After almost a decade in development and switching between studios, Dead Island 2 has finally been released for PC, last-gen, and current-gen consoles. However, PC players report Epic Online Services Could Not Be Found error at startup, crashes while playing Dead Island 2, and Black screen flicker issues. In this Dead Island 2 guide, I have listed fixes that resolve the in-game crash and the black screen flicker.
Dead Island 2 Crash Fixes You Can Try
Dead Island 2 went through development hell as the game switched between three development studios. Surprisingly, the game launched optimized on all platforms. Even the last-gen consoles, PS4 and Xbox One run the game at a locked FPS target. Despite that, the PC users are experiencing in-game crashes playing Dead Island 2. The following fixes will resolve Dead Island 2’s in-game crashes.
Disable AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution
PC players report that disabling the AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution 2 option in Dead Island 2 fixes the in-game crashes, specifically crashes that occur when they access inventory and workshop. Launch the game > options > Display > Advanced > turn off AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution 2.
Run The Game In Fullscreen Mode
PC players report that switching the display mode to Fullscreen from Windowed fixes the Ded Island 2 crashes. Go to the display options in the game, switch to Fullscreen mode, and apply.
Disable In-Game Overlays and Third-party Software
Dead Island 2 crashes could be due to third-party tools and software like MSI Afterburner, RGB software for peripherals, Duiscord, or driver/software for third-party peripherals like HOTAS. Disable any third-party tool/software you use and the Dead Island 2 will stop crashing.
In-game overlays are another reason behind Dead Island 2 crashes. Overlays, like Epic in-game overlay, Steam in-game overlay, or GeForce Experience overlay, are enabled by default and cause game crashes. Disable these overlays and the issue will be fixed.
To disable GeForce Experience Overlay, open GeForce Experience> click on the Gear icon next to your username > General > turn off the “IN-GAME Overlay” options.
To disable Steam overlay, open Steam > settings > In-game > uncheck “Enable the Steam overlay while in-game.”
Disable Overclock
Overclocking is one of the benefits that PC users take advantage of. However, an overclocked CPU or GPU can cause unforeseen issues like crashes. If you have overclocked your GPU, it is crashing Dead Island 2. Revert the GPU to its default clocks and the issue will be fixed.
Enable Debug Mode
Graphics cards from AIB partners like Zotac are factory overclocked or have higher GPU and Memory clocks compared to Nvidia reference models. This is crashing Dead Island 2 to the desktop while playing. Enable Debug mode through the Nvidia Control Panel to fix the in-game crashes. Open Nvidia Control Panel > Help > Debug Mode. Enabling Debug mode will force the GPU to use the reference clocks recommended by Nvidia and Dead Island 2 crashes will be fixed.
Limit Max FPS
Playing at an unlocked FPS can cause games to crash as it puts a lot of load on the GPU and CPU. If you are playing Dead Island 2 at an uncloaked or high FPS, it’s crashing it. Cap the max FPS to reduce the GPU and CPU load and stop the game from crashing.
- Open the Nvidia Control Panel
- Click “Manage 3D Settings” and open the Program Settings tab.
- Select Dead Island 2 from the drop-down menu (add it if it’s not in the list).
- Scroll down, enable Max Frame Rate, and set a value for it.
Note: Unless you use a Freesync or G.sync display, your Max Frame Limit should be 1/2, 1/3rd, or 1/4th of your monitor’s refresh rate. Otherwise, the game will feel jittery.
Update/Reinstall GPU Driver
Outdated GPU drivers can cause video games to crash and might be why Dead Island 2 is crashing. Update or reinstall your GPU driver and ensure you do a clean installation to fix the in-game crashes.
Black Screen Flicker Fix
Dead Island 2 PC players report that they are experiencing black screen issues. According to the reports, the game goes black for a few seconds, continues normally, and goes black for a few seconds. This issue is related to Nvidia Scaling Features, which is often enabled by default. Disably these Nvidia Scaling Features and the black screen issues will be fixed in Dead Island 2. Open Nvidia Control Panel > Adjust Desktop Size and Position > check “No Scaling” under the Scaling tab and apply.
That is all for our Dead Island 2 crash and black screen fixes. If you are facing errors and issues with other PC games or your PC, also see our hub for commonly occurring PC errors and their fixes.
