Most gamers swear that Souls-like games are the most punishing yet rewarding genre. Recently, a new addition has been made to this genre with the release of The First Berserker Khazan. It is quickly gaining popularity among fans, but like with every new release, some issues and errors ruin the experience. In this guide, we have shared all the workarounds that can help you fix the crashing/not loading issue that has kept many from playing the game.
Some players experienced startup crashes in The First Berserker: Khazan, where the game would freeze on a black screen with a loading symbol, force the mouse cursor to the top left, and crash within seconds. So, is there any fix for this? Have the devs responded to this problem? What about some player-suggested fixes? All that and more, so stick till the end!
The First Berserker Khazan Crashing/Not Loading Issue: Is there any fix yet
The first patch for The First Berserker: Khazan has been released, bringing various fixes and improvements. However, the startup crash issue, where the game gets stuck on a black screen, has not yet been officially addressed. Until an official fix is provided, players have discovered several potential workarounds that may help bypass the issue and get the game running.
First things first
Before trying out the various fixes listed below, try the basic steps. First, restart your PC and run the game as an administrator. To do this, right-click the game’s executable file or its shortcut, select “Run as administrator,” and see if it launches properly. If this doesn’t work, you may need to try other workarounds, but hopefully, this simple fix will help you get into the game!
Delete a .dll file
A common workaround for the startup crash in The First Berserker Khazan involves deleting a specific file that seems to be causing the issue. To do this, all you have to do is access the game’s local files and locate “sl.pcl.dll” in the directory: “Engine\Plugins\Runtime\Nvidia\Streamline\Binaries\ThirdParty\Win64”. Deleting this file has helped some players successfully launch the game without crashing.
GPU Drivers
Some players have found that installing NVIDIA GeForce driver version 566.36 helped resolve the issue. If your game is crashing on launch, consider either rolling back to this version or updating it if you’re using an older driver version. To do this, visit the NVIDIA website, download the 566.36 driver, and perform a clean installation using the NVIDIA Control Panel or GeForce Experience. After installation, restart your PC and try launching the game again to see if the issue is resolved.
Profilesettings and demo files
Try deleting the profilesetting.sav and demo files from the game folder. Additionally, check outside the game directory for a BBQ folder and delete the gameusersetting.ini file found there. To do this, navigate to your game’s save folder (usually located in C:\Users\YourUsername\Documents\YourGameFolder or AppData\Local), find and delete the mentioned files, then restart the game.
Steam Launch Commands
If your game crashes after a short loading screen, try disabling the intro cinematics. Open Steam, right-click on The First Berserker: Khazan, select Properties, and under Launch Options, type the following command: “+noIntroCinematics”. After this, run the game and the Steam client with admin privileges as we mentioned earlier.
DirectX Version
Try forcing the game to use a specific DirectX version. Open Steam, right-click the game, go to Properties, and under Launch Options, enter either “-dx11” or “-dx12” to see if one works for you. If the game launches, go into the settings and manually select DirectX 11 for better stability. Additionally, make sure your DirectX installation is up to date by downloading and installing the latest version from the official Microsoft website.
Verify Game Files
Verifying the game files can help fix any missing or corrupted files. Who knows, perhaps it is a missing or corrupted game file causing the issue. So, to fix this, open Steam, right-click the game in your library, select Properties, go to the Installed Files tab, and click Verify integrity of game files. Steam will scan and replace any damaged or missing files, which may resolve the problem.
Antivirus and Firewall
Your antivirus or Windows Security/Firewall may be blocking the game. To fix this, add the game’s .exe file as an exception. Open Windows Security, go to Virus & Threat Protection> Manage settings > Add or remove exclusions, and add the game’s executable file from its installation folder. For Windows Firewall, open Control Panel > Windows Defender Firewall > Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall, find the game, and check both Private and Public networks. If using third-party antivirus software, add the game as an exception in its settings. Restart your PC and try launching the game again.
Overlays and Overclocking
Are you someone who constantly makes use of the various overlay features? If that’s the case, you might have to let go of them. First, disable the Steam Overlay by opening Steam, right-clicking the game, selecting Properties, and unchecking “Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game” under the General tab. Next, close other overlays such as Discord Overlay, GeForce Experience, NVIDIA ShadowPlay, and AMD Overlay, as these can interfere with the game. Additionally, if you’re using MSI Afterburner or RivaTuner for overclocking, close them completely, as they may cause instability. Restart your PC and try launching the game again.
Visual C++ files and Windows Update
Keeping your system up to date can help resolve crashes and compatibility issues in many games, including The First Berserker Khazan. First, ensure Windows is fully updated by going to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and clicking Check for Updates. Install any available updates and restart your PC. Additionally, missing or outdated Visual C++ Redistributable files can cause startup issues. To fix this, download and install the latest Visual C++ Redistributables from the official Microsoft website. Once installed, restart your PC and try launching the game again.
Increasing VRAM
Increasing your system’s page file size (Virtual Memory) may help as well. To do this, open Control Panel, go to System > Advanced system settings, and under the Performance section, click Settings. In the Advanced tab, under Virtual Memory, click Change. Uncheck “Automatically manage paging file size for all drives”, select your system drive (C:), and choose Custom size. Set the Initial Size to 1.5 times your total RAM and the Maximum Size to 3 times your total RAM (e.g., if you have 16GB RAM, set the Initial Size to 24,000 MB and Maximum Size: to 48,000 MB). Click OK, restart your PC, and try launching the game again.
Last resort fixes
Always keep the game updated. If the game is already up to date but still crashes or runs poorly, consider reinstalling it on a faster drive, such as an SSD instead of an HDD. To do this, uninstall the game from Steam, then reinstall it on a solid-state drive (SSD) for faster loading times and better overall performance.
Those are all the workarounds we have for now that should be able to fix the crashing and not launching issues in The First Berserker Khazan. We hope this guide has provided you with all the information you need. Now, for more gaming-related guides and news, keep visiting DigiStatement daily. Also, click here to learn if there is a fix for the missing laundromat station issue in Schedule I, another newly released game.
