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If Cyberpunk 2077 won’t launch on your Windows PC, first identify where startup stops: the store client, REDlauncher, or the game itself. Then try the matching official fixes—starting with reversible checks such as administrator access and file verification before changing drivers or contacting support.
Find out where startup stops
Press Play and note what happens. Does Steam, Epic Games Store, or GOG GALAXY fail to respond? Does REDlauncher fail to open, or does it appear while the game never starts? Does the game process open and then crash? Record any pop-up and its exact error text; the right troubleshooting path depends on this distinction.
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CD PROJEKT RED’s support form also asks whether the game starts directly from its installation folder. It gives ...\Cyberpunk 2077\bin\x64\Cyberpunk2077.exe as an example. Treat that as diagnostic information to report, not a guaranteed workaround. The support form collects these details.
Check Windows and the PC requirements
CD PROJEKT RED says Windows 11 will be the minimum required OS for Cyberpunk 2077 following Microsoft’s end of Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025. The studio says it will no longer test the game on Windows 10, citing the end of ongoing security updates, official platform support, and continued GPU driver support. Use this newer notice for current OS guidance rather than the older Windows 10 version listed in the requirements table.
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Check the rest of the official system requirements as well. The specifications apply to the base game and Phantom Liberty from Update 2.0. They include 70 GB of SSD storage. For example, the listed non-ray-tracing minimum targets 1080p, low settings and 30 FPS with 12 GB RAM; the recommended configuration targets 1080p, high settings and 60 FPS with 16 GB RAM. These are capability targets, not a guarantee that a PC will launch the game. If you do not meet the SSD capacity requirement, check your available storage and drive compatibility before considering a hardware change; an SSD is not a universal fix for launch problems.
If REDlauncher won’t open
If the store client opens but REDlauncher does not, use CD PROJEKT RED’s separate REDlauncher troubleshooting steps:
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- Close the game and its launcher. Run the store platform—Steam, Epic Games Store, or GOG GALAXY—as administrator, then try launching again.
- If the problem continues, delete
%localappdata%\Programs\CD Projekt Red\and try again. This removes the local REDlauncher folder so it can be recreated. - Make sure no launch parameters are set while diagnosing the launcher.
If REDlauncher still fails, contact support and describe what you see and which store platform you use.
If REDlauncher opens but the game won’t start
Work through these reversible checks first. CD PROJEKT RED’s general launch guidance recommends these steps; change one thing at a time so you can tell whether it made a difference.
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- Run the store client as administrator. Close it, then reopen Steam, GOG GALAXY, or Epic Games Store with administrator privileges and try Play again.
- Verify the game files. A damaged or missing file can prevent startup. Choose the path for your platform:
- Steam: Library → right-click Cyberpunk 2077 → Properties → Installed Files → Verify integrity of game files.
- Epic Games Store: Library → three dots next to the game → Manage → Verify.
- GOG GALAXY: Owned games → Cyberpunk 2077 → Customize → Manage installation → Verify/Repair.
CD PROJEKT RED links to platform-specific verification instructions from its requirements and support page.
- Temporarily disable overlays and close unnecessary apps. Try disabling overlays such as Discord or Ubisoft Connect, and close unnecessary background applications, including hardware-monitoring and antivirus or anti-malware programs, as a diagnostic check. If the game starts, re-enable applications one at a time to identify a conflict.
- Reinstall Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables. Reinstall both the x86 and x64 packages, running each installer as administrator, as CD PROJEKT RED advises.
- Clean-install the graphics driver. Follow the driver-clean-install instructions for your GPU vendor—NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel. If the launch failure began immediately after a driver update, CD PROJEKT RED advises installing the previous driver version and reporting the issue.
If you use mods or see a script error
For a corrupted or missing scripts error, CD PROJEKT RED’s mod troubleshooting guidance recommends verifying the game files. If you use mods, disable them and test the unmodded game. If it launches, reintroduce mods in batches until the problem returns, narrowing down the likely conflict. This applies to modded installations and relevant script errors; it does not mean mods are responsible for every launch failure. Back up important files before making manual changes.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to send CD PROJEKT RED if the fixes fail
Use the official support form and include information that helps distinguish a launcher failure from a game crash:
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- The platform you use, game version, and whether you use mods, trainers, or console commands.
- Whether an error appears and its exact text or code.
- Whether the game starts from the installation-folder executable mentioned above.
- If the game crashes, the latest
stacktrace.txtfrom%localappdata%\REDEngine\ReportQueue\, if available. - A DxDiag report: run
DxDiagfrom Windows Run, then choose “Save All Information…” and attach the saved report.
The game version shown on a support page can change, so report the version installed on your PC rather than relying on an old version number listed in guidance.
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