Civilization 7 won’t launch, leaving many players frustrated as they try various fixes. Are you one of them who is having trouble starting this game? Now read this MiniTool guide to learn easy fixes for Civilization 7 not launching/crashing/stuck on the loading screen.
Civilization 7 Not Launching/Crashing/Stuck on Loading Screen
Since the release of Sid Meier’s Civilization VII, Civilization 7 not launching has become a common issue among players. Specific issues include Civilization 7 stuck on loading screen, no response after clicking the Play button, the game automatically closing shortly after running, Civilization 7 crashing, and so on.
A variety of factors can cause the game to fail to launch or crash. Listed below are some potential solutions to help you fix the problem.
How to Fix Civ 7 Won’t Launch on Windows
Way 1. Check if Your CPU Supports AVX2
According to verification by many users, Civilization 7 requires an AVX2-capable CPU. If your CPU does not support AVX2 or this feature is disabled in BIOS settings, the game may fail to launch.
If your CPU model supports AVX2, it is typically enabled by default. But if it is disabled, you can enter BIOS, go to the Advanced or CPU Configuration section, and then enable AVX2-related settings.
Additionally, you need to make sure the rest of your computer’s specifications meet the Civ 7 system requirements to ensure the game runs smoothly.
Way 2. Install the Latest Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable
Corrupted or missing Visual C++ Redistributable files may cause compatibility issues that prevent Civilization 7 from running. In this case, you can install the latest version of Visual C++ Redistributable to fix the problem.
Way 3. Update the Graphics Card Driver
As we all know, an outdated or corrupted graphics card driver may cause the game to crash or other system issues. Updating the driver is considered the ideal solution to deal with it. According to user experience, it is better to download the driver manually from the graphics card manufacturer’s official website instead of automatically searching for the driver from the Device Manager.
>> Intel driver update: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/download-center/home.html
>> AMD driver update: https://www.amd.com/en/support/download/drivers.html
Way 4. Add Civ 7 to the Antivirus Whitelist
Civilization 7 may be blocked or quarantined by Windows Defender as a potential threat or malware. In addition, if Windows Defender scans every file of Civ 7 in real time, it may cause Civilization 7 stuck on loading screen. In such a situation, you can whitelist Civ 7 in Windows Defender.
Step 1. Use the Windows search box to open Settings.
Step 2. Select Update & Security > Windows Security > Virus & threat protection. Under Virus & threat protection settings, click Manage settings.
Step 3. In the new window, scroll down the page until you find Exclusions, and then click Add or remove exclusions.
Step 4. Click Add an exclusion to whitelist the CivilizationVII.exe file.

Way 5. Use Vulkan Graphics API
Switching the graphics API from DirectX 12 to Vulkan can also solve the Civilization 7 crashing/not launching issue. Follow the steps below to finish this task.
Go to the graphics settings page of Civ 7, and then find the Rendering API option. Next, select Vulkan instead of DirectX 12, and then re-launch the game and check if it runs normally.
How to Fix Civilization 7 Crashing
A user on Reddit has found a way to mitigate Civilization 7 crashing, which can help extend the game’s uptime by editing the game files. If you’re interested, you can try it out:
Step 1. Open File Explorer, and go to the following location:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Sid Meier’s Civilization VII\Base\modules\core\ui\tooltips
Step 2. Open the tooltip-controller.js file with Notepad++ or another text editor. Go to line 88, and the function should look like this:

Step 3. Open the model-age-scores.js file in Sid Meier’s Civilization VII\Base\modules\base-standard\ui\age-scores. On line 142, the function should look like this:

Step 4. Open the model-great-works.js file in Sid Meier’s Civilization VII\Base\modules\base-standard\ui\great-works. On line 252, the function should look like this:

Step 5. Make sure all the edits are saved, and then launch the game to verify if this method works.
Read More:
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Bottom Line
This tutorial focuses on how to fix Civilization 7 not launching or crashing on PC and provides you with several proven fixes. You can feel free to try them to get the issue repaired.