Hitman 3 Crashing and Won’t Launch – Hitman 3 is a third-person stealth game where players assume control of assassin Agent 47. The game is by IO Interactive, and is the eight main installment on the Hitman series. The story of Hitman 3 is the continuation of the story in Hitman 2. Just like the previous titles, Agent 47 will travel to various locations and carry out contracted assassinations.
The game is good, but that doesn’t take away the fact that it has it’s fair share of performance issues. This guide will show you some steps to fix the crashing and startup issues in Hitman 3.
Hitman 3 – Crashing at Startup – Game won’t Launch – How to fix
Method #1 – Make sure you are using the latest Windows 10 version
The store page of Hitman 3 has specifically recommended that you used the latest version of Windows 10. If you are a Windows 10 user then you should definitely consider updating your OS and keep it as updated as possible. Microsoft releases performance based updates every now and then. Just a few days ago Microsoft released some updates solely focused on increasing the performance of Windows 10.
It is pretty a easy process.
- Just open your Windows Update settings (Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update)
- Select Check for updates
- Once the update appears, you can select Download and install now.
Method #2 – Are you using the latest drivers?
Nvidia and AMD have not released any graphics drivers optimized for Hitman 3 yet. But I am pretty sure they will do it soon. Until that happens just update to the latest drivers that are available. Just fill up the details and your driver should be available for download.
If you are a Nvidia user then you can directly update your driver from the Geforce Experience application. You can also download the driver directly from the link below.
If you are an AMD user then you can find the latest Adrenaline driver from the link given below. Adrenalin 2020 Edition 20.11.3 Optional is the version you need to download. It is an optional driver but that shouldn’t cause any problem.
Method #3 – Try verifying the Hitman 3 files to fix crashes
Verifying the files of Hitman 3 via the Epic Games launcher could fix any sort of performance issue that you are having. Here is how to do it:
- Open Epic Games
- Go to your Library
- Take your mouse pointer on Hitman 3
- Click on the Settings icon (…) beside the Launch icon
- Click on Verify
- Restart the launcher after the process is completed
Since Hitman 3 is fairly big in size, the verification process might take decent amount time and your CPU usage might also shoot up to 90% or something. Be patient and try to avoid using any other application during the process.
Method #4 – Is Hitman 3 Whitelisted on your Anti-virus software?
If you are using a third-party Anti-Virus software then chances are it is preventing the game from launching. I am pretty sure you have heard of the term “False Positive”. Anti-Virus software today are extremely heavy and false positives are quite common from them.
Try running Hitman 3 once after disabling your Anti-Virus software temporarily.
If you are using Windows Defender instead of a third-party AV software then here is how to add Hitman 3 on the exceptions list of Windows Defender:
- Go to Windows 10 settings
- Click on Update & Security
- Select Windows Security from the left sidebar
- Click on Virus & threat protection
- Under Virus & threat protection click on Manage settings
- Under Exclusions click on Add or remove exclusions
- Click on Add an exclusion
- Select File
- Select hitman3.exe
- Restart your PC
Method #5 – Launch Hitman 3 directly from the install directory
Instead of launching the game via Epic Games Launcher, go to the location where you have installed Hitman 3. And launch the game directly by double clicking on Hitman3.exe. You can also try launching the game as admin. Just right click on Hitman3.exe select Run as administrator.
Method #6 – Grant administrator rights to Epic Games Launcher
Launching the Epic Games Launcher with administrator rights might solve your problems. Here is how to do it:
- Go to the folder where you have installed Epic Games Launcher
- Right-click on EpicGamesLauncher.exe and select Properties
- Go to the Compatibility tab
- Click Change settings for all users
- Under Privilege Level, check Run this program as administrator
- Click Apply
Method #7 – Try to do a fresh installation of the game [Try only if nothing works]
If none of the fixes mentioned above work for you then re-installing is your last resort. Game installations go wrong all the time. A file might have gone corrupted during the installation process. And that might be the reason why the game is crashing for you. So do a fresh installation of the game once.
[Note : It is not guaranteed that these steps or methods will fix your issue 100%. These are just some basic steps that we would recommend you to try until the developers release a patch to optimize the game.]
These are all the steps we have for the time being. All the steps listed are basic steps and does not require you to take any advanced measures. Some of these steps or methods might work for you but nothing is guaranteed. As performance issues can vary from user to user. We will keep on adding new steps or fixes as we progress further in the game.
If you think this guide has helped you then let us know in the comment section below. Also, if you are facing other problems with the game then try checking out our other guides on Hitman 3. Who knows, you might end up finding a fix.
That’s all folks!
Last Updated on January 19, 2021
Shoaib, 30, is a simple guy who loves to play video games, and enjoys new cuisines sporadically. He has been gaming since he was 7 years old, and with an experience of 22 years, under his belt, there is not a single AAA game in this world, that he hasn’t played. Despite being a MBA Graduate he decided to follow his passion. And because of his love for gaming, Frondtech came into existence.