How to Fix UE-Sandfall Game has crashed and will close in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
If you're encountering the "UE-Sandfall Game has crashed and will close" error in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, you're not alone. Many players are reporting this issue even on very powerful systems. It's important to understand: This problem isn't entirely the game's fault, it's mostly tied to the Unreal Engine itself.
Why Is This Happening?
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 runs on Unreal Engine 5, which, despite its cutting-edge visuals, still has known stability issues. These crashes are common across many Unreal Engine 4 and 5 games due to:
- Shader compilation/loading hiccups
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DirectX 12 rendering path instability
- Driver and hardware compatibility quirks (even with the latest updates)
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Memory management problems
These types of crashes aren’t unique to this game, even polished games like Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Marvel Rivals, and Oblivion Remaster have similar random Unreal Engine-related crashes.
While developers can sometimes reduce these issues, they can't fully eliminate them without large-scale engine workarounds, which usually come after patches and crash report collection. This is more about how Unreal Engine interacts with your hardware and drivers, not a sign that Clair Obscur itself is poorly optimised.
How to Fix UE-Sandfall Game has crashed and will close in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Many players find that switching from DX12 to DX11 dramatically reduces crashes.
How to do it:
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Open Steam.
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Right-click Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 > Properties.
Under Launch Options, type:
-dx11
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Expect a possible slight drop in FPS, but far greater stability.
Lock Your FPS Settings
Unreal Engine games can crash under sudden FPS spikes or extreme GPU loads. Capping the framerate often stabilises the game.
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Check if the game has a frame limiter in Settings (if available).
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Or cap it globally via:
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NVIDIA Control Panel > Manage 3D settings > Max Frame Rate > set to 60 FPS.
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AMD Adrenalin software > Graphics > Frame Rate Target Control.
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Update Your Motherboard BIOS
Especially if you’re running newer hardware, a BIOS update can fix hidden system stability issues.
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Go to your motherboard manufacturer’s website
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Find your model and download the latest BIOS
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Follow their update instructions carefully
Lower Graphics Settings Temporarily
Even high-end systems might crash due to heavy UE5 features like Lumen lighting, Nanite geometry, or heavy post-processing.
Try lowering:
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Post-processing quality
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Effects settings
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View distance
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Shadow resolution
This can ease GPU/CPU strain and reduce crash risk.
Be Patient and Watch for Patches
Crashes like these are often fixed over time through developer updates and hotfixes.
Keep your game updated, and watch for official patch notes mentioning stability improvements. If crashes remain unbearable after a few weeks and no fix arrives, remember: Steam’s refund policy allows returns within 14 days of purchase if you've played under 2 hours (or sometimes longer if major technical issues are proven).