necessary access for the game to modify files and make registry changes required during gameplay.

Without admin rights, you may encounter errors as Forspoken attempts to save data or configure your system. Here‘s how to launch it with elevated permissions:

Open up File Explorer and navigate to wherever Forspoken is installed (usually Steam\steamapps\common\Forspoken)
Right-click on the Forspoken application file ending in ".exe"
Choose "Properties"
Select the "Compatibility" tab
Check the box for "Run this program as an administrator"
Click "Apply" then "OK" to save the changes
Launch the game normally through Steam and it will now run with admin access

Running as admin prevents permission errors that could lead to crashes or instability. It‘s a simple fix that commonly resolves launch problems in many games.

Step 3: Allow Forspoken Through Firewalls and Antivirus

Nowadays most systems run antivirus software and firewalls for security. However, overzealous protection can inadvertently block games from functioning properly.

Adding exceptions for Forspoken in these programs prevents conflicts that might keep the game from launching or cause crashes.

Make sure Forspoken can get through Windows Security:

Open Windows Security settings (Search for it in the Start menu)
Click on "Virus & Threat Protection"
Select "Ransomware Protection"
Go to "Allow an app through Controlled folder access"
Click the "Add an allowed app" button
Browse and select the Forspoken executable file
Also add an exception for Forspoken in the Windows Firewall settings

For third-party antivirus software:

Locate the settings interface for your antivirus program
Look for options to allow, exclude or make exceptions for specific apps
Find Forspoken in the list or browse to add it manually as an exclusion
Save the changes and launch the game

Allowing Forspoken through Windows and antivirus guards prevents conflicts which could contribute to crashing issues.

Step 4: Disable Overlays That Can Interfere

Many popular programs add overlays that run alongside games to provide extra functionality. However, these overlays can sometimes conflict with games and cause performance issues or instability.

Temporarily disabling overlays is an easy fix worth trying out:

Steam:

Right click Forspoken in your Steam library and select "Properties"
Uncheck the box for "Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game"

GeForce Experience:

Open the GeForce Experience app and click the Settings cog icon
Go to the General tab and disable the "In-Game Overlay" option

Discord:

Inside the Discord app, navigate to User Settings > Overlay
Turn off the "Enable In-Game Overlay" toggle

MSI Afterburner:

In Afterburner‘s General tab, uncheck the option for "Enable low level IO driver"

Asus AI Suite:

Fully close or uninstall Asus‘s AI Suite software if you have it running

By disabling unnecessary overlays, you eliminate potential conflicts with Forspoken‘s own rendering processes. Fewer programs hooking into the game can improve stability.

Step 5: Verify Integrity of Game Files

Sometimes crashing or freezing can be caused by corrupt or missing game files. Steam has a handy built-in tool to scan for any damaged files and restore them:

In your Steam library, right-click on Forspoken
Select "Properties" then navigate to the "Local Files" tab
Click the "Verify Integrity of Game Files" button
Steam will now scan and validate all files, re-downloading any that are damaged or missing

The verification process may take several minutes depending on your hardware. But it‘s well worth it to rule out any potential file corruption causing stability problems.

Step 6: Update Windows and DirectX Software

Having an outdated Windows operating system or DirectX runtime files can wreak havoc on game performance and cause freezing or crashing.

Updating these components is easy and ensures maximum compatibility:

Updating Windows 10/11

Click the Start button and head to Settings > Update & Security
Click "Check for Updates" and install any available patches

Updating DirectX

Search for "DirectX Diagnostic Tool" and click the result from Microsoft to open the app
Go to the System tab and note the DirectX version listed
Visit Microsoft‘s DirectX End-User Runtime page [link]
Download and install the web installer to update your version of DirectX

Staying current with Windows updates and DirectX runtimes eliminates many bugs and inconsistencies that often plaguing gaming. I recommend checking for updates regularly.

Step 7: Adjust In-Game Graphics Settings

Tweaking your graphics and performance settings is another great way to stabilize games prone to crashing. Lowering certain options reduces stress on your hardware and can prevent freezes.

Try these tweaks within Forspoken‘s settings menu:

Reduce the overall quality preset to Medium or Low
Lower specific settings like shadows, textures, effects
Turn off taxing options like ray tracing or ambient occlusion
Cap the frame rate to 60 FPS maximum

Experiment to find if any specific graphics options lead to more crashes. Lower settings isolate the problem while allowing you to keep playing.

Step 8: Update BIOS, Chipset and Hardware Drivers

Outdated firmware and drivers for components like your motherboard and SSD can also impact stability.

Updating these drivers provides better hardware optimization and compatibility:

Motherboard BIOS & Chipset:

Go to your motherboard manufacturer‘s support site
Find the BIOS/UEFI and chipset drivers for your specific model
Download and run the update utilities
Reboot your PC afterwards

SSD Drivers:

Download the SSD management software from your solid state drive brand
Run any available updates for the drive‘s firmware or drivers
Consult the software‘s instructions for performing updates

While not always necessary, firmware updates can potentially resolve crashing related to hardware compatibility issues.

Step 9: Check Your PC‘s Specifications

As a final step, verify your PC meets or exceeds the minimum system requirements for smoothly running Forspoken:

Forspoken Minimum Requirements:

CPU: Intel Core i7-8700 or AMD Ryzen 5 1600
GPU: Nvidia GTX 1060 (6GB) or AMD Radeon RX 580 (8GB)
RAM: 16GB
Storage: SSD with 150GB free space
OS: 64-bit Windows 10 or Windows 11

If your PC falls below these thresholds, especially for the GPU, RAM, or storage space, it may simply lack the horsepower to run Forspoken properly.

Upgrading components like your graphics card, memory, or switching to an SSD would help meet the minimum spec. Forspoken is a demanding game that needs solid hardware.

And there you have it! I‘ve provided 9 in-depth troubleshooting steps covering all the common fixes for Forspoken crashing, freezing or failing to launch properly.

Taking the time to carefully go through each solution greatly improves your chances of getting this amazing fantasy action-RPG running smoothly. The magical parkour combat and expansive open world are just waiting to be explored.

Let me know if any of these fixes successfully resolved your Forspoken issues! I‘d be happy to help further until you‘re adventuring across the mystical lands of Athia and mastering Frey‘s incredible powers. Game on!