How to Fix Assassin's Creed Shadows not launching on PC

Discover effective solutions to fix Assassin's Creed Shadows not launching. Get back to gaming with our step-by-step troubleshooting guide.
Since its launch, Assassin's Creed Shadows has faced several PC performance issues. This comprehensive guide covers all verified fixes to get the game running smoothly.

Fix Assassin's Creed Shadows not launching

🚦 Immediate Fixes to Try First

Restart Your PC (Basic but effective)

Update Graphics Drivers

• NVIDIA
• AMD
• Intel

Run as Administrator (Both game and client)

🔧 Advanced Solutions for Persistent Issues

1. Power Cycle Your System

Clears deep cache and hardware glitches

Shut down PC completely

Unplug power cable for 5 minutes

Reconnect and reboot

2. Verify Game Files

Steam Users:

Right-click game > Properties

Installed Files > "Verify integrity..."

Ubisoft Connect:

Click 3 dots under game > Manage

Select "Verify files"

3. Disable Overlays & Background Apps

• Turn off:
  ✔ Discord Overlay
  ✔ Xbox Game Bar
  ✔ NVIDIA/AMD overlays
  ✔ MSI Afterburner/RivaTuner

4. Adjust Windows Settings

• Game Mode: On (Windows Settings > Gaming)
• Hardware GPU Scheduling: Off
• Fullscreen Optimizations: Disable (Game .exe > Properties > Compatibility)

⚙️ Graphics Configuration Tweaks

If game launches but crashes/stutters:

NVIDIA Control Panel Settings

Open NVIDIA Control Panel

Manage 3D Settings > Program Settings

Add ACShadows.exe and set:

• Power Management: Prefer Maximum Performance
• V-Sync: Off
• Shader Cache Size: 10GB

In-Game Settings

(Start with these if facing FPS drops)

• Resolution: Native (lower if needed)
• VSync: Off
• FPS Cap: 60/120 (matches monitor)
• DLSS/FSR: Quality Mode
• Shadow Quality: Medium

💥 Crash-Specific Solutions

Issue	Fix
Black Screen on Launch	Delete "options" file in Documents/AC Shadows
DX12 Errors	Force DX11 via launch command: -dx11
EAC (Easy Anti-Cheat) Failures	Reinstall EAC manually from game folder
Ubisoft Connect Crashes	Clear cache in UC settings

🛑 Still Not Working? Nuclear Options

Clean Reinstall

• Uninstall game
• Delete remaining folders in:
  Steam\steamapps\common\ or Ubisoft\ACShadows
• Fresh install

Windows Reinstall

• Backup data
• Use Media Creation Tool for clean Windows install

📊 Performance Monitoring Tools

Use these to identify bottlenecks:

• MSI Afterburner (FPS/CPU/GPU temps)
• Ubisoft's Built-in Benchmark (Settings > Graphics)

🆘 Official Support Channels

If all else fails:

• Ubisoft Support
• Steam Discussions

Final Tip: Be Patient for Patches

Ubisoft has acknowledged launch issues and is working on updates. Many AC games had rocky launches but improved significantly post-release.

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