Total War: Warhammer 3 is an impressive game, but not so impressive when it fails to launch. When that happens, players worldwide are bound to lose their minds because they can’t wage their righteous war against the enemy.
Total War Warhammer 3 not launching or loading in Windows 11
From what we have come to understand, some players have complained about the game being stuck on the copyright screen, crashes during the launch process, or failing to start no matter what is done.
If you’re not interested in putting in the work to fix this problem, we suggest trying to get a refund, since this is the developer’s fault. However, if you are a huge fan of both the Total War and Warhammer series, then you’ll definitely want to play Warhammer: Total War 3 one way or the other.
If Total War Warhammer 3 is not launching, loading or responding on your Windows 11/10 PC, here are suggestions to help you fix the issue:
- Wait a few minutes for the game to boot
- Start Warhammer Total War 3 with Administrator rights
- Verify Warhammer Total War 3’s game files on Steam
- Update DirectX right away
- Update Visual C++ Redistributable to the latest version
- Reinstall Warhammer: Total War 3.
1] Wait a few minutes for the game to boot
First, wait about 20-30 minutes for Warhammer: Total War 3 to boot. We say this because several players have said this solved the launch issue. The long wait time may have much to do with the game configuring itself to your computer’s system settings.
We suspect this long wait time should be a one-time thing, and after that, it should be smooth sailing. Well, that is the hope at this point.
2] Start Warhammer Total War 3 with Administrator rights
In many cases, a game fails to start because it lacks sufficient system permissions. We can solve this problem by ensuring the game boots with Admin rights. With that said, it is now time to look at how to get this done:
- Open the File Explorer app by clicking the icon located on the Taskbar.
- Navigate to Warhammer: Total War 3 installation folder.
- From there, you must right-click on the .exe installation file.
- Select the Properties option via the context menu.
- A small window should now appear.
- Click on the Compatibility tab.
- Select Run this program as administrator.
- Finally, then, you must hit Apply > OK.
Launch the game once you’ve accomplished the task above to see if things are moving in the right direction.
3] Verify Warhammer Total War 3’s game files on Steam
Next, verify the game files on Steam. This is a simple task, so let’s go through it without any hiccups.
- Open the Steam app on your computer.
- Go to the Library section.
- Right-click on Warhammer: Total War 3.
- Click on Properties via the context menu.
- From there, go to Local Files in the new window.
- Finally, you need to select Verify integrity of game files.
Wait a moment for Steam to verify all files before launching the game again.
4] Update DirectX right away
Problems with your version of DirectX on Windows 11/10 could be the reason why Total War: Warhammer 3 is not launching as it should. With this being a possibility, we recommend updating DirectX to the newest version to see if doing so will set things right again.
- Open your web browser of choice.
- Navigate to DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer download page.
- Click on the Download button, then install it on your computer.
Once the installation is complete, you can try playing Total War: Warhammer 3.
5] Update Visual C++ Redistributable to the latest version
Total War: Warhammer 3 requires the services of specific components found in Visual C++ Redistributable in order for the game to run. Maybe the inability of the title to launch has something to do with the missing Visual C++ components; therefore, we must update it.
- Open your web browser again.
- After that, navigate to Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable latest supported downloads.
- Download the x86 or x64 version to your computer.
- Install the file as Administrator.
- From there, a small window should appear.
- Select either Install or Repair, then wait.
- Restart Windows after the task is completed.
Try to launch Total War: Warhammer 3 to see if the problem is fixed.
6] Reinstall Total War Warhammer 3
If everything above fails, remove the game, then reinstall it. This is a last-resort action, and while we haven’t seen a single person say it works, it could for your situation.
Read: How to block a person on Steam via desktop and mobile
Can my laptop run Total War: Warhammer 3?
Make sure your laptop has a CPU at least as powerful as an Intel Core i3-2120 or AMD Ryzen 3 1200. For RAM, you’ll need at least 6 GB, along with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 950 or AMD Radeon RX 460 graphics card. For the operating system, we recommend Windows 11/10 64-bit.
Is Total War: Warhammer 3 the last game?
This is the third and final game in the trilogy developed by the folks at Creative Assembly. We cannot say for certain whether more is on the horizon, but we hope so.
