Fix: Company of Heroes 3 DirectX Error

Relic Entertainment and SEGA recently released an action real-time strategic wargame called ‘Company of Heroes 3‘ currently available for Windows, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5 platforms. The game lets you get into war mode with new mechanics, over-the-top combat, and more. But it seems that players didn’t like this title the way it should be. Meanwhile, some players face the Company of Heroes 3 DirectX Error on the PC while launching the game.

Since the Company of Heroes 3 game was released, it has been downloaded by millions of players which is a good sign but the anticipation drastically went downwards once the game starts receiving negative and mixed reviews on Steam for the PC version. SEGA is quite a known publisher and focuses on graphics quality to provide a better gameplay experience to its users. As the Company of Heroes 3 requires DirectX version 12 for the Windows PC to run smoothly, several players are unable to run the game.

Fix: Company of Heroes 3 DirectX Error

If we take a quick look at the DirectX error, it’s not a new thing for PC gamers because most PC titles do come with some errors and the DirectX issue is one of them. Apart from the DirectX issues, PC gamers may encounter some other issues like startup crashes, in-game lags, stutters, framerate drops, graphical glitches, and more. Now, if you’re also facing the same error then make sure to follow this troubleshooting guide to completely resolve it.

It’s also worth mentioning that there might be a couple of possible reasons applicable behind such an issue like an outdated version of DirectX, conflicts with the graphics driver, an outdated game version, issues with the installed game files, and more. So, it’s better to follow all methods one by one until the problem gets fixed. So, without further ado, let’s get into it.

1. Reboot the PC

First of all, you should try restarting the PC at your end manually after closing the Company of Heroes 3 game to ensure there is no issue with the temporary glitches or cache data whatsoever. Though some PC users might not find it useful enough, you should at least try it once.

2. Run the Game as an Administrator

The next step you can do is simply run the game executable file as an administrator on the Windows system to ensure the game file can run properly. It’ll allow the User Account Control (UAC) access to the system to run the programs which are granted to run as administrator. To do so:

• Go to the installed Company of Heroes 3 game directory on the PC.
• Right-click on the game application file > Click on Properties.
• Click on the Compatibility tab.

• Click on the Run this program as an administrator checkbox to enable it.
• Once done, click on Apply and then OK to save changes.
• Finally, just double-click on the game app file to launch it.

If you’re running the game via the Steam client then perform the same steps for the respective game client too.

3. Run DirectX Diagnostic Tool

It’s worth mentioning to check whether you’re using the latest version of DirectX on your Windows PC or not. To do that:

• Press the Win+R keys to open the Run dialog box.
• Now, type dxdiag and hit Enter to open DirectX Diagnostic Tool.

• Once the DirectX Diagnostic Tool window opens, you can check out the DirectX version from the System tab.

• Next, you can go to the Display tab > Here you can additionally check DirectX 3D Feature Levels and other DirectX Features too.

If it shows lower than DirectX version 12 then you should try following the next methods.

4. Update Graphics Driver

It may also be possible that an outdated GPU drive is causing a couple of issues with your Windows computer whatsoever. It’s always recommended to simply update your graphics driver manually if you haven’t done it for a while. To do so:

• Press the Win+X keys to open the Quick Link Menu.
• Now, click on Device Manager from the list > Double-click on Display adapters.
• Right-click on the dedicated graphics card that you’re using.

• Next, select Update driver > Choose to Search automatically for drivers.
• If there is an update available, it’ll automatically download & install the latest version.
• Once done, the system will reboot automatically. Otherwise, you can manually restart the system to apply changes.

5. Try Changing Graphics Settings

Some players are claiming that changing the in-game graphics settings to the medium or optimal options did fix the DirectX error. So, you should also try changing the graphics settings from the game menu. It’ll also help you to get a higher FPS count and a smoother gameplay experience than before. Make sure to lower the graphics settings to avoid higher CPU or Memory usage up to some extent.

6. Update Windows OS Build

In most scenarios, having an outdated Windows OS build may cause several issues with the program running. You should try following the steps below to check for the Windows update.

• Press the Win+I keys to open Windows Settings.
• Now, click on Update & Security > From the Windows Update section, click on Check for updates.

• If there is an update available, you can click on Download and Install.
• Wait for the process to complete the installation.
• Once done, make sure to reboot your computer to apply changes.

7. Update Company of Heroes 3

Try updating the game by following the steps below to check whether the Company of Heroes 3 DirectX 12 Error is still bothering you or not. To do that:

• Open the Steam client > Go to Library.
• Click on Company of Heroes 3 from the left pane.
• It’ll automatically search for the available update.
• If there is an update available, make sure to click on Update.
• It may take some time to install the update > Once done, make sure to close the Steam client.
• Finally, reboot your PC to apply changes, and then try launching the game again.

8. Verify the Game Files

You should always check for the integrity of game files on the Steam client and try repairing the files to avoid game launching issues. To do this:

• Launch Steam > Click on Library.
• Right-click on Company of Heroes 3 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, and check for the issue again.

9. Force Use DirectX 12

You should forcefully run the Company of Heroes 3 game on Steam with DirectX 12 by following the steps below. Sometimes issues with the DirectX version can also cause multiple conflicts with the game launching on Windows.

• Open the Steam client > Go to Library.
• Right-click on the Company of Heroes 3 game > Go to Properties.
• Click on General > Go to Launch Options.
• Here you can type -dx12 inside the field.
• Once done, reboot the Steam client, and run the game.

Note: If in case, the error persists then you can follow the steps below to use DirectX 12 in another way.

1. Go to Steam > Click on Library > Click on Manage.
2. Select Browse local files > Make sure to create a desktop shortcut for the Company of Heroes 3 game.
3. Right-click on the new desktop shortcut that you’ve created.
4. Go to Properties > At the end of the Target line, click & add dx12.
5. Finally, click on OK to apply changes, and run the game to check for the issue.

10. Disable Real-time Protection on Windows Security

You should also turn off the Windows Defender antivirus program temporarily on your PC to ensure there is no issue with the game file blocking due to suspicious or potentially harmful files which might not be dangerous in most cases. To do so:

• Press the Win+I shortcut keys to open Windows Settings.
• Click on Update & Security > Open Windows Security.
• Click on Open Windows Security > Go to Virus & threat protection.
• Now, click on Manage settings > Just turn off the Real-time protection toggle.
• If prompted, click on Yes to confirm turning it off.

Please Note: If you’re using any other third-party antivirus program on your PC then ensure to turn it off from its settings menu.

11. Reinstall the Latest DirectX

You should reinstall the latest version of DirectX on your PC via the official Microsoft website. You’ll have to download and run the DirectX installer package to install it. Keep in mind that the Company of Heroes 3 game requires DirectX 12 minimum to run on the PC.

12. Reinstall Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime

It’s recommended to reinstall the Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime program on your PC by following the steps below to fix DirectX-related errors while launching games or other programs whatsoever.

• Press the Windows key to open the Start Menu.
• Type Apps & Features and open it from the search result.
• Now, make sure to locate & click on the Microsoft Visual C++ program(s) from the list.
• After selecting the program, click on Uninstall.
• Visit the official Microsoft website and download the latest Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime on the PC.
• Once done, run the installer, and install it.
• Finally, reboot the PC to apply changes.

13. Optimize Windows 11

With the Windows 11 optimization, you’ll be able to experience much better performance on the system as well as programs. the all-new Windows 11 has a lot of new features and performance improvements to its predecessor Windows 10 which will work like a charm. But sometimes manual optimization on the system will require removing temporary glitches and other bloatware.

Meanwhile, Windows 11 has memory integrity and improved virtualization features that should be disabled to avoid several errors with the program running.

Disable Memory Integrity:

• Click on the Windows icon to open the Start menu.
• Search for Windows Security and open it.
• Click on Device Security from the left pane.
• Under the Core Isolation option, select Core Isolation Details.
• Now, Turn Off the Memory Integrity feature.
• Once done, reboot the PC to apply changes.

Disable Virtualization:

• Open the Start menu > Click on Settings.
• Click on Apps > Under App & Features, click on Optional Features.
• Under Related settings, select More Windows features.
• Here you’ll need to scroll down and search for Virtual Machine Platform from the list.
• Next, click on the box next to it to uncheck it and click on OK to disable it.
• Then restart your computer to apply changes.

That’s it, guys. We assume this guide was helpful to you. For further queries, you can comment below.