How to Fix Apex Legends Won’t Launch

Can’t figure out why Apex Legends won’t launch on your computer?

Apex Legends is currently one of the latest battle royale games on the market. It’s also arguably the newest title that can go toe to toe with Fortnite and PUBG. However, Apex Legends still has a long way to go before it can surpass those games. 

One of the things that the game needs to improve is stability.

After almost three years since its release, many Apex Legends players still suffer from unexpected issues from time to time. While bugs and glitches can’t be totally eliminated, there’s still a lot of room for EA to reduce the problems in the game. 

If you’re reading this, you are probably having a hard time launching Apex Legends. 

Usually, this issue on the game is caused by broken or corrupted installation files. However, it can also be due to improper system configurations, faulty display drivers, or you’re using an outdated version of the game. 

It’s also possible that your system doesn’t meet the game’s minimum requirements, which explains why it won’t launch. 

To help you out, we’ve decided to make a guide for fixing Apex Legends if it won’t launch on your computer. 

Let’s get started!

1. Check Your System Specifications. 

Before troubleshooting the issue, you should first check your hardware if Apex Legends won’t launch. Your computer must meet the minimum requirement set by Apex Legends to run the game. 

Here are the minimum system requirements of Apex Legends: 

  • Processor: AMD FX 4350 or Equivalent / Intel Core i3 6300 or Equivalent
  • Memory: 6GB – DDR3 @1333 RAM
  • Graphics Card: AMD Radeon™ HD 7730 / NVIDIA GeForce® GT 640
  • OS: 64-bit Windows 7
  • DirectX: 11 Compatible video card or equivalent
  • Hard-Drive Space: 22GB

If your system doesn’t meet this requirement, the only thing you can do is update your current hardware. On the other hand, head to the next solution below if you know that your system is well beyond the game’s requirements. 

2. Restart Your Computer. 

One of the quickest ways to fix most issues on Apex Legends is to restart your system. This will allow your computer to reload its resources and eliminate any errors that may have occurred during use. 

Follow the guide below to restart your computer: 

  1. On your keyboard, press the Windows key to open the Start Menu
  2. After that, click on the Power Options tab. 
  3. Finally, choose Restart to reboot your system.
Restart your PC

Once done, try launching Apex Legends to check if the problem is solved. 

3. Run the Game As Admin. 

Apex Legends may not have the proper permissions to access your system, which prevents it from launching. To fix this, try running the game as an administrator to grant it full access to your system. 

Here’s how you can run Apex Legends as an administrator: 

  1. First, right-click on Apex Legends and choose Properties
  2. Next, go to the Compatibility tab. 
  3. Lastly, enable the ‘Run this Program as an Administrator’ option and save the changes. 
apex legends wont launch

Run the game again to check if Apex Legends still won’t launch on your computer. 

4. Allow Apex Legends Through Your Firewall. 

Windows Firewall is a security feature that controls the access of applications to your network. If Apex Legends is not allowed through your firewall, it can’t connect to its servers, and the game won’t work.

To fix this, see the steps below to allow Apex Legends through your firewall: 

  1. Click on the Windows icon on your Taskbar to access the Start Menu
  2. After that, open Windows Settings and go to the Update & Security tab. 
  3. Now, click on Windows Security.
  4. Access the Firewall & Network Protection tab and click on Allow an App Through Firewall
  5. Lastly, ensure that Apex Legends is allowed to access your Public and Private Networks
Windows Firewall Settings

Go back to Steam or Origin Launcher afterward and try launching Apex Legends. 

5. Disable Your Antivirus. 

Third-party antivirus programs are great for keeping your computer safe from malware and other viruses. They can also block phishing links and harmful websites to protect your information and online data. 

However, they can also get too protective and block legitimate applications. When this happens, restricted apps won’t be able to access your system and network. 

If you have an antivirus installed, turn it off before playing Apex Legends. 

On the other hand, you can add the game to your antivirus’ allow list or safe list if it supports that feature, so you don’t have to disable your system’s protection. 

6. Update Your Graphics Driver. 

Another reason why Apex Legends won’t launch is if your device drivers are not working. Since the game needs power from your GPU, your display drivers must be working and up to date to avoid issues, 

Follow the steps below to update your display drivers on Windows: 

  1. First, press the Windows + X keys on your keyboard to access the Start Menu
  2. After that, click on Device Manager and expand the Display Adapters tab. 
  3. Lastly, right-click on your graphics card and choose Update Driver
apex legends wont launch

Restart your computer after updating your drivers and see if the game will now launch. 

7. Repair Apex Legends Game Files. 

Apex Legends’ installation file may have gotten corrupted due to errors and bugs in the game. Fortunately, Steam and Origin have a built-in tool that scans game installation files and automatically repairs broken or missing resources. 

On the Origin Launcher, here’s how you can repair Apex Legends’ game files: 

  1. First, go to your dashboard and click on My Game Library
  2. After that, right-click on Apex Legends
  3. Lastly, select the Repair option.
apex legends wont launch

For Steam users, see the steps below to repair your game files: 

  1. On Steam, go to your library and find Apex Legends
  2. Next, right-click on the game and choose Properties
  3. Finally, open the Local Files tab and click on Verify Integrity of Game Files
apex legends wont launch

After repairing your game files, restart Steam or Origin Launcher and see if Apex Legends will launch. 

8. Reinstall Apex Legends. 

If Apex Legends still won’t launch, the last thing you can do is reinstall the game. Some of the game’s installation files may have gotten severely corrupted, and the repair tool can’t fix them anymore. 

Follow the guide below to delete Apex Legends on your computer: 

  1. First, launch the Control Panel on your computer. 
  2. Next, click on Uninstall a Program and locate Apex Legends
  3. Lastly, right-click on the game and choose Uninstall
apex legends wont launch

Once done, reinstall Apex Legends using Steam or Origin Launcher. 

That ends our guide for fixing Apex Legends if it won’t launch on your computer. If you have questions or any other concerns, please leave a comment below, and we’ll do our best to help you out. 

If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂

Author

  • John Sixto

    John is a staff writer at Saint and comes from a SAP ABAP development background. He has a Bachelors in IT and has been writing since 2018, with over 500 posts published. He loves to build PCs and has a deep curiosity in understanding how different components and configurations work. John spends hundreds of hours at a time, researching and testing the software and apps, before he proceeds to write about it. LinkedIn X (Twitter)

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