If you're having trouble launching Red Dead Redemption 2 on your PC and you're on Windows 11, this might be a result of a recent Windows update. Here's how to fix the issue to get RDR2 starting again.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful video games of all time, and although it's already 5 years old, it's still very popular to this day. RDR2 is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC – but on computer, in recent days, reports about launching issues have increased heavily, with players complaining that they out of a sudden can't start the game anymore. If affected players press the "Play" button in the Rockstar Launcher, it switches to "Loading" first before rverting back to "Play" again without starting the game.
Meanwhile, it became clear that only Windows 11 users using version 21H2 are affected by the issue, as well as that the problem is the result of a recent update, named KB5023774. The good news is that there is a workaround to get Red Dead Redemption 2 working again. The bad news is, that it's a bit more than just changing a single setting.
Red Dead Redemption 2: How To Fix PC Version Not Launching On Windows 11
Microsoft has officially confirmed the problem. Usually, as soon as Microsoft confirms an issue, you can expect an official fix for it to be released anytime soon. It remains unclear whether this will happen, since Microsoft is now already providing a workaround and not everyone will like it.
To fix the problem, Microsoft recommends you to simply upgrade your Windows version from 21H2 to 22H2. What may sound like a quick and easy method, could actually cause other issues, and especially 22H2 has already caused several problems with games in the past, though most of them should be gone by now.
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22H2 is not just a minor Windows update, but about 5 GB of data that will be added to your system. So, although in general it usually makes sense to always work with the latest official software available, upgrading always comes with a certain amount of risk.
If you don't have any problems with upgrading to 22H2, you should have no more problems starting Red Dead Redemption 2 after the update is complete.