Players of The First Descendant are reporting widespread crashes after installing the 1.0.5 patch update. Issues range from crashes during shader loading to random crashes during gameplay, frustrating fans and prompting a search for solutions.
The most prevalent problem occurs when players press the “Start Game” button, causing the game to crash during shader preparation, typically between 30-50% completion. This issue affects users with various hardware configurations, including AMD and NVIDIA GPUs.
Although an official fix has yet to be released, community-driven workarounds have emerged. Some users have reported success by adjusting graphics settings, specifically:
- Setting all options to “Ultra” and disabling additional options at the start screen
- Ensuring graphics drivers are up-to-date, resolved the issue for some players
- Setting in-game graphics to “Automatic” (for AMD users)
- Editing the Engine.ini file to adjust shader pipeline settings (for advanced users)
A Steam user shared the following steps for editing the Engine.ini file:
1. Navigate to C:\Users\YourUserFolder\AppData\Local\M1\Saved\Config\Windows
2. Open Engine.ini
3. Add the following lines at the bottom of the file:
[SystemSettings]
r.ShaderPipelines=1
r.ShaderPipelineCache.Enabled=0
r.D3D.ForceDXC=1
Alternative Fixes for The First Descendant Crashes
Two additional workarounds have been reported to resolve the crashing issue:
1. Delayed Start: Waiting 30 seconds to 1 minute at the menu before pressing Enter to start the game has worked for some players.
2. Lowering Graphics Settings: Reducing specific settings, such as setting shaders to “Low” or overall graphics settings to “Low,” has been effective for some users, particularly when loading into specific areas like Albion.
Important Notes:
- These workarounds may not work for everyone, and results may vary depending on individual system configurations.
- Some players may still experience issues despite trying multiple solutions.
- The development team is likely aware of these issues and working on a more permanent fix.
One player with an AMD setup reported that switching their in-game graphics settings to ‘Automatic’ resolved the crashing problem, offering a potential solution for others experiencing similar issues.”
In the meantime, players can try these community-suggested workarounds and stay tuned for official updates from the game’s developers.
