Lorene Melone
How To Resolve Crashes and Freezing in The Hunter: Call of the Wild on PC
If you’re hitting crashes or the game just freezes when trying to start theHunter: Call of the Wild, you’re probably pulling your hair out like many others. Sometimes it’s caused by simple settings conflicts, corrupted files, outdated drivers, or even external hardware messing things up. This guide aims to cover nearly every common reason and how to fix it—I’ve tried most of these myself over time. The goal? Get you back in the woods without messing around for hours.
How to Fix theHunter: Call of the Wild Crashing on Startup
Adjust launch options to fix display or resolution issues
This helped me when the game refused to launch or just crashed right away. Basically, Windows or Steam can sometimes mess with display modes—whether it’s trying to run in borderless, windowed, or fullscreen. By specifying a mode explicitly, the game has a better shot at starting normally.
- Open Steam and right-click the game in your library, then pick Properties.
- Under the General tab, find the Launch Options box.
- Type in commands one at a time. E.g., to test different modes, try:
/borderless/windowed/fullscreenRepeat trying each one after applying and launching the game. Sometimes certain modes just work better depending on your system or graphics card, weird as that sounds. On some setups, launching with
/borderlesshelped avoid crashes that occurred in a full-screen mode.
Disable DLCs that could cause conflicts
Conflicting downloaded content has been known to crash the game on launch, especially the Revontuli Coast. To test if this fixes things, disable all DLCs auto-enabled or checkmarked in the game properties.
- In the same Properties window, go to the DLC tab.
- Uncheck all DLCs, especially ones you’ve recently added or that aren’t essential.
- Launch the game again to see if stable operation returns. Sometimes, a DLC update bugs out and crashes unless disabled temporarily.
Temporarily disable Steam Cloud save synchronization
Cloud sync is handy, but in some cases, corrupted save files or syncing issues cause crashes. Turning it off helped me before.
- Back in Properties, under General, uncheck Keep games saves in the Steam Cloud.
- Then start the game. If it works fine after disabling Cloud, try re-enabling later, but make sure your local saves are intact.
Delete potentially corrupted game save files
If crash happens right after loading the game, corrupt save files might be the culprit. Always back them up first, then try deleting.
- Navigate to
Documents\Avalanche Studios\theHunter Call of the Wild\Saves. - Copy this entire
Savesfolder somewhere safe—just in case you want to restore things later. - Delete the files like
reserveworlddata_adf,steam_autocloud.vdf, andplayerinformation_adf. - Launch the game fresh. It will recreate new save files, which may clear out the bug.
Unplug controllers or other peripherals during startup
If you’re using controllers, racing wheels, or other external devices, they sometimes interfere with initial game launch—probably because of driver conflicts or input issues.
- Disconnect all unnecessary peripherals.
- Start the game without them connected.
- Once into the game, reconnect controllers or devices. It’s a weird workaround I’ve seen help resolve startup crashes on some machines.
Modify display settings directly in the config file
If the game crashes before it fully loads, editing the configuration might help.
- Navigate to
Documents\Avalanche Studios\theHunter Call of the Wild\Settings. - Open
settings.jswith Notepad or your favorite text editor. - Find the line:
"DisplayFullscreen": 1and change it to"DisplayFullscreen": 0. This switches the game to windowed mode, which sometimes avoids crashes caused by fullscreen display bugs. - Save and close. Launch the game to see if it’s more stable.
Reset game options by deleting the Settings folder
If display edits didn’t do the trick, resetting configs might. Just delete the entire Settings folder to force the game to generate fresh configs.
- Go to
Documents\Avalanche Studios\theHunter Call of the Wild. - Backup this folder if you want to preserve custom controls or settings.
- Delete the Settings folder and relaunch the game.
Disable mods that could be unstable or incompatible
If mods are installed, especially from third-party sites, they can cause startup issues. Disable or uninstall them temporarily to test.
- Remove any mod files or disable mod manager overlays if you’re using any.
- Try starting the game after doing so.
Check your antivirus/security software
Antivirus programs sometimes block game files or executables, mistaking them for malicious. To fix this:
- Add theHunter.exe to your antivirus ignore list or allowed apps.
- If using Windows Security, go to Virus & threat protection > Manage settings, then under Controlled folder access, add the game folder or executable.
Run the game with administrator rights
This can fix permission issues blocking certain files or registry keys. It’s simple:
- Locate theHunter.exe in your install folder.
- Right-click, pick Properties, then the Compatibility tab.
- Tick Run this program as an administrator.
- Apply and launch. Sometimes Windows needs this nudge to avoid permission hiccups.
Verify game files in Steam
If some files got corrupted or didn’t install properly, verifying integrity fixes that. It’s like a health check.
- Right-click on the game in Steam, select Properties.
- Go to Local Files and click Verify integrity of game files….
Update graphics drivers—possibly a clean install
Outdated or flaky drivers are guilty in a lot of cases. Here’s what to do:
- For NVIDIA cards, visit their driver download page.
- For AMD, check AMD’s driver support.
- Download the latest, run the installer, and choose a clean install option—this usually fixes corrupt driver issues.
Make sure the game uses your dedicated GPU
If you have integrated graphics and a separate GPU, the game might be defaulting to the weaker one. For best stability:
- Open Windows Graphics Settings in Settings app.
- Add the theHunter executable if necessary.
- Set it to High Performance to force use of your dedicated GPU.
Rollback graphics drivers if latest ones cause issues
If updating caused crashes, try rolling back:
- Open Device Manager.
- Find your graphics card under Display adapters.
- Right-click, choose Properties.
- Go to Driver tab and click Roll Back Driver if available.
Install Visual C++ Redistributables
Sometimes, missing Visual C++ libraries can make the game unstable. Get them from Microsoft’s official page. Install both x86 and x64 versions, then restart PC.
Update Windows OS
Keeping Windows up-to-date is a classic fix. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Check for updates and install everything that shows up. It often patches bugs that cause crashes.
Disconnect external devices and disable overlays
If you’re running multiple peripherals like racing wheels or VR gear, disconnect them during startup to rule out conflicts. Also pause overlays from apps like Discord or GeForce Experience—they can sometimes interfere with startup processes.
Increase virtual memory – a last resort for low RAM
This is a bit nerdy but can help if your PC is running low on RAM. Search for Advanced System Settings, then under Performance Settings, go to Advanced and tweak the paging file. Set it to 1.5 times your RAM as initial, and 3x as max. Not a perfect fix, but worth a shot if crashes happen after a lot of gameplay.
Update your BIOS (system firmware)
More advanced but sometimes necessary. Head to your motherboard or system maker’s site—like Dell, Asus, or MSI—and follow their instructions for BIOS updates. Do this carefully, as a failed update can brick your system.
Reinstall the game completely
If nothing else works, try uninstalling via Steam, deleting leftover files from the install folder, and reinstalling. Preferably on an SSD for better stability. Sometimes, corrupt files or incomplete installations are the root cause.
Extra Tips & Common Issues
- Always confirm your graphics driver is current before launching. It’s probably the easiest fix.
- Check your system specs against the game’s requirements—sometimes hardware just isn’t there.
- Running in compatibility mode for older Windows versions (like Windows 8) can sometimes help, especially on older systems.
- And don’t forget to back up your saved data regularly—better safe than sorry when troubleshooting!
Wrap-up
This comprehensive list should catch most of the typical causes behind startup crashes. The hardest part can be figuring out which step applies to your particular issue, but methodically trying each one usually does the trick. Sometimes, it’s just a missing driver or a corrupted file causing all the trouble. Hopefully, this shaves off a few hours for someone.
✅ Quick Troubleshooting Checklist
- Updated graphics drivers? Check.
- Game files verified? Done.
- Display mode adjusted? Tried fullscreen/windowed? Yep.
- Background overlays disabled? Yep.
- External devices disconnected? Yessir.
- Console or PC system updated? Yep.
- Game installed on SSD? Usually helps.