How to Fix Fatal Error Crashes in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

If you are playing Clair Obscur Expedition 33 and keep getting Fatal Error crashes despite having a powerful system, we'll show you quite a few different fixes you can use to fix the problem. This is not entirely the game's fault, and is more of a problem tied to the Unreal Engine itself. But there are a few things you can do to solve the problem (for the most part).

Why Is This Happening?

Unreal Engine 5, the game engine behind Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and many other modern titles, is known to have occasional stability problems, especially with:

DirectX 12 rendering path,
Memory management issues,
Shader compilation and loading,
GPU driver interactions (even with the latest drivers).

These "Fatal Error" crashes are a longstanding issue across many Unreal Engine games, not just this one. Even huge, polished releases like Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Marvel Rivals, and Oblivion Remaster have shown similar random crashes.

While developers can optimise around Unreal’s quirks, they can't fully eliminate these engine-level problems without major custom workarounds, which take time and patches. It’s more about how Unreal Engine interacts with your hardware and drivers, not necessarily that Clair Obscur is poorly made. But whilst we wait for patches to solve the problem entirely, here's what you can do right now.

How to Fix Fatal Error Crashes in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Launching the Game in Directx 11 Mode will solve the problem almost entirely and give you almost perfect stability, but it might cost some performance (lower FPS). Though this isn't always the case.

To force DX11, right-click the game in Steam, then go to Properties, Launch Options. Here, enter the following code.

-dx11

Cap Your FPS

Capping the framerate to 60 FPS can reduce sudden spikes in GPU load, which can cause Unreal Engine crashes.
Set it:
- In-game (if supported),
- Or via NVIDIA/AMD Control Panel.

Update Your Motherboard BIOS

Crashes sometimes stem from outdated system firmware, especially with new CPUS or GPUS. Some are worse than others but almost all hardware works better with new BIOS versions.
You can find BIOS updates by visiting your motherboard brand’s support page and updating carefully.

Lower Graphics Settings Temporarily

Even with strong PCS, reducing settings (especially post-processing, shadows, and effects quality) can smooth things out until patches arrive.

Be Patient and Watch for Patches

Developers often release hotfixes once they gather enough crash reports, so keep your game updated and check for any patch notes addressing "stability improvements."

Save Frequently

Since crashes seem random, manual saves can protect against losing large chunks of progress. It's not a solution, but it will prevent you from going mad with frustration over time.

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