MechWarrior 5: Clans has been out for a short while now, and fans are thoroughly enjoying its immersive combat, strategic depth, and the return to the Clan Invasion storyline. While the game has been receiving praise, not everything is perfect. A portion of players are facing frustrating technical issues, notably the LowLevelFatalError and shader crashing problems. So, is there a fix for this? Here we are with all the details to help you resolve these issues and get back into the cockpit.
The fatal shader crash on startup in MechWarrior 5: Clans, marked by the error message “LowLevelFatalError”, occurs when the game’s shader compilation fails, leading to a crash before the game fully loads. This issue could be related to incompatible or outdated graphics drivers, corrupted game files, or hardware-related conflicts, but nothing can be said for sure. Well, what’s important now is how you go about fixing it. So let’s check that out.
MechWarrior 5 Clans LowLevelFatalError/Shader Crashing Issue: Is there any fix yet
Unfortunately, there is no sure-shot fix for the fatal shader crash issue. However, the support team did respond to a player with a similar complaint, which suggests they are aware of the problem. Despite this, an official fix is still missing. In the meantime, you will need to rely on suggested workarounds, though these may or may not resolve the issue for everyone.
Basic Checks
A good first step is to restart your PC to clear any temporary glitches. Also, running the game as an administrator can help resolve permission-related problems. If issues persist, try experimenting with different compatibility modes by accessing the game’s properties menu by right-clicking on the .exe file, and selecting the Compatibility tab to see if running it in a mode designed for an earlier version of Windows improves stability.
GPU Updates
Updating your GPU drivers is the next to try out. To update your GPU drivers, visit the manufacturer’s website or use their dedicated software (like NVIDIA GeForce Experience or AMD Radeon Software), and check if you’re running the latest version. Keeping your GPU drivers up to date can help improve compatibility with the game and potentially resolve any low-level fatal errors or shader crashes you may be experiencing.
Intel processor issues
Certain CPUs, particularly 13th and 14th-generation Intel processors, can trigger fatal error crashes due to built-in overclocking features that these processors possess or from manual overclocking attempts by users. So, if you’re one of those technical users, the simplest workaround is to avoid using overclocked CPUs or GPUs altogether. By reverting your CPU and GPU settings to their default clock speeds, you may significantly reduce the chances of encountering fatal error crashes.
Arc Cards
If you are using Intel Arc A770 graphics cards and facing these issues, there’s a workaround worth trying. By lowering the global illumination setting to medium or low, some players have found that the game can load successfully. This seems to be related to how Arc cards handle lighting effects, as higher settings utilize Lumen technology, which the A770 struggles to process effectively. Many players have confirmed that adjusting this setting resolves the loading issue.
AMD Vega Cards
The situation is challenging for players using RX Vega graphics cards or earlier models. AMD has implemented a reduced driver release schedule for these older graphics cards, providing updates only once a quarter. Consequently, the fixes to the issue are available only on the latest drivers, which users of RX Vega and earlier cards cannot access. As the most recent driver update was released at the start of the month, it’s unlikely that these issues will be resolved anytime soon.
Bios-related fix
One possible workaround for the fatal shader crash issue, especially for those using Intel 12th or 13th Gen processors, is to update your BIOS. This error is sometimes linked to outdated BIOS versions that can cause compatibility issues with games running on Unreal Engine. Updating your BIOS may resolve the crash by ensuring your system is fully compatible with the game’s engine and shader requirements. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions to update your BIOS safely.
dx11
Another workaround to resolve the fatal shader crash is to force MechWarrior 5: Clans to run in DirectX 11 mode. To do this, open the game’s properties menu via your Steam library and add “-DX11” in the Launch options. This switch may help avoid compatibility issues with DirectX 12 and could prevent the crash from occurring. Many players have found success with this method, so it’s worth trying to see if it resolves the issue for you.
Screen and Frame Rate
Another potential solution for the fatal shader crash is adjusting the game’s display and performance settings. Switching to borderless fullscreen, capping the framerate to 60fps, and enabling frame generation solved the issue for some players. However, DLSS appears to be buggy, and turning it off along with frame generation helped eliminate persistent screen tearing. For now, using borderless fullscreen with a 60fps lock seems to stabilize the game, even on max graphic settings, without any crashes.
.ini file
Another tweak to potentially fix the fatal shader crash involves modifying the game’s GameUserSettings.ini file. You can find this file in the following location: %localappdata%\MW5Clans\Saved\Config\Windows\. Once the file is found, open it with Notepad. Within this file, the settings for ShadingQuality and ShadowQuality seem to be the cause of crashes for some players. By setting ShadingQuality=0 and lowering ShadowQuality=1, the issue was resolved for one player. While this isn’t a guaranteed fix, adjusting these values might help stabilize the game and offer clues to solving the problem. Experimenting with these settings could lead to a crash-free experience. You can also apply the following changes to the .ini file as shared below:
[ScalabilityGroups]
sg.GlobalIlluminationQuality=1
sg.ReflectionQuality=1
sg.ShadingQuality=0
sg.LandscapeQuality=3
sg.ViewDistanceQuality=2
sg.ShadowQuality=1
sg.PostProcessQuality=2
sg.EffectsQuality=2
sg.FoliageQuality=1
Roll-back drivers
One effective solution to the fatal shader crash issue is rolling back your graphics driver. In some cases, the latest driver update may be causing the crashes. By reverting to a previous driver version, one player found that the game ran smoothly without any issues. If you’re experiencing similar crashes, rolling back your driver could resolve the problem and get the game working like a charm again.
Select Dedicated GPU to run the game and avoid using multiple monitors
A potential workaround for the fatal shader crash is to make sure your system is using the dedicated GPU to run the game instead of the integrated one. One user successfully resolved the issue by enabling this setting, which prevents the system from switching between integrated and discrete graphics. For desktop users, it’s advisable to check if using multiple monitors could be causing conflicts. Additionally, disabling the Intel graphics in the BIOS may help eliminate any compatibility issues, leading to a more stable gaming experience.
Nvidia Reflex
For some players, turning off Nvidia Reflex has been a successful fix for the fatal shader crash issue. To disable Nvidia Reflex, you can launch MechWarrior 5: Clans and navigate to the Options menu from the main screen. In the Options menu, go to the Graphics settings section. Look for the Nvidia Reflex option, which may be labeled as “Enable Reflex” or similar. Uncheck or toggle it off to disable the feature. Once you’ve made the change, save your settings and restart the game to see if the crash issue persists.
Update or Reinstall
If nothing works out, check for any available game updates, as developers frequently release patches to address bugs and improve performance. If no updates are available, consider reinstalling the game on an SSD (Solid State Drive) if it is currently installed on a traditional hard drive. Installing on an SSD can significantly enhance load times and overall game performance.
With those workarounds, we hope that you were able to fix the lowlevelfatalerror and other similar crashes in MechWarrior 5 Clans. Now, for more gaming guides like this, keep a tab on DigiStatement. Also, click here to find out if A Quiet Place The Road Ahead has Ultrawide Support.
