Crash/Freeze ARC Raiders

Unreal Engine Crashes After Update - ARC Raiders Fix Guide

📅 Published: 2026-02-05 🔄 Updated: 2026-02-05 👥 Reports: 9 ⚡ Severity: 🟢 Low

🎯 Quick Answer

Perform a clean installation of your graphics drivers using Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) in Safe Mode, then verify the integrity of the game files through Steam or Epic Games Launcher.

SECTION 1: OVERVIEW

The error is a persistent Unreal Engine 4 or 5 runtime crash following a game update. This manifests as an abrupt termination of the ARC Raiders application to the desktop, often accompanied by a generic Unreal Engine crash reporter dialog. The issue affects the Windows PC platform exclusively. It occurs in the game version released after the most recent major patch. This is a common error with a high frequency, occurring in multiple gameplay sessions, often within 20-30 minutes of play. The severity is game-breaking, as it results in the loss of in-progress raid progress and prevents consistent gameplay. The source data does not specify exact error codes, indicating a generic engine fault.

SECTION 2: SYMPTOMS

The application terminates unexpectedly during active gameplay, typically during raids. The crash occurs without warning, resulting in an immediate closure to the Windows desktop. In some instances, the Unreal Engine crash reporter window appears, requesting submission of crash data. Concurrent symptoms include malfunctioning weapon swap mechanics, where the next weapon or weapon swap action fails to execute correctly prior to the crash event. The game client does not display specific error messages before termination.

SECTION 3: COMMON CAUSES

Category: Software Conflict Specific technical explanation: Incompatibility or corruption between the updated game binaries and existing GPU driver components, particularly shader cache data. Post-update game files attempt to utilize driver-level functions that conflict with cached shader information from the previous version. Why this causes the problem: The conflict triggers a memory access violation or rendering fault that the Unreal Engine cannot handle, forcing a fatal error. Category: Game Bug Specific technical explanation: A memory leak or unstable code path introduced in the game patch related to weapon systems or asset streaming. Why this causes the problem: The faulty code exhausts available system memory or causes a thread deadlock, leading to an engine crash when specific in-game actions are performed. Category: Configuration Error Specific technical explanation: Corrupted or invalid local configuration files in the %LOCALAPPDATA% directory that are not replaced during a standard update or verify operation. Why this causes the problem: The game engine loads outdated or malformed settings that are incompatible with new game logic, causing instability. Category: Software Conflict Specific technical explanation: Anti-cheat service (Easy Anti-Cheat) file corruption or version mismatch following the game update. Why this causes the problem: The anti-cheat module fails a integrity check or conflicts with a new game module, resulting in the service terminating the game process. Category: Hardware Issue Specific technical explanation: GPU instability due to outdated driver components that lack specific optimizations or fixes for the updated game engine. Why this causes the problem: The driver fails to properly execute new rendering instructions, resulting in a GPU hang or fault that crashes the application. Category: Configuration Error Specific technical explanation: In-game graphics settings configured beyond the stability limits of the hardware when combined with new engine rendering features. Why this causes the problem: The system cannot sustain the required rendering load, causing a timeout or fault in the graphics pipeline.

SECTION 4: SOLUTIONS

Solution 1: Clean Graphics Driver Reinstallation

Difficulty: Medium Time Required: 15 minutes Success Rate: High Prerequisites: Administrator access, internet connection for driver download. Steps:

Download the latest graphics driver package from NVIDIA or AMD's official website. Download Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) from guru3d.com.
Disconnect your PC from the internet to prevent Windows Update from automatically installing drivers.
Boot Windows into Safe Mode. Access this by pressing Win + R, typing msconfig, navigating to the Boot tab, checking "Safe boot," selecting "Minimal," and restarting.
Run DDU in Safe Mode. Select your GPU vendor (NVIDIA/AMD/Intel) and choose "Clean and restart."
After the restart, install the previously downloaded graphics driver package using the "Custom (Advanced)" installation option. Select "Perform a clean installation."
Reconnect to the internet and restart the PC normally.

Technical Explanation: This process eliminates all residual driver files, registry entries, and shader caches that conflict with the updated game engine, ensuring a pure driver state compatible with the new game code. Verification: Launch ARC Raiders and complete a full raid without application termination. Monitor stability for a minimum of 45 minutes of continuous gameplay.

Solution 2: Verify Game File Integrity

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 10 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: Steam or Epic Games Launcher installed. Steps:

In your game library, right-click on ARC Raiders.
Select Properties.
Navigate to the Installed Files tab.
Click the Verify integrity of game files button.
Allow the process to complete. The launcher will download and replace any missing or corrupted files.
Launch the game.

Technical Explanation: This command compares the local game file checksums against the official repository, replacing any files that were corrupted during the update process or by disk errors. Verification: The verification log shows "All files successfully validated." Subsequent gameplay should not crash with asset-loading-related errors.

Solution 3: Clear Game and Engine Caches

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 5 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: Game not running. Steps:

Press Win + R, type %LOCALAPPDATA%, and press Enter.
Locate and open the ARC or ARC Raiders folder. If present, delete the Saved folder within it.
Navigate back to %LOCALAPPDATA% and open the UnrealEngine folder. Delete any subfolders related to ARC Raiders.
Open File Explorer and navigate to C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\NVIDIA\DXCache (for NVIDIA) or C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\AMD\DxCache (for AMD). Delete all contents of this folder.
Restart your computer.

Technical Explanation: Deleting these folders forces the game and graphics driver to regenerate shader compilation and configuration data from scratch, eliminating corrupted cache files causing runtime instability. Verification: The game will exhibit slightly longer loading times on first launch as it rebuilds caches, followed by normal operation without crashes.

Solution 4: Reinstall Easy Anti-Cheat

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 5 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: Game installation directory path. Steps:

Navigate to your ARC Raiders installation directory. Default path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\ARC Raiders or the equivalent Epic Games folder.
Open the EasyAntiCheat folder.
Run the EasyAntiCheat_Setup.exe file as Administrator.
Select ARC Raiders from the game list.
Click Repair Service.
If the issue persists, uninstall the service via the same tool and then reinstall it.

Technical Explanation: This ensures the anti-cheat module is at the correct version and its integration hooks with the updated game executable are valid, preventing service-initiated process termination. Verification: The Easy Anti-Cheat splash screen appears normally during game launch, and the game process remains stable during matchmaking.

Solution 5: Adjust In-Game Graphics Configuration

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 5 minutes Success Rate: Low Prerequisites: Ability to launch game to settings menu. Steps:

Launch ARC Raiders and navigate to Settings > Graphics.
Set Graphics API to DirectX 11 if the option is available.
Disable the following features: Ray Tracing, NVIDIA DLSS Frame Generation, AMD FSR Frame Generation.
Set Effects Quality, Post-Processing Quality, and Shadow Quality to Medium.
Apply the settings and restart the game.
Test for stability. If crashes stop, incrementally re-enable features one at a time to identify the culprit.

Technical Explanation: This reduces engine rendering complexity and potential stress on the GPU driver, bypassing unstable code paths in newer graphical features that may contain post-update bugs. Verification: Gameplay continues without crashes at the reduced settings. Re-enabling individual features identifies the specific setting causing the instability.

Solution 6: Perform a Clean Game Reinstall

Difficulty: Medium Time Required: 30-60 minutes Success Rate: High Prerequisites: Sufficient bandwidth to re-download the game. Steps:

Uninstall ARC Raiders through Steam or Epic Games Launcher.
Manually delete any remaining game directories in the steamapps/common or Epic Games folder.
Follow Solution 1 to clean graphics drivers.
Reinstall ARC Raiders to a different drive if possible (e.g., from C: to D:).
Before first launch, add the game's .exe to your antivirus/firewall exclusion list.
Launch the game and allow it to compile shaders fully before starting a raid.

Technical Explanation: A clean install on a fresh directory eliminates all modified, corrupted, or leftover files from previous versions that a standard update or repair might miss, providing a pristine installation. Verification: A successful installation with no residual files from the old directory, followed by stable gameplay.

SECTION 5: PREVENTION

Maintain graphics drivers by performing a clean installation using DDU every second major driver update. After any game patch, always verify file integrity before playing. Configure Windows to store the game and its caches on an SSD with at least 15% free space to prevent disk-related corruption. Monitor system temperatures using hardware tools like HWiNFO64 to ensure stability is not compromised by thermal throttling. Establish a routine to clear the DirectX Shader Cache in Windows Disk Cleanup monthly.

SECTION 6: WHEN TO CONTACT SUPPORT

Contact Embark Studios support if all solutions fail and the crash produces a specific error code in the Unreal Engine crash reporter. Escalation is required when crashes are accompanied by system-wide instability like Blue Screens of Death (BSOD). Provide the full crash log located in %LOCALAPPDATA%\ARC Raiders\Saved\Crashes and your DxDiag report. Official support channels are accessible via the ARC Raiders website or the game's official Discord server under designated support channels.