ARC Raiders can fail at several different points on Windows: it may close after the photosensitive-warning screen, freeze on a black loading screen, crash back to the desktop during a match, or refuse to start with an Easy Anti-Cheat error. The right fix depends on where it fails.
Start with the short checks below, then use the section matching your error. Do not assume that the newest update fixed every PC launch problem: Embark’s Store Update 1.40.0, released August 4, 2026, says PC launch error codes are still under investigation.
Before troubleshooting: check the current PC requirements
ARC Raiders requires a 64-bit, up-to-date version of Windows 10 or later and DirectX 12. If the hardware is below minimum, crashes and severe stuttering may not have a software fix.
| Preset | Processor | Memory | Graphics card | Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | Intel Core i5-6600K or AMD Ryzen 5 1600 | 12 GB | GTX 1050 Ti, Radeon RX 580, or Intel Arc A380 | Low, 1080p, 60 fps |
| Recommended | Intel Core i5-9600K or Ryzen 5 3600 | 16 GB | RTX 2070, RX 5700 XT, or Intel Arc B570 | High, 1440p, 60 fps |
| Epic | Intel Core i7-9700K or Ryzen 7 3700X | 16 GB | RTX 4070 Ti, RTX 5070, or RX 7900 XTX | Epic, 1440p, 90 fps with resolution scaling |
To identify your GPU, press Windows key + R, enter dxdiag, press Enter, and open the Display tab.
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Apply these quick fixes first
- Restart Windows rather than only closing the game. This clears stuck game and anti-cheat processes.
- Install pending Windows updates.
- Update your GPU driver, along with chipset, motherboard/BIOS, monitor, network-adapter, and peripheral drivers. Embark also recommends updating or rolling back the GPU driver if you experience unusually low FPS.
- Disable Raider Voice (Beta). Embark specifically lists this beta feature as a possible cause of menu and loading crashes.
- Close overlays, macro software, overclocking utilities, injectors, auto-clickers, scripts, AutoHotkey, Cheat Engine, NVIDIA Profile Inspector, virtual machines, and other unusual background tools before launching.
- Run Steam’s file check using Library → right-click ARC Raiders → Properties → Installed Files → Verify integrity of game files.
The Steam tab is currently called Installed Files. Instructions that say Local Files use an older Steam interface.
If ARC Raiders crashes in the menu, while loading, or during a match
First determine whether the game closes at a predictable point. A crash only in the menu or immediately after loading often points to a driver, feature, or damaged-file problem; a random crash during play can also involve unstable overclocks, overlays, thermals, or memory pressure.
1. Disable Raider Voice (Beta)
Open the game’s settings and turn off Raider Voice (Beta), then restart the game. This is one of Embark’s specific recommendations for crashes in the main menu and during loading, so test it before making more invasive changes.
2. Update or roll back the graphics driver
Use your GPU manufacturer’s driver tool: AMD Auto-Detect, Intel’s driver-detection tool, or NVIDIA GeForce Experience. If the crashing or unusually low frame rate began immediately after a driver update, try the previous stable driver instead. Embark has documented a PC performance issue in which some players experienced lower FPS than usual and recommended updating or rolling back the GPU driver.
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Return the GPU, CPU, and RAM to stock settings temporarily. Disable GPU undervolting, aggressive overclocks, frame-generation experiments, and third-party overlays while testing. A game that crashes only under heavy load may be exposing instability that other applications do not.
4. Verify the installation
In Steam, use Library → ARC Raiders → Properties → Installed Files → Verify integrity of game files. Steam will download replacement files if the local installation does not match the current build.
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Fix a frozen, black, or stuck loading screen
Try the following in order:
- Restart the PC.
- Right-click the ARC Raiders shortcut, choose Properties, open Compatibility, check Run this program as an administrator, select Apply, and then OK.
- Disable non-essential background processes, especially overlays and tools that hook into games.
- Allow ARC Raiders and Easy Anti-Cheat through Windows Defender or your third-party antivirus.
- Update Windows and launch the game again.
- Reinstall the game if the loading screen remains stuck.
Embark’s loading guide labels the Windows update route Settings → Update & Security → Check for updates. Windows 11 uses Settings → Windows Update → Check for updates.
Easy Anti-Cheat error 30005
Error 30005 means the EAC service cannot start because an EAC file is locked by another program. Antivirus software is a common cause.
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- If the error returns, add this folder to your antivirus exclusion list: C:\Program Files (x86)\EasyAntiCheat_EOS.
- Also whitelist EasyAntiCheat.exe and the ARC Raiders executable in Windows Defender or your security software.
Do not treat old guides that recommend deleting services, editing the registry, copying EAC drivers, or running an unverified EasyAntiCheat_Setup.exe command as official ARC Raiders instructions. Embark’s current documentation does not publish those command-line repair steps.
EAC is still involved in PC launch and integrity checks, but it is not ARC Raiders’ only anti-cheat layer. Since the May 2026 update rollout, Denuvo Anti-Cheat has been enforced for all players.
“Maximum simultaneous game instances reached”
This message can appear when the game has crashed but its process is still running.
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Find the ARC Raiders process.
- Right-click it and choose End task.
- Launch the game again.
If no ARC Raiders process is visible, restart the entire PC. Embark says a reboot is required when the EAC driver state remains stuck without a visible game process.
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ARAV and system-integrity errors
These errors indicate that the game detected an unexpected environment or change to its files. Close software that modifies, injects into, or automates games. In particular, remove NVIDIA Profile Inspector, auto-clickers, scripts, AutoHotkey, Cheat Engine, macro tools, injectors, custom overlays, virtual machines, and overclocking utilities from the test environment.
Virtual machines are prohibited for ARC Raiders’ integrity checks. Current security guidance also points to:
- Open Windows Security.
- Select Device security.
- Open Core isolation.
- Check Memory integrity.
- Ensure Secure Boot is enabled where your hardware and Windows installation support it.
- Install the latest Windows updates.
Do not continue launching with Cheat Engine active. Current ARC Raiders integrity guidance warns that this can result in permanent sanctions.
ARAV8007
For ARAV8007, Embark prescribes deleting the complete game folder and reinstalling it:
- Open the Steam common folder, usually C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common.
- Delete the ARC Raiders folder.
- Reinstall ARC Raiders in Steam.
If Steam is installed on another drive, use that library’s steamapps\common folder instead.
Use a clean boot to find background conflicts
A clean boot starts Windows with non-Microsoft services and startup applications disabled. It is useful when the game works after closing programs but you cannot identify which one is interfering.
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- Press Windows key + R, enter msconfig, and press Enter.
- Open the Services tab.
- Check Hide all Microsoft services.
- Select Disable all.
- Open the Startup tab and select Open Task Manager.
- In Task Manager, open Startup apps. Disable each enabled non-essential item.
- Close Task Manager, select OK in System Configuration, and restart.
- Test ARC Raiders.
System Configuration changes affect other applications. After testing, return to msconfig and re-enable services and startup items in groups to identify the conflict, or restore the normal startup configuration.
Perform a clean reinstall
Use this when verification does not help, the launcher repeatedly fails, or an integrity error returns after reinstalling through Steam.
- Open Settings → Apps.
- Find ARC Raiders and uninstall it.
- Delete C:\Program Files\Embark Studios.
- Press Windows key + R, enter %localappdata%, and press Enter.
- Delete Embark Studios\ARC Raiders.
- Empty the Recycle Bin.
- Restart Windows.
- Download ARC Raiders again.
- Right-click the installer and select Run as administrator.
If another Embark game is installed, do not delete the entire Embark Studios folder. Remove only the ARC Raiders subfolder.
What not to try
- -dx11 as a universal crash workaround: current official requirements specify DirectX 12, and Embark or Steam does not document a DX11 launch switch for ARC Raiders.
- Assuming the latest patch fixed every PC crash: Live Update 1.39.0 fixed a startup crash after the photosensitive-warning screen, but Store Update 1.40.0 still says PC launch error codes are under investigation.
- Following EAC-only guides: Denuvo Anti-Cheat is also enforced, while EAC remains involved in launch and integrity checks.
When to contact support
Contact Embark support if the crash remains after updating Windows and drivers, disabling Raider Voice and interfering software, verifying files, and testing a clean reinstall. Include the exact error code, when the crash occurs, Windows version, GPU and driver version, whether the game is installed on an SSD, and the troubleshooting steps already completed. That information is more useful than reporting only that the game “doesn’t launch.”
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.FAQ
Did ARC Raiders 1.40.0 fix PC crashes?
No. Store Update 1.40.0, dated August 4, 2026, says Embark is still investigating PC launch error codes. It should not be treated as a universal crash fix.
What fixed the startup crash after the warning screen?
Live Update 1.39.0, released July 28, 2026, fixed a startup crash that occurred after the photosensitive-warning screen.
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Where is Steam’s file verification option?
Open Steam, go to Library, right-click ARC Raiders, select Properties, open Installed Files, and choose Verify integrity of game files. The old Local Files label is no longer the current tab name.
How do I fix EAC error 30005 in ARC Raiders?
Restart the PC first. If it returns, exclude C:\Program Files (x86)\EasyAntiCheat_EOS from antivirus scanning and whitelist EasyAntiCheat.exe and ARC Raiders.
Does ARC Raiders support DirectX 11?
The current published PC requirements specify DirectX 12, and the official support material does not document a -dx11 launch option. Do not rely on that switch as an official fix.
Why does ARC Raiders say maximum simultaneous game instances reached?
The game or its anti-cheat process may still be running invisibly. Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc, end the ARC Raiders process, and relaunch. If no process appears, reboot Windows.
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For most PC crashes, the productive order is: update Windows and drivers, disable Raider Voice (Beta) and overlays, verify the installation, check antivirus and EAC, then use a clean boot or clean reinstall. Error codes such as 30005 and ARAV8007 need their specific fixes, while a continuing launch failure may require Embark support because PC launch errors remain under investigation.
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