ARC Raiders Post-Update Crashes - Complete Fix Guide

SECTION 1: OVERVIEW

Post-update crashes in ARC Raiders refer to a significant increase in application instability following a game patch. This manifests as a suite of critical errors that terminate the game process or render it unresponsive. The problem is isolated to the Windows platform and is specific to game client versions released after a major update. The error frequency escalates from occasional to persistent, often preventing completion of a match. The technical symptoms include a standard Unreal Engine 4 crash reporter dialog, a specific error message stating game files are missing or corrupt, a complete application freeze often preceded by a Windows system sound, and an out-of-memory warning dialog prompting for an error report. These crashes indicate conflicts between the updated game binaries and existing system software, hardware configurations, or cached data.

SECTION 2: SYMPTOMS

The application crashes to desktop with the Unreal Engine 4 Crash Reporter window displaying a generic fault. A system modal dialog appears with the exact text: "Files missing or corrupt. Please verify your installation." During gameplay, the application window freezes indefinitely. Audio may loop or cease, and the process becomes non-responsive, requiring termination via Task Manager. A separate error window triggers with a warning about insufficient memory, querying the user to send a report. These crashes occur unpredictably but are concentrated during match transitions, intense combat sequences, or when loading new assets.

SECTION 3: COMMON CAUSES

• Graphics Driver Incompatibility: Post-update game engines often utilize new API calls or rendering paths. An existing driver, even if recently updated, may contain residual files or settings that conflict with these changes, causing DirectX or Vulkan runtime failures.
• Corrupted Shader Cache: The game's shader cache, stored locally, becomes invalidated or corrupted by the update. The engine attempts to compile or read faulty cached shaders, leading to rendering halts or memory access violations.
• Antivirus/Windows Defender Real-Time Scanning Interference: Security software can lock or quarantine newly patched game files (.pak, .exe, .dll) during runtime, resulting in "missing file" errors or hard crashes.
• Incomplete or Corrupted Game Patch: The update delivery or installation process can be interrupted, leaving the game directory with a mixture of old and new files, which creates dependency mismatches and instability.
• System Memory (RAM) Management Fault: The updated game version may have a memory leak or increased allocation demands. When combined with other running applications, this can exhaust available committed memory, triggering the out-of-memory warning and subsequent crash.
• Overlay Software Conflict: Discord, NVIDIA GeForce Experience, Xbox Game Bar, or MSI Afterburner overlays hook into the game's rendering process. An updated game executable may be incompatible with the current hooking method of these overlays.
• Windows System File Corruption: Underlying Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables or DirectX runtime components required by the updated game are damaged or missing.

SECTION 4: SOLUTIONS

Solutions are ordered from highest to lowest probability of resolving the core conflict.

Solution 1: Clean Graphics Driver Reinstallation

• Download Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) from guru3d.com and the latest WHQL-certified driver for your GPU from the manufacturer's website (NVIDIA or AMD). Do not use beta drivers.
• Boot Windows into Safe Mode. This can be done by pressing Windows Key + R, typing msconfig, going to the Boot tab, checking Safe boot under Boot options, selecting Network, and clicking OK. Restart when prompted.
• Run DDU. In the options, select "Clean and do NOT restart." For NVIDIA, select "GPU" and "NVIDIA"; for AMD, select "GPU" and "AMD". Click "Clean and shutdown."
• After the PC shuts down, power it on normally. Windows will boot with a basic display driver.
• Install the previously downloaded graphics driver package. Choose "Custom Installation" and check "Perform a clean installation." Complete the installation and restart your system.

Solution 2: Verify Integrity of Game Files

• Open the Steam client and navigate to your Library.
• Right-click on ARC Raiders and select Properties.
• Go to the Installed Files tab.
• Click the Verify integrity of game files button.
• Steam will compare your local files against the master manifest and download/replace any that are missing or corrupt. Allow the process to complete.

Solution 3: Clear Game and GPU Shader Cache

• Navigate to the ARC Raiders shader cache directory. The typical path is: C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\ARC Raiders\Saved\ShaderCache.
• Delete the entire contents of the ShaderCache folder.
• For NVIDIA GPUs, also clear the DirectX Shader Cache. Press Windows Key + R, type cleanmgr, and press Enter. Select your system drive (usually C:), click OK. Check the box for DirectX Shader Cache and click OK to delete.
• For AMD GPUs, use the AMD Cleanup Utility to remove the driver and cache, then reinstall per Solution 1.

Solution 4: Configure Antivirus and Windows Defender Exclusions

• Open Windows Security by searching for it in the Start menu.
• Go to Virus & threat protection.
• Under Virus & threat protection settings, click Manage settings.
• Scroll down and click Add or remove exclusions.
• Click Add an exclusion, select Folder, and navigate to the ARC Raiders installation directory (e.g., C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\ARC Raiders). Add it.
• Repeat the process to add the Steam.exe and ARC Raiders.exe (found in the game's Binaries\Win64 folder) as Process exclusions.
• If using a third-party antivirus, consult its documentation to add the same exclusions.

Solution 5: Perform a Clean Game Reinstall

• In Steam, right-click on ARC Raiders and select Manage > Uninstall.
• After uninstallation, navigate to the game's former installation directory and manually delete any remaining ARC Raiders folder.
• Also delete local configuration files. Press Windows Key + R, type %localappdata%, and press Enter. Find and delete any folder named ARC Raiders or Embark Studios.
• Restart your computer.
• Reinstall ARC Raiders through Steam to a default directory. Do not install it on an external drive or a non-standard path.

Solution 6: Disable All Overlays and Background Applications

• Disable the Steam in-game overlay. In Steam, go to Settings > In-Game and uncheck Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game.
• Disable Discord overlay. In Discord, go to User Settings > Activity Privacy and uncheck Display current activity as a status message. Then, go to Overlay under App Settings and disable Enable in-game overlay.
• Disable Xbox Game Bar. Press Windows Key + I, go to Gaming > Game Bar, and turn off Record game clips, screenshots, and broadcast using Game Bar.
• Disable NVIDIA GeForce Experience or AMD Radeon Software overlays within their respective control panels.
• Before launching the game, close non-essential applications like web browsers with many tabs, especially Chrome-based browsers, to free up RAM.

SECTION 5: PREVENTION

Maintain system stability by implementing a scheduled maintenance routine. Update graphics drivers only after confirming stability with new game patches, using clean installation options. After every major game update, proactively verify the integrity of game files through Steam before playing. Configure permanent antivirus exclusions for your primary game directories. Regularly use the Windows Disk Cleanup utility to clear the DirectX Shader Cache and temporary files. Monitor system memory usage with Task Manager to establish a baseline and identify potential memory leaks early.

SECTION 6: SUPPORT ESCALATION

Contact Embark Studios official support if all documented solutions fail to reduce crash frequency. Prior to contacting support, gather the following diagnostic information: the exact error code and call stack from the Unreal Engine Crash Reporter window (located in %localappdata%\ARC Raiders\Saved\Crashes), your Windows Event Viewer logs for Application errors at the time of the crash (Event ID 1000 or 1001), and a detailed list of your system specifications including driver versions. This data is essential for technical support to diagnose unresolved engine-level bugs.