Make sure not to skip any method because even though some users may think there is a basic method mentioned, sometimes the simple workaround can come in handy.
Method 1: Check System Requirements
Before jumping towards any solution down below, you must first check the game compatibility. Since the older version of the game – The Angler version, minimum game requirements have drastically changed. Maybe this is the reason the game is crashing and you might need to configure a few things to make it run. Here are the minimum system requirements to run the game:
- OS: 64 bit OS – Windows 10
- Processor: Intel i5-6400 / AMD Ryzen 5 1600
- Memory: 8 GB+ RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 780 3 GB / AMD RX 480 4 GB
- DirectX: Version 12
Method 2: Run the Game File as an Administrator
In many cases, the reason why the game is not loading is that the game does not have administrator rights to access some of the crucial game files. You need to provide User Account Control (UAC) to the game in order to run properly. This is a one-time process for each game. Make sure to follow the steps below to do so:
- Right-click on Call of the Wild The Angler.exe shortcut file on your PC.
- Now, select Properties > Click on the Compatibility tab.
- Make sure to click on the Run this program as an administrator checkbox to checkmark it.
- Click on Apply and select OK to save changes.
- Now, you can just double-click on the game exe file to launch it.
Once done, you also need to replicate the same process for the Steam/Epic launcher as well.
Method 3: Disable fullscreen optimizations
Since the game is quite new, it is not compatible to run or scale into different screen sizes. Although the game runs perfectly fine on standard 1080P screens, but not all are due to various aspect ratios. To fix that, you can disable the fullscreen optimizations option present in the Steam engine.
- Open the Steam launcher > Click on Library.
- Right-click on Call of the Wild The Angler> Click on Manage.
- Select Browse local files > Go to Call of the Wild The Angler installed location.
- Now, right-click on Call of the Wild The Angler.exe > Select Properties.
- Click on the Compatibility tab > Tickmark Disable fullscreen optimizations to enable it.
- Once done, click on Apply and then OK to save changes.
Method 4: Update Graphics Drivers
Since the game is quite new, it’s important to update the graphics drivers just to make sure everything is up to date. usually graphics drivers updates automatically, but you can still update them manually as follows:
- Right-click on the Start Menu to open up the Quick Access Menu.
- Click on Device Manager from the list to open the interface.
- Now, you’ll need to double-click on Display adapters to expand it.
- Then right-click on the dedicated graphics card name you’re using to bring the context menu.
- Next, click on Update driver > Choose Search automatically for drivers.
- Windows will automatically check for the available update and install them.
- Once done, make sure to restart your PC to apply the changes.
If you cannot find any update, then make sure to head over to the official graphics card website (
Nvidia GPU, AMD GPU, Intel GPU ) and search manually for the latest update.
Method 5: Switch to Dedicated GPU
As the minimum system requirements for the game also contain the use of a dedicated GPU unit, you also need to make sure the same is active on yoru system. For many players, the dedicated graphics unit remains inactive, and the integrated graphics unit is enabled by default. You need to change that in order to fix the Call of the Wild The Angler keeps crashing issue.
For Nvidia GPU:
- Right-click on the desktop screen to open the context menu.
- Now, click on Nvidia Control Panel to open it.
- Head over to 3D Settings > Select Manage 3D Settings.
- Open the Program Settings tab and choose Call of the Wild The Angler from the drop-down menu.
- Next, select the preferred graphics processor for this program from another drop-down menu.
- Finally, your Nvidia GPU should show as High-Performance Nvidia Processor.
- Save the changes and reboot the PC.
For AMD GPU:
- Right-click on the desktop screen to open the context menu.
- Now, open Radeon Settings > Navigate to Additional Settings.
- Go to Preferences > Select Power > Choose Switchable Graphics Application Settings.
- Select Call of the Wild The Angler from the list of installed applications.
- Finally, select High Performance from the Graphics Settings option > Reboot the PC.
Method 6: End Background Processes
If your PC has just 8GB of RAM, then any background running applications may conflict with the game progress as well. It is recommended to close all applications before you run the game. Make sure to close browsers such as Edge & Chrome as well, as they tend to use a lot of RAM space.
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc shortcut keys on the keyboard to open Task Manager.
- Click on the Processes tab > Make sure to select the task individually that you want to close.
- Then click on End Task to close it.
Method 7: Verify and Repair Game Files
Due to Antivirus actions, or just a technical issue, the game files may get corrupted which causes several crash issues or game not launching issues as well. Usually, you can fix that by simply re-installing the game. However, with Steam & Epic launcher, you can fix the game files using verify the game files feature.
For Steam:
- Launch the Steam client > Click on Library.
- Right-click on Call of the Wild The Angler from the list of installed games.
- Now, click on Properties > Go to Local Files.
- Click on Verify Integrity of Game Files.
- You’ll have to wait for the process until it gets completed.
- Once done, just restart your computer.
For Epic Games Launcher:
- Open the Epic Games Launcher > Click on Library.
- Click on the three-dots icon next to Call of the Wild The Angler.
- Click on Verify > Wait for the process to complete and restart the launcher.
Method 8: Enable Threaded Optimization
For People who have Nvidia graphics cards, they can enable threaded optimization to make sure there are no issues with the game. This method is only applicable to Nvidia graphics card users.
- Open Nvidia Control Panel > Select Manage 3D settings.
- Click on Program Settings > Select Call of the Wild The Angler from the list.
- Make sure to enable the Threaded optimization option.
- Once done, save changes, and reboot the PC to change effects immediately.
Method 9: Reinstall Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime
If your Windows computer isn’t running on the latest version or somehow the required version of the Microsft Visual C++ Runtime then you may encounter several issues with the game, especially game launch issues or game stuck at loading screen issues.
- Visit the official Microsoft website and download the latest Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime.
- Once done, install it on your computer > Restart the system to change effects.
Method 10: Disable Overlay Apps
Steam and other gaming-related applications come with overall features which help gamers a lot. However, these overlay settings can create further issues resulting in crashing issues. If you disable these settings, the game will run.
Disable Discord Overlay
- Launch the Discord app > Click on the gear icon at the bottom.
- Select Overlay under App Settings > Turn on the Enable in-game overlay.
- Click on the Games tab > Select Call of the Wild The Angler.
- Finally, turn off the Enable in-game overlay toggle.
- Make sure to reboot your PC to apply changes.
Disable Xbox Game Bar
- Press Windows + I keys to open Windows Settings.
- Click on Gaming > Go to Game Bar > Turn off Record game clips, screenshots, and broadcast using the Game bar option.
Disable Nvidia GeForce Experience Overlay
- Launch the Nvidia GeForce Experience app > Head over to Settings.
- Click on the General tab > Disable the In-Game Overlay option.
- Finally, restart the PC to apply changes, and launch the game again.
Also, do keep in mind that you should disable some other overlay apps like MSI Afterburner, Rivatuner, RGB software, or any other third-party overlay apps that run in the background continuously.
Conclusion
This brings us to the end of this guide for fixing Call of the Wild The Angler keeps crashing on startup on PC. Please note that the game is quite new and will take some time to get adjusted for multiple devices. In the meanwhile, you may follow the above troubleshooting guide to fix the problem. If nothing works, then it’s ideal to uninstall and reinstall the game to see if it helps.
