Monster Hunter Wilds has certainly lived up to its hype and players’ fears about its performance on PC. The game saw 1 million concurrent players on Steam just six hours after its launch. However, PC users are experiencing issues with the game, like being unable to connect to server or crashing at startup. I have compiled a list of fixes that will help resolve the Monster Hunter Wilds crash at startup issue on your PC.

Best Fixes for Monster Hunter Wilds Crashing on Startup

PC users report that Monster Hunter Wilds keeps crashing at launch without any error message, or doesn’t launch when they click the Play button. There are multiple reasons why you are experiencing this issue, like outdated Windows, anti-virus software blocking the executable, corrupt or missing system files, and more. The following fixes will resolve the crash at startup issue in Monster Hunter Wilds.

Fix #1 – Uninstall Koalageddon 

Koalageddon is a DLC unlocker app that PC users install on their PC. This application is conflicting with Monster Hunter Wilds and crashing it at startup. Delete the Koalageddon, remove every instance of it from “C:\Users\Your Username\AppData”, and restart your PC. Launch the game and it will work without crashing on launch.

Fix #2 – Turn Off Core Isolation

Core Isolation is a Windows Security feature that protects your PC from any malicious attacks. However, this feature is the reason that Monster Hunter Wilds keeps crashing at startup, and you can fix it by disabling Core Isolation. Here is how to disable it:

  • Open Windows Settings.
  • Go to the “Privacy & security” tab
  • Click “Windows Security” and select the “Virus & Threat Protection” option.
  • A Windows Security window will open.
  • Select the “Device security” tab.
  • Click “core isolation details” under “Core isolation”.
  • Toggle “Memory integrity” off.
  • Restart your PC.
  • Launch Monster Hunter Wilds, and it will work without crashing on startup.
How to disable Ransomware Protection?
Open Windows Settings and go to the “Privacy & Security” tab. Then go to Windows Security and click the “Virus & Threat Protection” option.
How to disable core isolation in Windows to fix Monster Hunter Wilds crash at startup issue?

Fix #3 – Disable Anti-Virus

It is common for PC users to use third-party anti-virus software to protect their systems from malware. However, these third-party anti-virus programs often flag game executables as malware and block them from launching the game. DeepGuard is known for this.

If you have installed a third-party anti-virus, it is blocking the Monster Hunter Wilds’ executable and crashing at startup. You can fix the issue by disabling the real-time protection or excluding the game folder from the antivirus. I recommend the latter. Once you have excluded Monster Hunter Wilds’s install folder, verify the integrity of game files, launch the game, and it will work normally.

How to verify Steam games files after download.
Right-click the game in the Steam library > Properties > Installed files tab. Click the “Verify integrity of game files” button.

Fix #4 – Run Monster Hunter Wilds in Compatibility Mode for Windows 8

Often, games experience compatibility issues with certain versions of Windows 10 or 11. Since Microsoft updates its OS regularly, any update can result in compatibility issues with games, which crashes them at launch. Monster Hunter Wilds keeps crashing on your PC due to compatibility issues with your current Windows version, and you can fix it by running the game in compatibility mode for Windows 8. Here is how you can run Monster Hunter Wilds in compatibility mode:

  • Open the Steam Library and right-click Monster Hunter Wilds.
  • Hover the mouse cursor over the “Manage” option and click “Browse local files”.
  • It will open a new Explorer window containing game files.
  • Right-click the game executable and click properties.
  • Go to the “Compatibility” tab and check the “Run this program in compatibility mode for” option.
  • Select Windows 8 from the drop-down menu, and apply the changes.
  • Launch Monster Hunter Wilds, and the crash at launch issue is fixed.
How to browse game files for Steam?
Right-click the game > Hover the mouse cursor over the “Manage” option > Click “Browse local files”.
How to run games in Compatibility mode on Windows 10 and 11?
Right-click the executable > Properties > Compatibility tab > check “Run this program in compatibility mode” > Select “Windows 7”.

Fix #5 – Delete Crash Reporter

PC users report that deleting the two “Crash Reporter” files from Monster Hunt Wilds’ install folder fixes the crash at startup issue. I have tried this and it worked for me. Here is how to delete the Crash Reporter files to fix the issue:

  • Right-click Monster Hutner Wilds in your Steam library.
  • Hover the mouse cursor on the “Manage” option and click the “Browse local files” option.
  • A new explorer window will open containing game files.
  • Find and delete the “Crash Reporter.exe” and “Crash Reporter.dll” files.
  • Launch Monster Hunter Wilds, and it will run without any crashes.
How to browse game files for Steam?
Right-click the game > Hover the mouse cursor over the “Manage” option > Click “Browse local files”.

Fix #6 – Clear Steam Download Cache

The download cache in Steam is often the culprit for games crashing at startup or not launching. Monster Hunter Wilds is crashing at launch on your PC due to issues with the Steam download cache. Clear the cache to fix the issue, and here is how you can do it:

  • Open Steam settings.
  • Go to the “Downloads” tab.
  • Click the “Clear cache” button in front of “Clear download cache”.
  • Launch Monster Hunter Wilds, and it won’t crash at startup.
How to clear the Steam Downlaod Cache to fix crash at startup issue?

Fix # 7 – Run Monster Hunter Wilds as an Administrator

The lack of administrative rights is crashing the game at startup or keeping it from launching. Either Monster Hunter World does not have admin rights, or the Windows account you are using isn’t an administrative account. You can fix the issue by running Monster Hunter Wilds as an administrator. Follow these steps:

  • Right-click Monster Hutner Wilds in your Steam library.
  • Hover the mouse cursor on the “Manage” option and click the “Browse local files” option.
  • A new explorer window will open containing game files.
  • Right-click the “MonsterHunterWilds” executable and select “Properties”.
  • A small window will open.
  • Go to the “Compatibility” tab and check the “Run this program as an administrator”.
  • Apply the changes, launch the game, and it won’t crash at startup.
How to run games as an administrator on Windows.
Right-click the game in your Steam library > Manage > Browse local files.
How to run games as an administrator on Windows.
Right-click the game executable and select “properties.”
How to run games as an administrator on Windows.
Go to the “Compatibility” tab > check “Run this program as an administrator” and apply the changes.

Fix #8 – Update GPU Drivers

Some PC users don’t update their GPU drivers for a long time, which can cause issues with the latest game releases. If you haven’t updated the driver in a while, it is crashing the game at startup. Update the GPU drivers for your Nvidia or AMD GPU, and the issue will be fixed.

For AMD GPU users, update to Adrenalin 25.2.1, as PC users report that this driver fixes the crash at startup issue with Monster Hunter Wilds. Also, with this driver, you don’t have to run the game in Windows 8 compatibility mode.

Fix #9 – Install or Repair Visual C++ Components

Visual C++ Redistributables are necessary to install on your PC to run games, otherwise, they crash at startup or don’t launch. The reason Monster Hunter Wilds is crashing at startup on your PC is due to missing or damaged Visual C++ components. You can fix the issue by installing or repairing Visual C++ Redistributables, and here is how to do it:

  • Go to the Steam Library and type “Steamworks” in the search bar.
  • Right-click “Steamworks Common Redistributables”, navigate to Manage, and click Browse local files.
  • Open _CommonRedist\vcredist in the explorer window that opens on your screen.
  • You will get a list of folders with names in years starting from 2010.
  • Open each folder one by one and run the VC_redis for both x64 and x86 versions.
  • Repair or install Visual C++ Redistributables.
  • Restart your PC, play Monster Hunter Wilds, and it will not crash with the Fatal Error.
Type “Steamworks” in the Steam search bar. Right-click “Steamworks Common Redistributables” > Manage > Browse Local Files.
Install or repair the Visual C++ Redistributable.

However, there is a chance that the required C++ Redistributable installer is not on your system. Steam deletes installers from its “Steamworks Common Redistributables” after a certain time. In such a case, you can manually download the installers from the official website and run them to fix the error. Ensure that you download and install both x86 and x64 versions.

How to download the Visual C++ Redistributable installers or setup?

Fix # 10 – Run SFC and DISM Scans

If installing or repairing Visual C++ components hasn’t fixed the crash at startup issue with Monster Hunter Wilds on your PC, then run SFC and DISM scans. These are built-in tools for Windows that find and replace any damaged or missing files and fix the crashing issue with games.

  • Open Command Prompt (CMD) as an administrator.
  • Type SFC/scannow and press Enter.
  • Let the scan complete.
  • Once it is complete, type DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth, press Enter, and let CMD run the scan.
How to run the DISM scan to repair corrupt or missing system files?
Type DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth and press Enter.

There you have it, our fixes for the crash at startup issue with Monster Hunter Wilds. If you are experiencing errors and crashes in games, also see our fixes hub for commonly occurring errors for PC and handhelds.