Metro Exodus Won’t Launch or Not Loading on PC: How to FIX

Metro Exodus Won’t Launch or Not Loading on PC: Metro Exodus, released in 2019, is a notable entry in the first-person shooter genre and serves as the third installment in the Metro series, which is adapted from the novels Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light.

Developed by 4A Games and published by Deep Silver, the game is accessible on various platforms including Windows PC, Google Stadia, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

Since a recent update, numerous PC gamers have reported experiencing a range of technical difficulties while playing Metro Exodus.

These issues include not only crashes but also performance-related problems such as lag, stuttering, and frame rate drops. Such challenges have been noted by players regardless of the specifications of their PCs, particularly concerning difficulties with the game failing to launch or load properly on Windows systems.

After a wait of several years, players can finally enjoy the complete version of the game on PC. However, many users are facing the frustrating issue of the game not launching.

Additionally, reports indicate that the loading problems are predominantly affecting Steam users, according to discussions in online forums.

Fix: Metro Exodus is Not Responding or Loading on the PC

Fortunately, there are several potential solutions outlined below to address the common issue of applications failing to launch or load properly. Let’s delve into these remedies without further delay.

1. Run the Launcher as an Administrator

To ensure that your game launcher operates smoothly on Windows, it’s advisable to run it with administrative privileges. This can help prevent issues such as crashes and launch failures that often arise from User Account Control (UAC) restrictions. Follow these steps to enable administrator access for the launcher:

1. Locate the shortcut for the Steam or Epic Games Launcher on your computer and right-click it.
2. From the context menu, select ‘Properties.’
3. In the Properties window, navigate to the ‘Compatibility’ tab.
4. Look for the option labeled ‘Run this program as an administrator’ and check the box next to it.
5. Click ‘Apply,’ then hit ‘OK’ to confirm your changes.

Once you’ve completed these steps, you can double-click the game executable file to start it. For added assurance, you may also want to repeat this process for the executable file of Metro Exodus to grant it the necessary UAC access.

2. Update Graphics Drivers

It’s essential to ensure that your graphics driver is up to date on your PC, as an outdated GPU driver can lead to various issues when trying to launch games. To check for updates and install them if necessary, follow these steps:

1. Right-click on the Start Menu to access the Quick Access Menu.
2. Select Device Manager from the list to open its interface.
3. Locate and double-click on “Display adapters” to view the available options.
4. Right-click on your active dedicated graphics card.
5. Choose “Update driver,” then select “Search automatically for drivers.”
6. Your system will search for any available updates.
7. If an update is found, it will download and install the latest version automatically.
8. After the installation is complete, restart your PC to ensure the changes take effect.

If no updates are found through this method, you can visit the official website of your graphics card manufacturer to manually search for the latest driver. If there is a new version available, download the file to your PC and install it from there. For convenience, you can find the link to the official manufacturer’s website below.

3. End Background Processes

To ensure that resource-intensive applications function smoothly, it’s important to terminate any background processes that may be running unnecessarily on your system.

If you notice that your computer is lagging or responding slowly, it could be a sign that system resources are being depleted. Here’s how to eliminate unwanted processes:

1. Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Esc to launch the Task Manager.
2. Navigate to the Processes tab and identify the task you wish to terminate.
3. Select the task and click on the “End Task” button to close it.
4. Repeat these steps for any additional processes you want to end.

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

4. Disable Steam Overlay

Numerous players have noted that the Steam overlay may be operating in the background, which can be concerning. In-game overlay applications often utilize significant system resources, potentially causing problems when trying to launch games.

To address this, follow these steps:

1. Open the Steam client and navigate to your Library.
2. Locate Metro Exodus, right-click on it, and choose Properties.
3. In the Properties window, switch to the General tab and uncheck the box labeled “Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game.”
4. Return to your Library and attempt to launch Metro Exodus again to see if the issue is resolved.

5. Disable Steam Input

Several players have reported that disabling the Steam Input feature can effectively resolve issues related to the game not launching or getting stuck on the loading screen. If you’d like to try this solution, follow these steps:

1. Open your Steam client and navigate to your Library.
2. Find Metro Exodus in your game list and right-click on it.
3. Select the Controller option from the menu.
4. Change the setting for ‘OVERRIDE FOR Metro Exodus’ to ‘Disable Steam Input’.

After completing these steps, attempt to launch the game again to see if the problem persists.

6. Run the game in Windowed Mode

If you’re experiencing frequent crashes while playing the game, switching from Full Screen to Windowed mode might help resolve the issue. Here’s how you can do that:

1. Open the Start Menu by clicking on the Windows icon.
2. In the search bar, type %LOCALAPPDATA% and hit Enter to access the folder.
3. Locate the ‘Prospect’ folder within the %LOCALAPPDATA% directory.
4. Navigate to the following path: Saved > Config > WindowsNoEditor.
5. Inside the WindowsNoEditor folder, look for a file named ‘GameUserSettings’.
6. Open this file with any text editor, and find the line that says ‘FullscreenMode=1’. Change this to ‘FullscreenMode=0’ to switch to Windowed mode.
7. Save the changes and close the text editor.

After completing these steps, relaunch the game to see if the crashing issue persists.

7. Disable DirectX 12

If you’re utilizing DirectX 12 on your PC and encountering issues, consider disabling it. Since DirectX 12 is the most recent version for Windows, there’s a chance that your system may not fully support its requirements. To disable DirectX 12, follow these steps:

Navigate to Settings, then select Video, and toggle the ‘Enable DX12‘ option to ‘Off.’ After making this adjustment, be sure to restart the Metro Exodus game for the changes to take effect.

8. Set Correct Rendering Device

To ensure optimal performance, it’s important to choose the right rendering device in the game settings. Here’s how to do it:

1. Launch the Steam client and start the Metro Exodus game.
2. Navigate to the Video Settings section within the game.
3. Locate the option labeled ‘Selected Rendering Device’ and choose your dedicated GPU from the list. Avoid leaving it set to ‘Default.’
4. After making your selection, restart the game to apply the changes.

This will help improve your gaming experience.

9. Disable Multi-Threaded Rendering

The video settings menu in Metro Exodus includes a multi-threaded rendering option, which may be contributing to frequent game crashes.

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

If you are using an AMD processor, be sure to deactivate this option and restart the game for the changes to take effect. This may help improve stability.

10. Turn Off Antivirus Protection

To ensure that your game files run smoothly, consider disabling Windows Defender protection on your PC. This precaution can help determine if any antivirus software is interfering with the game. Here’s how to disable it:

1. Open Windows Settings by pressing the Windows + I keys together.
2. Navigate to Update & Security and select Windows Security from the sidebar.
3. Click on the Open Windows Security button.
4. From there, head to Virus & threat protection and select Manage settings.
5. Finally, toggle off the Real-time protection option. If asked, confirm by clicking Yes.

If you have a different antivirus program installed, it’s advisable to disable it as well. However, if you prefer not to turn off your antivirus, you can add the game files to its whitelist. Here’s how:

1. Launch the Steam client and go to your Library.
2. Find and select Metro Exodus from your list of games.
3. Click on the Settings icon located next to the game title.
4. Choose Manage and then select Browse local files.
5. Navigate to the Prospect folder, followed by Binaries and then Win64.
6. Within the Win64 folder, locate the file named ‘Prospect-Win64-Shipping.’
7. Select this file and add it to the antivirus exclusion list.

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

11. Repair Game Files

Corrupted or missing game files on your PC can lead to various problems, including difficulties launching the game or degraded performance. To address this issue, follow the steps below based on your game platform:

**For Steam Users:

1. Open the Steam client and navigate to your Library.
2. Locate Metro Exodus in your list of installed games, then right-click on it.
3. Select ‘Properties’ and head to the ‘Local Files’ tab.
4. Click on ‘Verify Integrity of Game Files.’
5. Allow the verification process to complete, then restart your computer.

**For Epic Games Launcher Users:

1. Launch the Epic Games Launcher and go to your Library.
2. Find Metro Exodus and click on the three-dot menu next to it.
3. Select ‘Verify’ to begin the verification of the game files.
4. Wait for the verification to finish and then restart the launcher.

By following these steps, you should be able to resolve any crashing issues with Metro Exodus on your PC.

12. Update Metro Exodus

If you’ve tried all the suggested solutions without success, it might be time to check if your copy of Metro Exodus is up to date.

Running an outdated version of the game can lead to various bugs and performance issues. To ensure you have the latest version, follow the instructions below for your respective platform.