Marvel Rivals Not Launching: Reliable Fixes and Performance Tips

Is Marvel Rivals not launching on your PC? I feel your pain!

Whether you’re clicking Play in Steam or double-clicking the executable, nothing happens – or worse, you get a black screen before crashing to the desktop. Some users reported even seeing this error message:

This is especially annoying for avid gamers waiting to jump into the action. Many players have experienced this (and other issues) since the game’s launch, but I’ve compiled the most effective solutions to help you get back to it.

Now, no matter why Marvel Rivals doesn’t start, let’s first ensure your device is ready to run the game.

Quick Fixes

Before diving into more complex solutions, try these steps:

• Wait at least 10-15 minutes during your first launch attempt. Modern games often need extra time for initial setup and shader compilation. If nothing happens after this period, proceed to the next solution.
• Completely restart your Steam client:
  • Click Steam in the top-left corner and choose Exit.
  • Wait 30 seconds before reopening.
  • Try launching again.
• Check your internet connection with SpeedTest by Ookla:
  • Download Speed: Minimum 3 Mbps needed
  • Upload Speed: At least 1 Mbps is required
  • Ping: Should be under 100ms

Note: Try running multiple speed tests to confirm stability.

If these options don’t work, let’s move on to checking the system requirements below.

System Requirements

Unfortunately, if the system requirements aren’t met, the game won’t run properly, it’ll crash at launch, or offer a laggy and slow experience. Verify these before troubleshooting:

Minimum Specs (Base Game Experience)

• Operating System: Windows 10 64-bit (1909 or newer)
• Processor: Intel Core i5-6600K or AMD Ryzen 5 1600X
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 / AMD RX 580 / Intel Arc A380
• DirectX: Version 12
• Network: Broadband Internet connection
• Storage: 70 GB available space
• Note: SSD is strongly recommended for improved loading times

Recommended Specs (Optimal Experience)

• Operating System: Windows 10 64-bit (1909 or newer)
• Processor: Intel Core i5-10400 or AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Super / AMD RX 5700-XT / Intel Arc A750
• DirectX: Version 12
• Network: Broadband Internet connection
• Storage: 70 GB available space
• Note: SSD strongly recommended

Key Insights

The system requirements tell us several important things about Marvel Rivals:

• 16 GB RAM is mandatory across all setups – this isn’t negotiable
• The game needs significant storage space (70 GB minimum)
• DirectX 12 is required – older versions won’t work
• Mid-range graphics cards from the last 4-5 years should handle it
• CPU requirements indicate good optimization for 6-core processors

Now, let’s move on to the actual troubleshooting part. Remember to back up your game files before attempting these fixes.

1. Update Your System and Windows

When Marvel Rivals won’t launch, outdated drivers are often the culprits. Even if your drivers aren’t obsolete, a conflict might be causing the error to appear.

There are two ways you can fix this:

1.1. Manual Method

1. Press Windows + X and select Device Manager from the menu.
2. Look for Display Adapters in the list and expand it to see your GPU model.
3. Right-click your graphics card and select Update driver from the menu.
4. When prompted, choose Search automatically for drivers and wait for Windows to complete the search.

Even if Windows says you have the best driver, visit your GPU manufacturer’s official website:

• NVIDIA
• AMD
• Intel.

Download the latest driver compatible with your GPU.

1.2. Use PC HelpSoft Driver Updater

You can often resolve Marvel Rivals launch issues with proper driver management. PC HelpSoft Driver Updater is the perfect fit because it simplifies this process:

1. Download PC HelpSoft Driver Updater from the official website.
2. Click Start Scan to begin searching for any outdated drivers.
3. Select Manually Update or Register Now (if you want the automatic solution).
4. If you choose to do it manually, install each driver and click Restart when prompted.
5. Launch the game again and see if the issue is resolved.

2. Verify Game Files

When Marvel Rivals won’t launch, corrupted game files are often the culprit. Here’s how to fix them:

1. Open your Steam client and navigate to the Library tab at the top of the window.
2. Find Marvel Rivals in your game list, right-click it, and select Properties from the menu.
3. In the window that opens, click the Installed Files tab in the left-hand menu.
4. Look for the Verify Integrity of Game Files button and click it. Steam will now check every file in your Marvel Rivals installation, comparing them against the official versions on its servers.
5. If Steam finds any corrupted or missing files, it’ll automatically redownload them. Once done, try launching Marvel Rivals again.

3. Adjust Launch Options

Modifying the game’s launch settings in Steam can resolve compatibility issues related to DirectX versions and fix Marvel Rivals not launching. Here’s how:

1. Open your Steam client and go to your Library. Find Marvel Rivals in your game list.
2. Right-click Marvel Rivals and select Properties from the menu.
3. Under the General tab, look for the Launch Options field.
4. Enter one of the following commands one after the other and try running the game after each:
   • -dx11 – This command forces DirectX 11
   • -dx12 – This one forces DirectX 12
   • -d3d11 – Forces compatibility with Direct3D 11
5. Try launching the game after each change.

Note: If one command doesn’t work, delete it completely before trying the next one. If none of the commands resolve your issue, delete all text and clear the launch options field.

4. Disable Overlays

Overlays from apps like Steam and Discord can interfere with the game’s launch. Let’s disable them:

1. Open Steam, go to Settings, select the In Game menu entry, and uncheck Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game.
2. Open Discord, click the gear icon, navigate to Game Overlay, and toggle off Enable in-game overlay.
3. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc, look through your Task Manager, and close:
   • Any RGB software instances
   • Hardware monitoring tools
   • Screen recording software
   • Any activated or deactivated VPN services
   • Antivirus shields.
4. Restart your computer and try launching the game.

5. Run as Administrator

Running the game with administrative privileges or changing compatibility settings can fix issues caused by restricted access.

1. Open Steam, right-click Marvel Rivals, select Manage, and click Browse Local Files.
2. Find the game’s .exe file (MarvelRivals.exe), right-click it, and select Properties.
3. Go to the Compatibility tab, check Run this program as administrator, and check Disable fullscreen optimizations.
4. Click Apply, click OK, and try launching the game again.

6. Free Up Storage Space

Low disk space can prevent the game launcher from initializing correctly. Although this idea might seem obvious, plenty of users have resolved this issue by better managing their storage space.

Here’s how you can fix it, too:

1. Open This PC, right-click your game drive, and ensure you have at least 70GB of free space.
2. Download and run specialized software like TreeSize, analyze your disk usage, and delete unnecessary files.
3. Empty your Recycle Bin, restart your computer, and try launching the game.

Alternatively, you can use specialized software like Fortect to automatically identify any issues with your device and fix them with the click of a button:

1. Download Fortect from the official website and install it.
2. Open it, run a complete system scan, and let it clean unnecessary files.
3. Click Apply for recommended fixes, restart your PC, and try launching Marvel Rivals.

7. Create a Dedicated Partition

A less conventional solution involves isolating the game on a dedicated partition, which can resolve disk-related or registry issues:

1. Save all your important data, press Windows + X, and select Disk Management.
2. Right-click on unallocated space in your drive list and select New Simple Volume.
3. Set your partition size to at least 100GB, format it as NTFS, and set the allocation size to 4096 bytes.
4. Give your new partition a drive letter, complete the formatting process, and wait for it to finish.
5. Open Steam, right-click Marvel Rivals, select Manage, and click Uninstall.
6. Click Steam in the top menu, select Settings, click Storage, and click the drop-down.
7. Click Add Drive, select your new partition, and create a new Steam library there.
8. Find Marvel Rivals in your Steam library, click Install, select the new partition, and wait for installation.
9. Launch Marvel Rivals to see if the issue is resolved.

Additional Performance Tips

To prevent any other future Marvel Rivals launch issues:

1. Click Check for Updates in Windows Settings.
   • Regular updates are crucial for game compatibility and performance.
   • Check at least once a week and install all available ones.
2. Open Task Manager to close background applications. Look for resource-heavy programs that might interfere with Marvel Rivals and end their processes before launching the game.
3. Add the game to antivirus exceptions through Security Settings. Some antivirus programs can block game executables:
   • Open your antivirus settings.
   • Find the exceptions or exclusions section.
   • Add both the game folder and the executable.
   • Save your changes and restart the antivirus.
4. Run Disk Cleanup from Windows tools to maintain adequate space for game files. This helps prevent launch issues related to insufficient storage.
5. Update DirectX from Microsoft’s website. Having the latest version installed is essential.

So, now you know how to fix Marvel Rivals not launching. Which solution worked for you in the end? Feel free to share in the comments below.