Emily Bennett
How To Fix the Overwatch 2 Crash Caused by Graphics Driver on PC
If you’ve run into the dreaded “Overwatch has crashed in the graphics driver” message, it’s definitely annoying. Happens to a lot of folks, especially after updates, driver conflicts, or even just with certain hardware setups. Basically, the game throws a tantrum trying to talk to the graphics card, and sometimes a simple restart or driver reinstallation isn’t enough. So, this guide piles up some practical fixes that are known to get around the problem, whether your GPU drivers are flaky or Windows isn’t giving the game the right environment. Once you get through these steps, you’ll have a much better shot at getting back into the action without crashes every five minutes.
How to Fix Overwatch 2 “Graphics Driver Crash” Error on PC
Ensure your drivers are properly installed and up to date
This is usually the root cause. Outdated or corrupted graphics drivers can make the game crash or freeze. Windows or driver updater tools sometimes get confused, so a clean reinstall can often solve weird crashes. On some machines, driver updates cause instability right after installing, and rolling back to a previous version might actually fix things.
- Head over to the NVIDIA Driver Download page if you’re on GeForce.
- Or go to the AMD Support page for Radeon cards.
Download the latest driver, but make sure to choose the Custom Install option and check the box for Perform a clean installation. That wipes out old leftovers that might cause conflicts. After installation, restart your PC and see if Overwatch still crashes.
Tip: Use GeForce Experience or AMD’s Radeon Software
for easier driver management — sometimes they detect updates automatically.
Check if the game is using your dedicated GPU
On some systems, especially laptops with integrated graphics, the game might be running on the wrong GPU. That causes stability issues. To be sure, go to Windows Settings > System > Display > Graphics. Add Overwatch manually if it’s not there, then set the preference to High performance. Sometimes, this setting gets reset after updates, so double-check.
Expect to see smoother performance and fewer crashes if the game’s GPU is correctly configured. In my experience, this fix alone can sometimes resolve those driver crash errors, but other times, you have to dig deeper.
Roll back driver updates if recent ones caused instability
If the crash started happening after a driver update, then going back to a previous, more stable version might do the trick. This is kind of a “last resort,” but it works on some machines where newer drivers actually break things.
- Access Device Manager by right-clicking the Start button and choosing it.
- Under Display adapters, right-click your GPU and select Properties.
- Go to the Driver tab and hit Roll Back Driver (if available). If it’s greyed out, you’ll need to manually download an older driver from NVIDIA or AMD, then do a clean install.
Expect a more stable gaming experience after downgrading — before you do this, make sure to download the previous driver version from the manufacturer’s site. On some setups, this can avoid the crash loop entirely.
Run the game directly from the installation folder and tweak compatibility
This is kind of weird, but launching the game as an admin from its executable can bypass some Windows-related issues causing the crash. Navigate to the folder — typically under C:\Program Files (x86)\Battle.net\Overwatch\ or similar. Right-click on Overwatch.exe and choose Run as administrator.
On some systems, enabling compatibility mode helps. Right-click the executable, head to Properties > Compatibility, check Run this program in compatibility mode for an earlier Windows version, and disable Full Screen Optimizations.
Keep in mind, this is about avoiding conflicts that crash the driver, especially on Windows 10/11 with some driver versions.
Adjust Windows and system settings to prevent driver overloads
Third-party antivirus tools can sometimes interfere with graphics drivers. Make sure your antivirus isn’t blocking or sandboxing the game. Add the Overwatch executable as an exception, or temporarily disable your antivirus to test if it was causing the crash. For Windows Security, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Manage Ransomware Protection. Allow the game folder there.
Also, turning off or toggling Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling can impact stability. To do this, go to Settings > System > Display > Graphics > Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling. Switch it on or off and test the game after each change. Sometimes, this setting causes more crashes rather than fixing them.
Disable or modify third-party software that could interfere
If you use apps like Razer Synapse, MSI Afterburner, or other GPU utility software, try disabling or uninstalling them. Such software can cause conflicts that make the graphics driver crash in the middle of a game. Especially Razer Synapse, which has been known to trigger graphics issues in some cases.
Uninstall any unneeded overlay software like GeForce Experience, Discord overlays, or screen recorders for a test run. On some setups, these either cause issues or add unnecessary load on the driver, leading to crashes.
Optimize your system’s power settings and virtual memory
Switch to Power Saver mode temporarily via Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options. This can help if your GPU is throttling or misbehaving under high load. Also, increasing your virtual memory (paging file) can prevent driver timeouts. Head to System > Advanced system settings > Settings > Advanced > Virtual memory and set a custom size — usually 1.5x your RAM is enough.
Run system updates and verify game files
Make sure Windows is fully updated, especially graphics-related patches, by checking Microsoft’s update page. Outdated Windows can cause driver incompatibilities.
And for the game: verify game files through Battle.net. Right-click Overwatch in your game library, choose Scan and Repair. This replaces any corrupted files that might trigger crashes.
As a last resort: reinstallation and BIOS updates
If nothing else works, uninstall Overwatch, delete the folder manually, then reinstall fresh on your main drive. Sometimes, just a clean slate helps resolve driver issues. Also, check your motherboard’s support page for BIOS updates — outdated BIOS versions can sometimes cause compatibility issues with newer GPU drivers. Be cautious with BIOS updates, though — follow the instructions carefully.
Extra tips & gotchas
Keep your drivers updated but avoid rushing updates immediately after release. Sometimes, waiting a week for hotfixes helps stabilize things. Also, check for background apps that could hog GPU resources, like screen recorders or overlay programs. Disabling them can give your GPU a moment to breathe and maybe prevent the driver crash from happening.
And of course, Blizzard’s support forums or their official troubleshooting pages are worth a look if nothing else works.
Summary
- Update or roll back GPU drivers as needed
- Set game to run on dedicated GPU and run as admin
- Disable conflicting software and overlays
- Adjust Windows graphics settings and power plan
- Verify game files and update Windows
- Reinstall if all else fails, and keep BIOS current
Wrap-up
Crashes like this are annoying as heck, but often, the fix is just a matter of finding the right driver version or tweaking some settings. On some setups, turning off hardware acceleration or reinstalling drivers does the trick. Not always straightforward, but with a bit of patience, it’s usually fixable. Fingers crossed this helps someone dodge those crashes and get back to gaming without fuss — worked for me, so hope it works for you, too.