Arc Raiders Crashing on PC: Fix Fatal Errors and Crashes

Arc Raiders crashing on PC almost always traces back to one of four things: GPU instability in DirectX 12 (a DXGI_ERROR_DEVICE_HUNG fatal error), Easy Anti-Cheat failing at launch (error 30005), corrupted files or a failed installation check (ARAV8005, ARAV8007), or overlays and beta features like Raider Voice — and the error you get, or don’t get, tells you which one to fix first. Match your symptom in the table below, then work only that section.

Match your crash to the fix

What you see	Most likely cause	Go to
Fatal error naming DXGI_ERROR_DEVICE_HUNG or DEVICE_REMOVED	GPU missed Windows’ timeout or dropped off (driver, overclock, DX12)	Fix 1
Crash at startup or on loading screens naming NiagaraGpuComputeDispatch	Same GPU-stability family, hitting during effects compute	Fix 1
Error 30005, or a crash before the anti-cheat splash	Easy Anti-Cheat blocked or broken	Fix 2
”Maximum simultaneous instances”	A previous Arc Raiders process never closed	Fix 2
ARAV8005, ARAV8007 or any ARAV code ending 005–007	The game couldn’t verify your installation	Fix 3
Any other ARAV code (forbidden tool, communication, virtual machine)	A background tool, security setting or connection problem	ARAV codes
Crash to desktop, no error at all	Memory/CPU instability, overlays, Raider Voice (Beta)	Fix 4

Fix 1 — DXGI fatal errors (GPU stability)

Arc Raiders is an Unreal Engine 5 game that runs in DirectX 12 by default. When the fatal-error window names DXGI_ERROR_DEVICE_HUNG or DXGI_ERROR_DEVICE_REMOVED, Windows stopped waiting on the graphics card and reset the driver — the game can’t survive that, so it closes. It almost never means the GPU is dying; it means something about clocks, the driver or the DX12 path is marginal.

1. Clean-install your GPU driver. Use DDU in Safe Mode, then install the current driver. If crashes started right after a driver update, roll back one version.
2. Remove every GPU overclock and undervolt — MSI Afterburner curves, AMD Adrenalin tuning and “OC mode” factory profiles included. Unreal Engine 5 exposes marginal clocks that pass other games; players fixing this error commonly reset Afterburner to stock or slightly below.
3. Laptops: force the dedicated GPU. Settings → System → Display → Graphics, add Arc Raiders’ executable (PioneerGame.exe in the game folder) and set it to High performance. Arc Raiders running on, or confused by, integrated graphics is a reported cause of device-hung crashes on gaming laptops.
4. Switch to DirectX 11. In Steam, right-click Arc Raiders → Properties → General → Launch Options and enter:

   -dx11

   This bypasses the D3D12 path that raises the error. Several players — including one on an RTX 50-series laptop with DXGI_ERROR_DEVICE_HUNG and NiagaraGpuComputeDispatch crashes on loading screens — report it stopped the crashes outright. Remove the option later to test whether a newer driver or patch fixed DX12.
5. Lower the heaviest GPU load. Setting the ray-traced global illumination (RTXGI) option to Static removes the game’s most expensive lighting work, which reduces how hard the GPU is pushed during effects-heavy fights.

For the full breakdown of each code, including the TdrDelay registry workaround, see DXGI_ERROR_DEVICE_HUNG, DXGI_ERROR_DEVICE_REMOVED and the Unreal-wide D3D device lost crash. Running out of VRAM instead? See the out of video memory fix.

Fix 2 — Easy Anti-Cheat errors at launch

If Arc Raiders crashes before the anti-cheat splash, shows error 30005, or exits with “The game has crashed, and terminated with exitcode: 1” at launch, Easy Anti-Cheat isn’t starting.

• Error 30005: Embark’s support advice is to reboot first. If it persists, add an antivirus exclusion for C:\Program Files (x86)\EasyAntiCheat_EOS — security software blocking the service is the usual cause.
• “Maximum simultaneous instances”: open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), end every leftover Arc Raiders process, and relaunch — or reboot.
• Anything else EAC-related — “failed to install Easy Anti-Cheat”, a broken EAC service, conflicts with other EAC games — has its own guide: Arc Raiders Easy Anti-Cheat error fix. The short version: close other EAC games, then run install_EasyAntiCheat.bat from the game’s Installers folder as administrator.

Fix 3 — Game files and ARAV error codes

ARAV8005 and ARAV8007 mean Arc Raiders couldn’t verify the integrity of your installation — Embark’s error-code FAQ lists both in its installation-integrity group, together with every other code ending in 005, 006 or 007 (ARAV0005 through ARAV11007).

1. Verify the game files. Steam: right-click Arc Raiders → Properties → Installed Files → Verify integrity of game files. This fixes most crashes that started after a patch.
2. Restart the PC, then launch again. Embark lists a restart alongside verifying and reinstalling.
3. Still getting ARAV8005 or ARAV8007? Do a clean reinstall. Embark’s crash FAQ: delete the ARC Raiders folder in C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common (or your Steam library’s common folder), then reinstall through Steam. Verification alone may not clear it.
4. Remove any mods, injected ReShade presets or file edits before either step — they’ll fail the integrity check again.

What the ARAV error codes mean

Every Arc Raiders ARAV code is ARAV + a number from 0 to 11 + a three-digit suffix, and the suffix tells you the problem — so ARAV8005 and ARAV3005 are the same error. This table follows Embark’s System integrity violation and error codes support FAQ:

ARAV code ends in	What Embark says it means	What to do
005, 006, 007 (e.g. ARAV8005, ARAV8007)	The game couldn’t verify the integrity of your installation	Fix 3: verify, restart, reinstall
010, 012, 013	A problem with how your system communicates with the game	Restart the game; if it repeats, restart the PC, verify files and reinstall
009, 011	A forbidden tool is running	Close cheat, macro and memory tools and relaunch in a clean environment
019	Cheat Engine is running	Close it now; Embark warns that repeated launches with it running lead to a permanent suspension
020 / 021	AutoHotkey / an auto clicker is running	End the process before launching
018	NVIDIA Profile Inspector is running	Close it before launching
026	A script is running	Stop any active scripts
014	You’re running the game in a virtual machine	Virtual machines aren’t allowed; play on a physical PC
024, 027	A required security setting is disabled	Work through the security checks below
001–004	The game couldn’t confirm the integrity of your system	Work through the security checks below

Embark’s general steps for any ARAV code:

1. In Windows Security → Device security, make sure Core isolation → Memory integrity is on and, if your PC supports it, Secure Boot is enabled. Install every pending Windows update.
2. Close third-party tools that change gameplay or hardware, disable non-essential startup apps in Task Manager, or try a clean boot.
3. Add Arc Raiders and Easy Anti-Cheat to your antivirus exceptions.

If an ARAV code survives all of that, contact Embark Support with the exact code.

Fix 4 — Silent crashes: overlays, Raider Voice and system stability

A crash to desktop with no error window usually isn’t the GPU — a DirectX failure names itself.

1. Turn off Raider Voice (Beta). Embark lists disabling it as a first step for general crashes; it’s a beta feature.
2. Close overlays and hooks while testing — Discord, Steam, NVIDIA app and AMD overlays, MSI Afterburner/RTSS, RGB and fan-control software. Re-enable them one at a time once the game is stable.
3. Disable XMP/EXPO as a test. An overclocked memory profile that passes everyday use can still crash Unreal Engine 5 games; if that fixes it, re-enable it later at a slightly lower speed or looser timings. See how to enable XMP or EXPO for where the setting lives.
4. Intel Core 13th/14th Gen: update your BIOS. These CPUs have a documented instability Intel fixed with microcode delivered via motherboard BIOS updates; it shows up as random crashes across many games. The 0xc0000005 access violation guide covers the diagnosis.
5. Update Windows and DirectX, as Embark’s checklist recommends, and make sure your PC meets the Arc Raiders system requirements.

Once it stops crashing

Stable but stuttery? That’s a different problem with different fixes — see the Arc Raiders stuttering fix, then tune with the Arc Raiders optimization guide. For smoother frame pacing once everything is stable, the timer resolution guide covers the Windows layer underneath.

Related: Arc Raiders lowest input lag settings · Battlefield 6 crashing fix · DXGI_ERROR_DEVICE_HUNG