Subnautica 2 Crashing on Startup Fix: AMD Driver Rollback, DX12 Error, and Steam Fixes

If Subnautica 2 crashing on startup or before it even opens, you are not alone. This has been one of the biggest issues since Subnautica 2 launched in Early Access this May. The good news is that most startup crashes come down to one of a few known causes, and the fixes are straightforward.

Start with Fix 1 if you have an AMD graphics card. If you see a DirectX 12 error, go to Fix 3. Everyone else, work through the list in order.

What Is Causing the Crash

why Subnautica 2 Crashing on Startup

There are five main reasons Subnautica 2 crashes on startup:

Your AMD driver is the wrong version. If you recently updated to AMD Adrenalin 26.5.1, that driver has a known conflict with Subnautica 2. Unknown Worlds has officially confirmed this and says rolling back to version 26.3.1 is the fix. This is the most clearly documented startup crash right now.

The game is running on the wrong GPU. Subnautica 2 needs DirectX 12, which your integrated graphics chip cannot handle properly. If the game launches on that instead of your dedicated graphics card, it will crash.

Your game files are damaged. A bad download or interrupted update can leave broken files that stop the game from starting.

An overlay is blocking the game. Apps like Discord, MSI Afterburner, and RivaTuner run in the background and can interfere with Subnautica 2 when it starts up.

A shader crash is happening during load. A smaller group of players, mostly on Intel 13th and 14th gen CPUs, are seeing a crash related to shader files loading. This is covered at the end.

Fix 1: Roll Back Your AMD Driver to 26.3.1

If you have an AMD graphics card and updated to Adrenalin 26.5.1 recently, this is almost certainly your problem. Unknown Worlds says rolling back to 26.3.1 has been confirmed to fix the crash.

Do not skip this and jump to the other fixes first. Verifying files or turning off Discord will not solve a driver conflict.

This is the official workaround documented by Unknown Worlds

Here is what to do:

  1. Open AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition on your PC.
  2. Go to Settings → System → Driver & Software.
  3. Click Previous Driver and install version 26.3.1. If that option is not there, download 26.3.1 directly from the AMD website.

  1. Run AMD Cleanup Utility to fully remove the old driver files.
  2. Turn off automatic driver updates so AMD does not reinstall 26.5.1 on its own.
  3. Restart your PC.
  4. Open Subnautica 2.

Leave automatic updates off until Unknown Worlds says a newer driver is safe to use.

Fix 2: Make the Game Use Your Dedicated Graphics Card

If your GPU is not AMD, or Fix 1 did not help, your PC might be running Subnautica 2 on integrated graphics by mistake. Here is how to force it onto your dedicated card.

On Windows 11:

  1. Go to Settings → System → Display → Graphics.
  2. Click Browse and find your Subnautica 2 folder.
  3. Add Subnautica2.exe to the list.
  4. Click Options and choose High Performance.
  5. Restart the game.

Subnautica 2 Crashing on Startup Fix

On Windows 10:

Follow the same steps above. Unknown Worlds also says you need to be on Windows 10 Version 22H2 Build 19045 before the game will run properly. If you are on an older version, update Windows first.

Fix 3: Fix the DirectX 12 Error

If you see a message saying DirectX 12 is not supported, here is what to check:

  • Follow Fix 2 to make sure the game is using your dedicated GPU.
  • If you have an NVIDIA or Intel Arc card, update your GPU driver to the latest version.
  • If you have an AMD card on version 26.5.1, do Fix 1 instead. Do not update your driver again.
  • If you are on Windows 10, make sure you are on Version 22H2 Build 19045 as Unknown Worlds requires.
  • Do not add -dx11 to your Steam launch options. Subnautica 2 does not support DirectX 11 and this will not work.

Once you get the game running, you can check out the best 4K settings for Subnautica 2 for max FPS to get the most out of it.

Fix 4: Check Your Game Files on Steam

If your download was interrupted or something went wrong during install, your game files might be broken. Steam can find and replace them without you having to reinstall the whole game.

  1. Open your Steam Library.
  2. Right-click Subnautica 2 and click Properties.
  3. Go to the Installed Files tab.
  4. Click Verify integrity of game files.
  5. Let it finish, then try launching the game again.

Subnautica 2 Crashing on Startup Fix

If Steam says it replaced some files, that was the problem.

Fix 5: Clear Your Steam Download Cache

Steam stores temporary data that can sometimes get corrupted and cause launch problems. Clearing it takes less than a minute.

  1. Open Steam → Settings → Downloads.
  2. Click Clear Download Cache.
  3. Steam will close and ask you to log in again.
  4. Try opening Subnautica 2.

Fix 6: Turn Off Overlays and Check Your Antivirus

Background apps that run on top of games can stop Subnautica 2 from starting. Turn these off before you launch:

  • Discord Overlay — go to Discord Settings → Game Overlay and turn it off
  • MSI Afterburner — right-click it in the system tray and close it
  • RivaTuner Statistics Server — close it from the system tray
  • Razer Cortex or Synapse — turn off any overlay options in the app
  • Steam Overlay — go to Steam → Settings → In-Game and uncheck the overlay

Subnautica 2 Crashing on Startup Fix

Also add Subnautica 2 to your antivirus exclusion list so Windows Defender does not block it:

  1. Open Windows Security → Virus & Threat Protection → Manage Settings.
  2. Scroll to Exclusions and click Add or remove exclusions.
  3. Add the Subnautica 2 folder, usually found at C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Subnautica2.

Fix 7: Getting the “Your Game Might Not Have Exited Correctly” Popup

If you keep seeing this message every time you try to launch, the game is crashing before it fully opens and showing you this popup on the way out. It is a symptom, not the actual problem.

Before Subnautica 2 reportedly leaked online ahead of its Early Access launch, reports of driver and launch instability were already surfacing. This popup is one of the clearest signs of that instability.

Work through this in order:

  1. If you have an AMD card, do Fix 1 first. It stops the loop for most people.
  2. Do Fix 2 to make sure the game uses your dedicated GPU.
  3. Do Fix 4 to check your game files.
  4. Do Fix 5 to clear your Steam cache.
  5. Do Fix 6 to turn off overlays.
  6. Restart your PC after all of that, then try again.

If you are still stuck, take a screenshot of the error and send it to Unknown Worlds support along with your GPU model and driver version. They ask for this information to investigate the crash.

official workaround documented by Unknown Worlds

Shader Crash on Startup (Intel CPU Users)

This section covers a different crash that some players on Intel 13th and 14th gen desktop CPUs are seeing. The error message mentions ShaderCodeArchive or Oodle in the crash report. This is separate from the AMD driver issue and has no official fix from Unknown Worlds yet.

Intel has previously acknowledged problems with some of these CPUs related to voltage and microcode settings. If your crash log shows these terms and you have one of those processors, look up your motherboard maker’s latest BIOS update. Do not change any advanced BIOS settings unless you are confident you know what you are doing.

It is also worth knowing that the legal dispute between Unknown Worlds and Krafton is ongoing, which may affect how fast the studio can push fixes during Early Access. Keep an eye on the Unknown Worlds support page and the Subnautica 2 Steam hub for updates.

Common Questions

Why is Subnautica 2 crashing on startup? The most common reasons are the AMD Adrenalin 26.5.1 driver conflict, the game launching on integrated graphics instead of your dedicated GPU, broken game files, overlays running in the background, or antivirus blocking the game. A smaller group of players with Intel 13th and 14th gen CPUs are hitting a shader-related crash.

How do I fix it on an AMD graphics card? Roll back to AMD Adrenalin 26.3.1, run AMD Cleanup Utility, turn off automatic driver updates, and restart your PC. Unknown Worlds has confirmed this fixes the crash on affected systems.

How do I fix the DirectX 12 not supported error? Go to Windows Graphics settings and set Subnautica 2 to use your dedicated GPU on High Performance. If you are on Windows 10, make sure you are on Version 22H2 Build 19045. AMD users on 26.5.1 should roll back their driver rather than update.

Should I reinstall the game if it keeps crashing? Try verifying your game files and clearing the Steam download cache first. Both fix file corruption without a full reinstall. If you have an AMD card on 26.5.1, reinstalling the game alone will not help because the problem is the driver, not the game.

Is Subnautica 2 on Game Pass? You can find the full answer in our guide on whether Subnautica 2 is coming to Game Pass.

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Rahis Saifi

Rahis Saifi is the Director of Game Empress, overseeing editorial operations and content strategy. He focuses on clear, source-backed reporting, release-date coverage, and updates from major publishers and platforms, ensuring every story meets the site’s editorial standards before publication. Beyond his editorial work, Rahis runs a YouTube gaming channel called Grand Theft Gamer, where he plays GTA 5 and other games — bringing hands-on gaming experience that directly informs his coverage.

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