Rocket League Won't Launch

There could be a few reasons why your Rocket League won’t launch on your PC.

Fatal Application Error, random DLL errors, Runtime Errors, Error Codes, it seems like there’s no end. Sadly, these are common problems in both Steam and Epic Games. Apart from not launching, Rocket League could also crash or fail to detect your controllers.

You can approach all of these issues with the solutions we offer. The crashing may be fatal, and the reasons varied. Yet, fixing the multiplayer game is easy.

Causes Why Rocket League Won’t Launch on PC

In general, either your PC’s hardware, software, or game files could be the culprit when Rocket League won’t launch on your Windows PC.

Here are the possible causes:

The game files may be corrupted
There’s a dll file causing the error
The Steam Overlay feature is crashing the game
There’re wrong Command-Line Arguments (Epic Games only)
The Update .NET Framework is out of date
The DirectX 11 is out of date
The C++ Package is out of date
Your antivirus may be preventing the game’s launch
The GPU may be overheating
Your GPU’s drivers may be out of date
Rocket League doesn’t has the permissions it needs
There’re compatibility issues
Your hard drive may be corrupted
Third-party apps or mods are breaking Rocket League’s rules
Your PC doesn’t meet the requirements to run Rocket League.

How to Fix Rocket League Won’t Launch on PC?

We’re going through a series of fixes. You can run down the list until you find the solution that works for your case.

Our fixes mostly cover Rocket League for Windows. However, you may find solutions as a Linux or macOS user as well.

Verify Game Files on Steam

Verifying the files on Steam often fixes the issue when Rocket League won’t launch. It works because it cleans corrupted files.

Open the Steam app
Go to your Library tab
Right-click on Rocket League
Select Properties
Click on Local Files
Click on Verify Integrity of Game Cache
Close the tab when the process finishes

This is a fairly common fix for Steam users, as the game left the store in September 2020. However, Steam users can still play and update the game, but the files may suffer from corruption issues.

Verify Game Files on Epic Games

Similarly, you can verify the integrity of the Epic Games files and see if it fixes the problem. Once again, it can fix corruption issues.

Open the Epic Games launcher.
Go to your Library tab
Left-click on your game in your library
Click on the three dots
Click on Verify in the drop-down menu

Delete the Game’s Cache

The game’s cache file may also be corrupted, and it’s a common reason why Rocket League won’t launch. So, you need to erase the cache.

Go to Rocket League’s folder
Double click TAGFame
Right-click on Cache
Click on Delete

This is the fix you should try if you’re getting NTDLL error or Runtime Error. These indicate corrupt Rocket League save files.

Rename the Rocket League Folder

The most common fix is renaming the Rocket League file. It’s a trick to make Epic Games or Steam verify and clean its files.

Open File Explorer
Go to Documents
Open My Games
Find your Rocket League file
Rename it “Rocket League old.”
Launch Rocket League

This doesn’t work if the documents are on your OneDrive. You’d need to unlink the folders to make it work.

Delete the d3d9.dll File

The d3d9.dll file may appear in Rocket League’s game folder. If it’s there, it’s the reason why Rocket League won’t launch. You need to delete it:

Go to Rocket League’s folder
Doble click the Binaries folder
Click the Win 32 folder
Right-click on d3d9.dll, and select delete

Disable Steam’s Overlay Feature

Sometimes the Steam Overlay feature can be the reason for the trouble. You can disable the function and see if it fixes the problem:

Open the Steam Client
Click the Steam button at the top left corner
Click on Settings
Go to the In-Game tab
Uncheck the Overlay boxes

Disable the Command Line Arguments (Epic Games only)

Command Arguments are additional parameters you can supply to a game launch. It’s a complex feature, though, and there could be an issue with the ones you’re using. A random bug may also add Command parameters.

Here’s how to disable it:

Open the Epic Games launcher
Click on your profile icon at the top right
Click on settings
Scroll down to Rocket League on the Settings menu
Left-click on the game to manage its settings
Uncheck the Command box

Update your DirectX Software

You need to run DirectX 11 to play Rocket League. If the game crashes on launch or goes to a black screen, try updating the software.

Click here to download the latest DirectX version.

Update the Microsoft C++ Package

Rocket League, on Windows PC, needs Microsoft C++ packages to run. You can try reinstalling the package to solve the issue.

Go to this page to download the latest software.
Scroll down to “Visual Studio 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2022”
Download the correct version you need. The options are for ARM64, X86, or X64 architecture OS. Check the FAQ if you don’t know which architecture you’re running. Mine is X64.

If you’re getting “.DLL” errors, this is the solution you should try.

Update the Microsoft .Net Framework

If Rocket League won’t launch, you may need to update the Microsoft .Net Framework. It’s software that allows different programming codes to communicate within your PC.

Currently, the game needs Version 6.2.2 or newer to run. Here’s how to download the update.

Go to Microsoft .Net Framework 4.6.2 site.
Click on Download .NET Framework 4.2.2 Runtime. Don’t click on Developer Pack.
Download and run the program.
Restart your computer after the install finishes.

Update Windows

An easier way to update everything you need is by letting the Windows Update software do its job:

Type Windows Update in the search bar
Click on Windows Update Settings
On the right panel, click on Check for Updates. It will start a checking process.
If need be, let your system update, and restart after you finish

Perform a Wide System Check

If you’re getting errors like MSVCP140.dll or VCRUNTIME140.dll, you may need to perform a comprehensive system check of your Windows system.

Type CMD on the search bar
Right-click on Command Prompt and choose Run as Administrator
Type sfc/scannow
Enter

When the process finishes, restart your computer and try opening the game again.

Allow the Anti-virus to Run the Game

It could be that your antivirus software believes the game is a virus. So, it’s preventing your PC from launching the title.

The process of allowing the antivirus to run the game varies per antivirus. I recommend you check on Google how to exclude a game directory from the antivirus. In other words, you need to add Rocket League to your antivirus’ exception list.

However, I will guide you on excluding the game from Windows Defender, which I use. You’ll probably find similar reasons.

Right Windows Security on the search tab
Open Windows Security
Click on Virus and Threat Protection
Click on Manage Settings
Scroll down to find “Exclusions.” Here, click on “Add Exclusion.”
Click on “Add,” and select your game folder

That way, the antivirus won’t scan anything from the folders or files you select. You’ll find a similar option on the antivirus. If you can’t, try disabling the software when you play Rocket League.

Lower your GPU’s Temperature

If you’re noticing your PC heats up during the game, it may be the cause why Rocket League won’t launch.

There’s software to see your PC’s temperature. If you don’t have such a program, you can measure your computer’s temperature by touching the chassis or laptop.

If you think this is the problem, there’re various things you can do:

Buy new fans for your PC
Buy a new CPU cooler
Buy a cooling pad for your laptop
Clean your laptop or PC from dust
Undervolt your PC

Update your GPU’s drivers

Your graphic card drivers need to be up to date. As it fails to get its updates, it may encounter issues launching games, like Rocket League.

The way you update your video card’s drivers depends on the brand you’re using. This is because Nvidia, AMD, and Intel have different software that manages driver downloads and updates.

However, through Windows, you can update either with the same process.

Type Device Manager on the Windows search bar
Open the Device Manager
On the left panel, click on Display adapters
From the drop-down menu, right-click on your GPU
Click on Update, and choose the Automatic option

If you see two graphic cards on Display adapters, simply repeat the process for both options. This is in case you don’t know which card is running the game.

Restore the Default Graphic Settings

If Rocket League opens but crashes back to the desktop, try the following steps.

Open Rocket League
Click on Settings
Go to Video
Go to Default
Select Apply

Run the Game as Administrator

You may need administrator privileges to open the game. The title can use all its features with high integrity, therefore running properly.

Go to the game installation folder.
Right-click the Rocket League Launcher.exe file
Click Properties
Click the Compatibility Tab
Click Run as Administrator
Click Apply
Check OK
Run the game and see if it fixes the problem.

Fix Compatibility Issues

Rocket League may be incompatible with your system, as the original title was released for Windows 7. Here’s how to change compatibility to fix the issue:

Go to Rocket League’s folder
Right-click on Rocket League Launcher
Click Properties
Go to the Compatibility tab
Click “Run this program in compatibility mode” and choose Windows 8.
Check the Run as Administrator tab
Press Ok

If it doesn’t work, you can try Windows 7 compatibility. In particular, this is the fix you can try if you’re getting the Fatal Error message.

Disable Third-party Apps and Mods

Rocket League won’t launch if the third-party apps or mods you’re using break the game’s rules. These rules are:

Third-party software must not add competitive advantages
Third-party software must not expose content or features in Rocket League’s code
The software must not abuse or exploit the game’s service.

If you’re using the game on Steam, the app will launch Error Code 51. Alpha Console, for example, is a common crashing cause.

Close Unnecessary Apps

Some computer programs may conflict with Psyonix’s game. You need to close unnecessary apps to perform a clean startup:

Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open the Task Manager
Go to the Processes tab
Close the processes you don’t need (right-click + End Task)

For example, close programs that need bandwidth (like chat clients such as Discord), web browsers, streaming services, and other games. Be sure not to mistake an app process with an essential function, though.

In particular, applications like Geforce Experience or MSI Afterburner may cause a Fatal Error.

Set the Game to High Priority

Similar to above, you can set the game to High Priority on the taskbar, so your Windows runs Rocket League before anything else.

Open the Task Manager
Go to the Details tab
Right-click on the game
Go to Set Priority on the drop-down menu, and select High.

Reinstall the Game on Another Hard Drive

The problem may rely on your hard drive. If you have a PC with two hard drives or more, try uninstalling the game and reinstalling the other hard drive.

Then, you can perform the CHKDisk function to perform a thorough clean of your computer’s drive.