Why Does Apex Legends Keep Crashing on PC? Troubleshooting Guide

Apex Legends, the popular free-to-play battle royale, can be a frustrating experience when crashes interrupt your gameplay. Frequent crashes not only disrupt the fun but can also lead to lost progress and competitive disadvantages. This guide dives deep into the common reasons behind Apex Legends crashes on PC and offers comprehensive troubleshooting steps to resolve these issues.

Common Causes of Apex Legends Crashes

Identifying the root cause of the crashes is the first step to fixing them. Here are some of the most frequent culprits:

  • Outdated or Corrupted Graphics Drivers: This is arguably the most common reason. Apex Legends, like most modern games, heavily relies on your GPU. Outdated or corrupted drivers can lead to instability and crashes.
  • Insufficient System Resources: Apex Legends can be demanding, especially at higher settings. If your PC doesn’t meet the minimum or recommended system requirements, or if other applications are hogging resources, crashes can occur.
  • Overheating: Excessive heat can cause components like your CPU or GPU to throttle performance or even shut down entirely, leading to game crashes.
  • Corrupted Game Files: Game files can become corrupted due to various reasons, such as incomplete downloads, disk errors, or software conflicts.
  • Software Conflicts: Conflicts with other software running in the background, such as overlays, antivirus programs, or even other games, can trigger crashes.
  • Hardware Issues: In rare cases, underlying hardware problems, like faulty RAM or a failing hard drive, can manifest as game crashes.
  • Apex Legends Bugs: Sometimes the crashes aren’t due to your system at all, but rather bugs or glitches within the game itself.

Troubleshooting Steps to Fix Apex Legends Crashes

Now that we’ve identified potential causes, let’s explore troubleshooting steps to address them. Work through these steps systematically to find the solution that works for you.

1. Update Your Graphics Drivers

  • NVIDIA: Go to the NVIDIA website or use the NVIDIA GeForce Experience application to download and install the latest drivers for your graphics card. Perform a clean installation to remove any old or corrupted files.
  • AMD: Visit the AMD website or use the AMD Adrenalin software to update your drivers. Similar to NVIDIA, opt for a clean installation.
  • Intel: If you’re using integrated graphics, download the latest drivers from the Intel website or through the Intel Driver & Support Assistant.

2. Verify Game File Integrity

  • Steam:
    • Right-click on Apex Legends in your Steam library.
    • Select “Properties”.
    • Go to the “Local Files” tab.
    • Click on “Verify integrity of game files…”. Steam will then check and repair any corrupted or missing files.
  • EA App:
    • Open the EA App and navigate to your game library.
    • Find Apex Legends.
    • Click the “Manage” button.
    • Select “Repair”.

3. Close Unnecessary Background Applications

  • Use Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) to identify and close any resource-intensive applications running in the background. Pay close attention to programs you don’t recognize or that consume a lot of CPU or memory.
  • Disable any unnecessary startup programs to prevent them from launching automatically when you boot your computer.

4. Monitor System Temperatures

  • Use monitoring software like MSI Afterburner, HWMonitor, or Core Temp to check your CPU and GPU temperatures while playing Apex Legends.
  • If your temperatures are consistently high (above 80°C for CPU or GPU), consider improving your cooling solution by cleaning your PC’s fans and heatsinks, reapplying thermal paste, or upgrading your cooler.

5. Adjust In-Game Graphics Settings

  • Lowering your graphics settings can significantly reduce the strain on your system and prevent crashes.
  • Start by reducing the overall graphics quality preset (e.g., from High to Medium or Low).
  • Disable or lower resource-intensive settings like anti-aliasing, ambient occlusion, and shadow quality.
  • Experiment with different resolutions to find a balance between visual quality and performance.

6. Check System Requirements

  • Ensure your PC meets the minimum and recommended system requirements for Apex Legends. If your hardware is below the minimum requirements, you may need to upgrade your components to improve stability.

7. Run Apex Legends as Administrator

  • Right-click on the Apex Legends executable file (usually located in the game’s installation directory) and select “Run as administrator.” This can grant the game the necessary permissions to access system resources.

8. Disable Overlays

  • Overlays from programs like Discord, NVIDIA GeForce Experience, or Steam can sometimes interfere with Apex Legends and cause crashes. Try disabling these overlays one by one to see if it resolves the issue.

9. Update Windows

  • Ensure that your Windows operating system is up to date. Microsoft often releases updates that include bug fixes and performance improvements that can improve game stability.

10. Check for Hardware Issues

  • Run memory tests using tools like Memtest86 to check for RAM errors.
  • Use disk checking utilities to scan your hard drive or SSD for errors.
  • If you suspect a hardware problem, consider seeking professional help from a computer technician.

11. Reinstall Apex Legends

  • If all else fails, try reinstalling Apex Legends. This can often fix issues caused by corrupted game files or installation errors.

12. Contact EA Support

  • If you’ve tried all the troubleshooting steps and are still experiencing crashes, contact EA Support for further assistance. They may be able to provide more specific guidance based on your system configuration and crash logs.

Conclusion

Apex Legends crashes can be a frustrating experience, but by systematically troubleshooting the common causes, you can often resolve the issue and get back to enjoying the game. Remember to keep your drivers updated, monitor your system temperatures, and close unnecessary background applications. With a bit of patience and persistence, you can conquer those crashes and dominate the Apex Games!