Overwatch is on of the popular games developed by Blizzard Entertainment. It is a team based first person shooter shooter which allows two teams of six players each to work together to secure a control point or escort a payload across the map. Although this is a solid performing game there are instances when certain issues can occur. In this latest installment of our troubleshooting series we will tackle the Overwatch not launching issue.
How To Fix Overwatch Not Launching Issue
Before performing the recommended troubleshooting steps for this particular problem I suggest that you try restarting your computer first. This will refresh the operating system as well as remove corrupt temporary data and is quite effective in fixing most software related issues.
Take note that your computer must also meet certain requirements in order to run the game without experiencing any issues.
Minimum requirements
- CPU: Intel Core i3 or AMD Phenom X3 8650
- CPU SPEED: Info
- RAM: 4 GB
- OS: Windows Vista/7/ 8/10 64-bit (latest Service Pack)
- VIDEO CARD: Nvidia GeForce GTX 460, ATI Radeon HD 4850, or Intel HD Graphics 4400
- PIXEL SHADER: 4.0
- VERTEX SHADER: 4.0
- FREE DISK SPACE: 30 GB
- DEDICATED VIDEO RAM: 768 MB
Recommended requirements
- CPU: Intel Core i5 or AMD Phenom II X3, 2.8 GHz
- CPU SPEED: Info
- RAM: 6 GB
- OS: Windows Vista/7/ 8/10 64-bit (latest Service Pack)
- VIDEO CARD: Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 or ATI Radeon HD 7950
- PIXEL SHADER: 5.0
- VERTEX SHADER: 5.0
- FREE DISK SPACE: 30 GB
- DEDICATED VIDEO RAM: 2 GB
There are several factors that can cause this particular problem ranging from missing files to a corrupted cache. Listed below are the troubleshooting steps you need to do to fix this problem.
Repair the Overwatch game files
One of the main causes of this problem is a missing game file. You can easily check if this is the culprit by scanning the game files and repairing them.
- Open the Blizzard Client and click on “Games”
- From the right pane click on the overwatch icon
- Click on the “Options” button on the top left side.
- Select “Scan and Repair” from the list of options available
- Click on “Begin Scan” when the message prompts you to
- Depending upon your PC this might take some time for the launcher to finish the process
- When finished try to “Run” the game.
Check if the Overwatch not launching issue still occurs.
Delete the game cache
The game stores cached data which improves its overall performance and loading time. This data however has the tendency of becoming corrupted and when this happens issues can occur, such as this. If this is the culprit then you will have to delete the game cache.
- Open the Task Manager by pressing “Ctrl+Shift+Esc”
- Click on the “More Details” button to open up a detailed version of the program
- In the Processes Tab, if an “agent.exe” or a “Blizzard Update Client” is running select it and press End Process button on the bottom of the program.
- Press the Windows key+R to open up the “Run Prompt”
- Type “%Programdata%” in it and press Enter.
- Delete the “Blizzard Entertainment” folder inside the directory.
- Restart the Blizzard client then run the game.
Check if the problem still occurs.
Disable the game DVR
windows 10 has a utility that allows games to be recorded and broadcasted. When this is used, it might cause certain frame drop issues and even prevent the game from running. To check if this is what’s causing the problem you should try to turn this off.
- Open the Start Menu and click on the Settings icon
- Click on “Gaming”
- Disable every option inside this.
- Select “Game DVR”
- Disable every option inside this
- Select “True Play” and turn it off.
- Run the game
Check if the issue still persists.
Delete the Battle.net tools
If the Battle.net desktop app has missing or corrupted files then this can be what’s causing the problem. You should try to delete the Battle.net files so that the Blizzard client will reinstall a fresh version.
- Open the Task Manager by pressing “Ctrl+Shift+Esc”
- Click on the “More Details” button to open up a detailed version of the program
- In the Processes Tab, if an “agent.exe” or a “Blizzard Update Client” is running select it and press End Process button on the bottom of the program.
- Press Windows+R key to open up the “Run Prompt” and type “C:\ProgramData\” in the open field and press “Enter”
- Delete the Battle.net folder inside the directory
- Run the Blizzard Client and check to see if the problem persists.
Check if the Overwatch not launching issue still occurs.
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