Cities: Skylines 2 Crashing, Not Launching, Black Screen Fix

If you're a fan of Cities: Skylines 2, you might be experiencing some issues like crashing, not launching, or getting stuck on a black screen. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to address these problems and get back to building your dream city in no time. Our guide will provide you with step-by-step troubleshooting instructions so that you can solve these problems and get back to building your dream city in no time.

How to Troubleshoot Cities Skylines 2 Crashing, Not Launching, and Black Screen Issues

Cities: Skylines 2, an incredible city-building game, can sometimes be plagued by technical glitches that hinder your urban development dreams. In this guide, we'll not only explore these common issues but also provide brief solutions to help you overcome them, including verifying game files, updating GPU drivers, and more.

1. Verify Game Files

Steam Users:

1. First, open Steam and go to your Library.
2. Then, right-click on Cities: Skylines II and select Properties.
3. Next, click on the "Installed Files" tab.
4. Click "Verify Integrity of Game Files"

Microsoft Store (Game Pass) Users:

1. Open your Xbox app and find Cities: Skylines II.
2. Then, right-click on Cities: Skylines II - PC Edition and choose Manage.
3. After that, go to the Files tab and click on "Verify and Repair" to verify the game files.

This action ensures that any corrupted or missing files are replaced with fresh ones.

2. Update GPU Drivers

Updating your graphics card drivers is crucial for a smooth gaming experience. Outdated drivers can often lead to crashes, black screens, and other issues. Here are the links to update your GPU drivers:

NVIDIA: https://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx

AMD: https://www.amd.com/en/support

Intel: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/detect.html

If you want to do a clean installation of your graphics drivers, use DDU (Display Driver Uninstaller). Check our DDU guide for help.

3. Update OS

Ensuring your Windows operating system is up to date is essential to resolve compatibility issues with Cities: Skylines 2. Follow these steps to update your OS:

1. Click on the Windows Start menu.
2. Then, type "Settings" in the search bar and select "Settings" from the results.
3. In the Settings window, click on "Update & Security".
4. In the left-hand menu, select "Windows Update".
5. Next, click on "Check for updates".
6. Windows will automatically check for updates and, if available, display them.
7. After that, click "Install" to download and install the latest updates.
8. Follow any on-screen instructions as needed.

By keeping your Windows OS up to date, you can ensure a more stable and trouble-free experience with Cities: Skylines 2.

4. Run as Administrator

Sometimes, granting administrator privileges can resolve crashing, and not launching issues in Cities Skylines 2:

1. Firstly, navigate to the install folder of the game.
2. Right-click on Cities: Skylines 2's executable file.
3. Then, choose Properties.
4. Next, open the "Compatibility" tab.
5. Tick "Run this program as an administrator" and click the OK button.

Running the game with admin rights can solve many problems that hinder the launch.

5. Install Visual C++ Redistributables

Many players of Cities: Skylines 2 often face issues that can be fixed by reinstalling redistributables such as Microsoft Visual C++ packages. To do this, visit the download page for Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable and download the required versions, both x86 and x64. Install them on your PC, and the issues should be resolved.

6. Lower Graphics Settings

If your hardware is struggling or your Cities: Skylines 2 is crashing constantly, try reducing the graphics settings:

1. Launch Cities: Skylines 2.
2. In the main menu, go to "Options".
3. Then open the "Graphics" menu.
4. Adjust the graphics settings to a lower preset.
5. Especially, make sure to disable the "Volumetrics Quality Settings".
6. Also, you can lower your screen resolution.

This can help if your system is having difficulty handling the game's demands.

7. Disable GPU Overclocking

In Cities: Skylines 2, frequent game crashes during gameplay may be caused by GPU overclocking. Overclocking, which involves running your graphics card at higher clock speeds than stock settings, can lead to stability issues in Cities: Skylines 2. Here's what you can do:

1. Access your GPU management software.
2. Look for overclocking settings and reset them to default.
3. Alternatively, you can use third-party software like MSI Afterburner to reset GPU clock speeds and memory settings to their default values.
4. Save changes and exit.

Disabling GPU overclocking can significantly improve the stability of Cities: Skylines 2, preventing crashes and other related issues.

In any case, if you've followed these steps and still encounter issues, don't give up. You can always reach out to the game's official support for more specific assistance. But with our guide, you're well-equipped to tackle Cities: Skylines 2 crashing, not launching, or black screen problems head-on.

Remember, persistence and patience are your best allies in conquering these technical hurdles. Happy city building!