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Start with a completely clean launch: disable every Workshop and Mod.io subscription, remove manual DLL or configuration edits, select Steam’s Default Public Version, and verify the installation. If the crash continues, test security exclusions and administrator permissions, then rename the Complete Edition’s user-profile cache and configuration folders after backing up saves. This order separates incompatible content, damaged installation files, security blocks, and corrupted user state without destroying your data.
Why Total War: SHOGUN 2 – Complete Edition can close during startup
A startup crash is not one single fault. The useful clue is exactly where the game stops: before the launcher appears, at the splash screen, or after you choose a DirectX option. Complete Edition also changed the game’s mod environment. SEGA says the edition uses integrated Mod.io support and that mods made for the original Total War: SHOGUN 2 are not compatible with Complete Edition. An old subscription or a file copied into the program directory can therefore prevent the game from reaching the main menu.
The first pass should change as little as possible. Do not begin by deleting every folder or reinstalling Windows. Test the game with no subscribed content, no manual edits, the current public branch, and files verified by Steam. Each later step should be performed only if the earlier clean test does not resolve the crash.
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Use the failure point to choose the next test
| Where the game stops | Most useful first checks | What to record |
|---|---|---|
| Before the launcher | Public branch, file verification, security and administrator tests | Whether any launcher window appears |
| At the splash screen | Remove incompatible mods, then rename the user-profile cache and configuration folders | Whether the splash screen appears before closing |
| After selecting DirectX | Clean profile and verified files, followed by security and permission tests | The DirectX choice selected and the exact point of exit |
This classification does not prove the cause by itself. It gives support staff a reproducible description and prevents unrelated fixes from being mixed together.
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Prepare a safe diagnostic
Back up saves before changing user folders
Complete Edition keeps user data separately from the core installation. Before renaming or removing any Creative Assembly or Shogun2 profile folders, copy your save files to another location. A rename is preferable to an immediate deletion because it lets you restore the original state if the clean profile does not help.
Write down the current state
- Note whether the game fails before the launcher, at the splash screen, or after a DirectX selection.
- Record whether the installation has ever used Workshop or Mod.io content.
- Record whether you have edited files in the game’s program directory, including DLL or configuration files.
- Note the Steam branch currently selected and whether Steam later reports any files that cannot be verified.
These details matter because a crash with a clean profile and verified files points to a different investigation than a crash that disappears as soon as subscriptions are removed.
1. Run a genuinely clean test with no mods
Make this the first actual repair attempt. Steam Workshop subscriptions, Mod.io subscriptions, manual edits, custom DLLs, and altered configuration files can all change the launch path. SEGA’s troubleshooting guidance warns that outdated mods or program-file changes can stop a Total War game from functioning correctly; its example is a mod that has not been updated for a newer game version.
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- Open Steam and go to your Library.
- Open the Total War: SHOGUN 2 – Complete Edition Workshop or installed-content area.
- Unsubscribe from every item temporarily. Do not leave a single old overhaul, UI package, shader change, or campaign modification enabled for this test.
- If Mod.io content is shown in the game or its launcher, disable or unsubscribe from that content as well.
- Restart Steam, then launch the game once with no subscribed content.
If the game starts after this test, re-enable content one item at a time. Launch between changes so the incompatible item can be identified. Original Total War: SHOGUN 2 mods should not be treated as compatible merely because they worked before Complete Edition was installed; SEGA’s Complete Edition FAQ specifically identifies that compatibility break.
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Undo manual program-file changes
Remove or move aside custom DLLs and edited configuration files that you placed in the game’s installation directory. Restore the original files where you have a backup. Do not add a “fix” DLL while diagnosing a launch crash: it makes a clean comparison impossible and can cause Steam’s verification to replace or flag the file later.
After restoring the original state, launch again. If the splash-screen crash remains with every subscription disabled and all manual changes removed, continue to the branch and file checks rather than reinstalling immediately.
2. Select Steam’s Default Public Version
A legacy beta branch can contain code or components that no longer match current Windows, Steam, or component-vendor changes. SEGA recommends using the public branch when troubleshooting an older Total War installation.
- In Steam Library, right-click Total War: SHOGUN 2 – Complete Edition and choose Properties.
- Open Game Versions & Betas.
- Set the branch to Default Public Version.
- Allow Steam to finish any download or update it schedules.
- Close and reopen Steam, then test the game without mods.
Do not compare a beta branch and the public branch in the same diagnostic session. If you change branches, let Steam complete the transition before launching, and record which branch produced the result.
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3. Verify the game files in Steam
Steam’s file-verification function checks whether the installed game content is present and correctly installed. Steam specifically recommends verification when content is missing or a game crashes.
- Open Steam Library.
- Right-click Total War: SHOGUN 2 – Complete Edition and select Properties.
- Choose Installed Files.
- Select Verify integrity of game files.
- Wait for Steam to finish, apply any replacement download, and then launch the game with all mods still disabled.
How to interpret the result
Verification can report that one or more files failed even when the installation is healthy. Steam notes that local configuration files are not replaced during this process, so a file that differs because of local settings may be reported normally. A verification result is therefore evidence about the installed game files, not proof that every user setting has been reset.
If Steam downloads replacements and the game then starts, the failure was in the installation state. If the same splash-screen crash returns with verified files and no subscriptions, proceed to the user-profile reset rather than repeatedly running verification.
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4. Test security software and administrator permissions
Security software can block a launcher, executable, or game component even when the files are intact. SEGA’s troubleshooting article recommends testing antivirus or firewall exceptions and trying the game with administrator permissions.
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Make a temporary security test
- Open the controls for your antivirus and firewall.
- Temporarily create an exception for the game and its launcher, or briefly disable the relevant protection only long enough to perform one launch test.
- Launch the game from Steam while no Workshop, Mod.io, or manual modifications are active.
- Restore your normal antivirus and firewall settings immediately after the test.
This is a diagnostic, not a recommendation to leave protection disabled. If the game launches only while an exception is active, keep the protection enabled and configure a narrow, permanent exception for the verified game executable through your security product’s documented controls.
Run one administrator test
Use the game or launcher executable’s Windows compatibility controls to test Run this program as an administrator, then launch once. Keep the result separate from the security test: a successful administrator launch suggests a permissions problem, while a launch that succeeds only with security disabled suggests blocking or quarantine. After testing, return to the least-privileged setting that works for your system.
5. Reset the Creative Assembly/Shogun2 user state
When the installation is verified and the game is unmodded, stale scripts, caches, or preferences can still make the program close at the splash screen. Legacy troubleshooting identifies the Creative Assembly/Shogun2 user-profile state as a possible source of this symptom.
Rename instead of deleting
- Close the game and Steam.
- Back up your saves and any custom settings you want to keep.
- Locate the Creative Assembly/Shogun2 user-profile folders used by your Windows account.
- Rename the relevant folder, for example by adding
-backupto its name. The exact folder location and behavior can vary by edition, so do not assume that every installation uses an identical path. - Within that profile, pay particular attention to
Scripts,Fx_cache,Ui_Cache,Army_setups, andBattle_preferences. - Start the game. It should create fresh state as needed.
Renaming gives you a reversible comparison. If the game now starts, close it and copy back only the data you need, testing after each change. Do not restore the old cache, scripts, or preferences as a single batch; that would reintroduce the fault without identifying which state caused it.
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What a clean-profile result means
A successful launch with the renamed profile means the core installation can start under fresh user state. It does not establish that every old save or preference is safe to restore. Bring back saves first, then restore other files selectively. If the crash remains with a new profile, return to the branch, file, security, and permission results you recorded; the profile was not the only factor.
6. Keep the tests separate when DirectX is involved
Some failures occur only after the launcher asks you to select a DirectX option. Do not describe this simply as “it crashes on startup” when contacting support. Record the exact option selected, whether the splash screen appeared, and whether the same option fails with a clean profile and verified files.
The supplied troubleshooting evidence does not establish a universal DirectX setting that fixes Complete Edition. Treat the DirectX choice as a symptom boundary for diagnosis, not as permission to install random DLLs or force unsupported files into the program directory.
7. Escalate with a reproducible report
If the game still closes, contact SEGA or Creative Assembly support with a concise record of the tests. Include:
- Whether the failure is before the launcher, at the splash screen, or after selecting DirectX.
- Whether every Workshop and Mod.io subscription was disabled.
- Whether manual program-file edits and custom DLLs were removed.
- Whether Steam was set to Default Public Version.
- The date and result of Installed Files > Verify integrity of game files, including any files Steam said failed verification.
- Whether a temporary antivirus or firewall exception changed the result.
- Whether an administrator launch changed the result.
- Whether the renamed Creative Assembly/Shogun2 profile created a clean launch.
- Your Windows and Steam system details, the store edition you installed, and any crash message shown on screen.
This information lets support distinguish incompatible content from an installation mismatch, permissions block, or user-state failure. It also avoids repeating destructive steps that have already been ruled out.
A practical decision path
| Test result | Next action |
|---|---|
| Game launches with all subscriptions disabled | Re-enable Workshop or Mod.io items one at a time and remove the item that reproduces the crash. |
| Steam replaces files and the game launches | Keep the installation unmodified and verify any manual additions before restoring them. |
| Verification reports a local configuration difference | Continue with the clean-profile test; Steam does not replace local configuration files during verification. |
| Administrator or security test changes the result | Restore normal protection and use the narrowest documented permission or exception that permits launch. |
| Renaming the profile fixes the splash-screen crash | Restore saves and settings selectively; leave old caches, scripts, and preferences out until tested. |
| Every clean test fails at the same point | Send the complete test record to SEGA or Creative Assembly support. |
Common mistakes that prolong the crash
- Leaving one old mod enabled: a single subscription is enough to invalidate a “clean” test, especially because original-game mods are not compatible with Complete Edition.
- Changing several variables at once: switching branches, deleting the profile, and installing a DLL simultaneously makes the successful step impossible to identify.
- Assuming verification resets everything: Steam checks installed content but does not replace local configuration files.
- Deleting the profile before backing up saves: use a rename and keep a backup so the diagnostic remains reversible.
- Leaving protection disabled: security changes are temporary tests; restore normal settings immediately.
- Reporting only “it crashes”: the exact failure point, DirectX selection, branch, content state, and clean-profile result are the details support can act on.
When to stop troubleshooting locally
Once the game has been tested unmodded on the Default Public Version, Steam has completed verification, security and administrator tests have been recorded, and a renamed user profile has been tried, further random changes are unlikely to produce useful evidence. At that point, preserve the backup and the test notes, avoid restoring incompatible original-game mods, and provide the full sequence to SEGA or Creative Assembly support.
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