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If Valor Mortis will not start, first restart the PC, update Windows and your graphics driver, verify the installation in Steam, close nonessential background software, and compare your hardware with the listed minimum requirements. These are general Steam launch checks, not guaranteed Valor Mortis fixes.
For controller problems, separate detection from button mapping. Steam lists full controller support, Xbox controllers, and USB-only support for DualShock and DualSense. Historical reports from a 2025 pre-alpha playtest and a June 2026 demo describe controls stopping after menu navigation, tutorial-related crashes, startup crashes, a D3D12core error, and jump or heal inputs failing. Those reports confirm what players experienced in those builds; they do not prove that the same defects remain in a later retail build.
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Start by identifying the build and the failure point
The correct fix depends on whether you are running a demo, an older playtest, or the retail release, and on when the failure occurs. Record these details before changing settings:
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- Build: demo, October 2025 pre-alpha playtest, or retail version.
- Failure stage: Steam does nothing, the game closes during startup, a menu or tutorial crashes, or controls stop after you enter gameplay.
- Hardware and software: Windows version, processor, graphics card, RAM, storage drive, and graphics-driver version.
- Controller setup: model, wired or wireless connection, and whether Windows and Steam detect it.
- Exact error: copy text such as “D3D12core” or “EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION” rather than paraphrasing it.
The Steam store snapshot used for the listed requirements gave October 13, 2026 as a planned release date while also displaying “This game is not yet available on Steam.” Treat that date and availability message as a snapshot, not proof of the current release state. Recheck the store page and the developer’s latest announcement for the build you actually have.
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Run the standard Steam launch checks
Steam’s general support guidance says launch failures can have multiple causes. Perform these checks in order, restarting the game after each major change so you know what affected the result.
- Restart the PC. A restart clears stuck launcher processes, pending driver changes, and temporary resource problems. After Windows returns, launch Valor Mortis before opening overlays or other demanding applications.
- Install Windows updates. Open Settings → Windows Update, select Check for updates, install available updates, and restart if Windows requests it. If the game worked before a specific update and stopped afterward, record that update rather than repeatedly changing unrelated settings.
- Update the graphics driver. Install the current driver for your AMD or NVIDIA GPU from the manufacturer’s official channel, then reboot. A clean driver installation can be considered if ordinary updating does not help, but do not remove drivers while the system is unstable unless you know how to restore the previous package.
- Verify the game files. In Steam, open Library, right-click Valor Mortis, choose Properties, open Installed Files, and select Verify integrity of game files. Steam may reacquire missing or damaged files; the process does not change your hardware or guarantee a fix for a code defect.
- Close nonessential software. Exit screen recorders, hardware-monitoring tools, RGB utilities, overlay layers, mod loaders, injectors, and other programs that hook into games. Test with only Steam and required Windows services running. Re-enable programs one at a time after a successful launch to find an interference source.
- Check security software notifications. If antivirus or controlled-folder protection blocked a file, use the product’s event history to confirm the block. Do not blindly disable protection; add an exception only when you trust the installation and understand the security trade-off.
- Try a normal launch again. Avoid adding undocumented launch options while diagnosing the base installation. A workaround that changes rendering can hide the original symptom and make later support reports harder to interpret.
Steam advises contacting the game developer when its general checklist does not resolve the problem. Include the build, hardware, steps, and error text rather than reporting only that the game “doesn’t work.”
Compare your PC with the listed minimum requirements
The Steam listing records the following minimum configuration. It also estimates 30 frames per second at 1080p on Low with upscaling. The figures describe the store listing, not a guarantee for every scene, driver, or future build.
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| Component | Listed minimum | What it means for troubleshooting |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 10 | A different or unsupported Windows configuration may need to be corrected before game-specific diagnosis. |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 3600 or Intel Core i5-10600K | Lower-tier or older CPUs can be below the stated baseline even if the game installs. |
| Memory | 16 GB RAM | Systems near the minimum can experience instability when browsers, launchers, or recording tools consume additional memory. |
| Graphics | AMD RX 5600 XT or NVIDIA GTX 1660 Ti | Check the exact GPU model and driver; shared or integrated graphics should not be assumed to meet this requirement. |
| Graphics API | DirectX 12 | A D3D12-related error requires checking API support, driver installation, and the build before assuming a universal DirectX bug. |
| Storage | 60 GB available | Leave more free space than the stated install size so Steam can unpack, patch, and verify files. |
| Drive type | SSD required | Moving the installation from a hard drive to an SSD can address loading and streaming pressure, but it is not a confirmed cure for crashes. |
Steam’s general guidance cautions that a computer at or near minimum requirements may still have launch or performance issues. Check free space on the actual drive containing the library, not merely the total capacity of another disk. If your system is below a listed minimum, bring it up to the requirement before treating a failure as a game defect.
When Valor Mortis crashes before or during startup
Steam shows Play, then nothing happens
Restart Windows, close overlays and background utilities, verify files, and check that the game is installed on an SSD with at least the listed free space. Confirm that your GPU supports DirectX 12 and that its driver is current. If Steam briefly shows the game as running and then returns to Play, look for a Windows or security-software event at the same time and save the exact message for the developer.
The game crashes immediately on launch
Startup crashes were reported by players in the June 2026 demo feedback thread. Those posts are individual observations, not evidence of one shared cause. Apply the general checks above, then document whether the crash occurs before a window appears, after a logo, or when a save or profile loads. Do not present an old demo workaround as a retail fix when no current official patch note confirms one.
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You see a D3D12core error
A June 2026 demo report used the label “D3D12core.” Treat it as a symptom to investigate, not a diagnosis. Verify DirectX 12-capable hardware, update the graphics driver, install pending Windows updates, and remove overlays or injectors. Record the complete dialog text, GPU model, driver version, and build. The captured report does not establish that FSR, one GPU model, or one graphics setting is the universal cause, and it does not provide a confirmed general workaround.
The crash occurs on a tutorial or when paging tutorial screens
Players in the same demo thread described crashes while opening or moving through tutorial screens, including one post that mentioned “EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION.” If your crash is reproducible there, note the exact tutorial page, whether a controller or keyboard is active, and whether the crash happens on a fresh profile. Verify files and remove overlays first. Avoid deleting saves or changing system files unless a current official support instruction specifically requests it.
Controller detection and compatibility
Confirm that Windows and Steam see the controller
- Connect the controller directly to the PC, preferably by USB for the first test. Avoid hubs and wireless adapters while isolating detection.
- In Windows, open Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Devices and confirm that the controller appears without an error.
- In Steam, open Steam → Settings → Controller and check the detected-controller list and any input-test screen available for your device.
- Start Valor Mortis only after the controller is visible to Steam. If Steam cannot see it, the game cannot reliably receive input from that path.
The store listing advertises full controller support and names Xbox controllers. It lists DualShock and DualSense support as USB-only. That wording does not guarantee every wireless adapter, Bluetooth mode, remapping layer, or third-party controller configuration.
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Separate a missing controller from a wrong binding
If no button works, troubleshoot connection and detection first. If some buttons work but an action is wrong, inspect the active in-game preset and bindings. Compare the displayed action with the physical button and test one change at a time. Steam Input, manufacturer utilities, and other remappers can translate buttons before the game receives them; temporarily disable extra translation layers so only one system is assigning the layout.
Historical preset and menu behavior
The October 6, 2025 developer announcement for the pre-alpha playtest documented two controller-related issues: controls could stop working after returning to the main menu, and changing a gamepad preset could leave tutorials and the pause menu showing default controls. That announcement also said keybinds could not be changed from the main menu in that build; players had to start the game and edit them through pause-menu settings.
Those instructions apply to the documented playtest build only. The announcement does not verify that the same menu path or defects exist in a retail version. If controls disappear after visiting a menu, test whether restarting the session restores them, then report the sequence and build instead of assuming the historical behavior is still present.
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When jump or heal buttons stop working
A June 2026 demo report said “the default jump button and heal button … completely stop working.” This is a report of an input symptom, not proof that those actions share one code defect. Check the active preset, inspect whether the actions are unbound, test a second controller or keyboard, and reconnect the original device. If only one profile or save exhibits the problem, state that in the report; do not overwrite saves before preserving evidence.
If the buttons fail after opening a tutorial, pause menu, or other overlay, write down the exact order of actions. A reproducible sequence is more useful than changing every binding at once. The available demo discussion does not establish a confirmed universal fix for stopped jump or heal inputs.
What the historical reports do—and do not—prove
| Observed report | Build and date | Safe interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Controls stopped after returning to the main menu | Developer-listed October 2025 pre-alpha playtest issue | Confirmed as a known issue for that announcement; current status is not established. |
| Preset change left tutorial and pause labels at defaults | Developer-listed October 2025 pre-alpha playtest issue | A display or mapping mismatch was documented for that build; do not call it a retail bug without newer evidence. |
| Crashes while opening or paging tutorials | Individual June 2026 demo reports | Players encountered the symptom; prevalence and cause are unknown. |
| Startup crashes | Individual June 2026 demo reports | Useful diagnostic context, not a confirmed common root cause. |
| D3D12core error | Individual June 2026 demo report | Record the full error and system details; no universal workaround is established. |
| Jump and heal actions stopped responding | Individual June 2026 demo report | Check mappings and reproduce carefully; the report does not prove a specific controller model is responsible. |
The developer described the playtest by saying, “This is just a pre-alpha version so we know it won’t be perfect.” That statement belongs to the October 2025 test and should not be used to characterize a later release.
Escalate an unresolved problem with useful evidence
For a current retail issue, use the latest official support or bug-report route shown by the developer. The June 2026 forum invitation directed demo players to the Steam forum and Discord, but that invitation is explicitly tied to the demo and should not be assumed to be the current retail process.
Include the following in one report:
- Exact game build, branch, and whether it is retail, demo, or playtest.
- Windows edition and update level.
- CPU, GPU, RAM, storage type, and graphics-driver version.
- Controller model, USB or wireless connection, and whether Steam detects it.
- Numbered reproduction steps, including the menu or tutorial page involved.
- Complete error text, crash code, and approximate time of failure.
- Whether restarting, file verification, driver updates, and closing overlays changed the symptom.
Do not claim that a retail patch exists unless a current official changelog or support notice says so. The available official materials do not verify retail-build fixes for the named crash and controller symptoms.
Optional controller compatibility note
If you need a controller for testing, a standard wired Xbox-compatible controller matches the Xbox support named on the Steam listing and removes Bluetooth variables. Buying a controller is not a fix for a game crash or an in-game mapping defect. DualShock and DualSense support is listed as USB-only, so test those models over USB before diagnosing wireless behavior.
Quick Recap
Quick decision checklist
- Won’t launch: restart, update Windows and the GPU driver, verify Steam files, close overlays, check requirements, and record any error.
- Crashes on a tutorial: label the build, capture the exact page and error, verify files, and avoid treating a demo anecdote as a confirmed cause.
- D3D12core appears: verify DirectX 12 hardware and driver support, remove injectors, and report the complete message.
- No controller input: test USB, confirm Windows and Steam detection, then check the game’s active preset.
- Jump or heal stops working: inspect bindings, test another input device, and document what menu or tutorial action preceded the failure.
- Still unresolved: send build, hardware, connection type, steps, and logs through the developer’s current official support route.
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