Destiny 2 Won’t Launch or Not Loading on PC: How to FIX

Destiny 2 Won’t Launch or Not Loading on PC: The online multiplayer gaming genre has cultivated a distinct and dedicated following, experiencing significant growth in its player base in recent years. A standout title within this category is Destiny 2, a first-person shooter developed by Bungie, which launched in 2017.

Since its release, it has maintained its popularity among gamers. Initially available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, Destiny 2 later expanded to Microsoft Windows and is now also playable on Google Stadia.

However, following recent updates, many PC gamers have encountered various issues with Destiny 2, including crashes, lag, stuttering, and frame rate drops. These problems persist even on high-performance machines, leading to frustrations such as the game failing to launch or load properly on Windows PCs.

Destiny 2 Specification Requirement:

Operating System	Windows 7, 8, or Windows 10 64-bit
Processor	Intel Core i3 3250 3.5 GHz / AMD FX-4350 4.2 GHz
Graphics	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 2GB / AMD Radeon HD 7850 2GB
Memory	6 GB RAM
Storage	104GB Free Space
Network	Broadband Internet connection

Fix: Destiny 2 Not Responding or Loading on the PC

Luckily, some possible workarounds are mentioned below to fix the easily won’t launch or not loading issue. So, without wasting any more time, let’s jump into it.

1. Run the Launcher as an Administrator

To ensure that your game launcher operates smoothly on Windows, it’s recommended to run it with administrative privileges. This can help prevent potential issues such as crashes or failure to launch that may arise from User Account Control (UAC) restrictions. To set this up, follow these steps:

1. Locate the shortcut for the Steam or Epic Games Launcher on your computer and right-click on it.
2. From the context menu, select “Properties,” then navigate to the “Compatibility” tab.
3. In this tab, check the box next to “Run this program as an administrator.”
4. Click “Apply,” then “OK” to confirm your changes.
5. After this, you can simply double-click the game’s executable file to start it.

You can apply the same procedure to the Destiny 2 executable to ensure it also has the necessary UAC permissions for optimal performance.

2. Update Graphics Drivers

It’s important to keep your graphics driver up to date on your PC, as an outdated GPU driver can lead to various problems when launching games. To check for and install any available updates, follow these steps:

1. Right-click the Start Menu to access the Quick Access Menu.
2. Select Device Manager from the options presented.
3. In the Device Manager window, locate and double-click on Display adapters to reveal the list.
4. Right-click on your active dedicated graphics card.
5. Choose Update driver, then select Search automatically for drivers.

Your system will then scan for any available updates. If an update is found, it will download and install the latest version automatically. After this process is finished, be sure to restart your computer to enable the changes.

If no updates are available through this method, you can visit the official website of your graphics card manufacturer to manually check for updates. If you find a new version, simply download the file and follow the installation instructions. You can find the link to the official manufacturer’s website below for further assistance.

3. End Background Processes

It’s important to terminate any background processes running on your computer, as these unnecessary tasks can interfere with the performance of resource-intensive applications. If you notice that your system is lagging or operating slowly, it may be an indication that your available resources are being depleted. To eliminate unwanted processes, follow these steps:

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to launch the Task Manager.
2. Navigate to the “Processes” tab.
3. Identify and select the specific task you wish to terminate.
4. Click on “End Task” to close that process.
5. Repeat the process for any additional tasks you wish to end.

After you have finished closing the unwanted processes, simply exit the Task Manager and restart your computer for optimal performance.

4. Disable Steam Overlay

Numerous players have reported experiencing issues with the Steam overlay operating in the background, which has become a significant concern. The in-game overlay can consume considerable system resources, potentially causing problems when trying to launch games.

To troubleshoot this, follow these steps:

1. Open your Steam client and navigate to your Library.
2. Locate Destiny 2, right-click on it, and select ‘Properties.’
3. In the ‘General’ tab, find the option that says ‘Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game’ and uncheck it.
4. Return to your Library and try launching Destiny 2 again to see if the issue persists.

By disabling the overlay, you may resolve the game launch problems.

5. Disable Steam Input

Some players have discovered that disabling the Steam Input feature can help resolve issues with Destiny 2, such as problems with launching the game or being stuck on the loading screen. If you’re experiencing these issues, you can follow the steps outlined below to try this solution:

1. Open your Steam client and navigate to your Library.
2. Right-click on Destiny 2 and select the Controller option.
3. Change the setting for ‘OVERRIDE FOR Destiny 2’ to ‘Disable Steam Input’.

After making this adjustment, attempt to launch the game again to see if the problem persists.

6. Run the game in Windowed Mode

If you are experiencing frequent crashes while playing the game, switching the Display Mode from Full Screen to Windowed may help. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open the Start Menu by clicking on the Windows icon.
2. In the search bar, type %LOCALAPPDATA% and press Enter to access the folder.
3. Locate the ‘Prospect’ folder within the %LOCALAPPDATA% directory.
4. Navigate to the path: Saved > Config > WindowsNoEditor within the ‘Prospect’ folder.
5. Inside the WindowsNoEditor folder, find the file named ‘GameUserSettings’.
6. Open this file with a text editor and change the setting from ‘FullscreenMode=1’ to ‘FullscreenMode=0’, then save your changes.
7. Relaunch the game to see if the crashing issue persists.

This adjustment may stabilize your gameplay experience.

7. Disable DirectX 12

If you’re utilizing DirectX 12 on your PC and experiencing issues, consider disabling it. Since DirectX 12 is the most recent version for Windows, your current hardware might not support it effectively. To disable DirectX 12, follow these steps:

Navigate to the Settings menu, then select Video, and change the option labeled ‘Enable DX12’ to ‘Off’.
After making this adjustment, be sure to restart the Destiny 2 game for the changes to take effect.

8. Set Correct Rendering Device

Ensure that you choose the appropriate rendering device in the game settings menu provided below. Here’s how to do it:

1. Start by opening the Steam client and launching Destiny 2.
2. Navigate to the Video Settings section within the game.
3. Locate the ‘Selected Rendering Device’ option and choose your dedicated GPU from the list. Avoid leaving this setting at ‘Default’.
4. After making your selection, restart the game to apply the changes.

9. Disable Multi-Threaded Rendering

The in-game video settings for Destiny 2 include an option for multi-threaded rendering, which may be causing frequent crashes.

To address this issue, it’s advisable to disable the multi-threaded rendering feature in the game’s settings.

If you are using an AMD processor, ensure that you turn off this option and restart the game to implement the changes.

10. Turn Off Antivirus Protection

To ensure that your game files are not being obstructed by antivirus software, consider disabling Windows Defender protection on your PC. Here’s how to do that:

1. Open the Windows Settings by pressing the Windows key + I together.
2. Navigate to the “Update & Security” section, then select “Windows Security” from the menu on the left.
3. Click on the “Open Windows Security” button.
4. Go to “Virus & threat protection” and select “Manage settings.”
5. Simply toggle off the “Real-time protection” option.
6. If a prompt appears, confirm by clicking “Yes.”

If you have a different antivirus program installed, you will need to disable it as well. However, if you prefer not to turn off your antivirus entirely, you can opt to whitelist the game files instead. Here’s how to do that:

1. Launch the Steam client and go to your Library.
2. Locate Destiny 2 in your list of games.
3. Click the gear icon next to the Destiny 2 title to open the settings menu.
4. Select “Manage” and then choose “Browse local files.”
5. In the opened folder, navigate to Prospect > Binaries > Win64.
6. Look for the file named ‘Prospect-Win64-Shipping’ within the Win64 directory.
7. Select the file and add it to your antivirus’s exclusion list.

Once you’ve completed these steps, you should be set to play your game without any interruptions.

11. Repair Game Files

If you’re experiencing issues with Destiny 2, such as problems launching the game or performance hiccups, it may be due to corrupted or missing files on your PC. Here’s how to resolve this issue for both Steam and Epic Games Launcher:

**For Steam Users:

1. Open the Steam client and navigate to your Library.
2. Locate Destiny 2 in your list of installed games and right-click on it.
3. Select “Properties” from the menu that appears.
4. In the Properties window, go to the “Local Files” tab.
5. Click on “Verify Integrity of Game Files.” This process will check for any corrupted or missing files.
6. Allow the verification process to complete.
7. After it finishes, restart your computer to apply any changes.

**For Epic Games Launcher Users:

1. Launch the Epic Games Launcher and head to your Library.
2. Find Destiny 2 and click on the three dots next to it.
3. Select “Verify” from the dropdown menu. This will initiate the verification of the game files.
4. Wait for the verification to finish, then restart the Epic Games Launcher.

Following these steps should help resolve any crashing issues you’re encountering with Destiny 2 on your PC.

12. Update Destiny 2

If you’ve tried all the suggested methods and are still experiencing issues, it might be time to check if your version of Destiny 2 is up to date. Running an outdated version can lead to various bugs and stability problems. If it’s been a while since your last update, you can follow the steps below to ensure your game is current.