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If Middle-earth: Shadow of War crashes, shows a black screen, or will not start on Windows, begin with reversible checks: restart the PC, confirm it meets the game’s minimum requirements, update Windows and your graphics driver, and verify the installation if you use Steam. These are general PC troubleshooting steps, not guaranteed Shadow of War fixes; no source establishes a single remedy or which configurations are affected.
Try these checks in order
The steps below move from basic, low-risk checks to less certain suggestions. Test the game after each change so you can tell whether anything helped. General troubleshooting guidance from SEGA Support recommends checking requirements, updates, drivers, and game files, but it is not specific to Shadow of War.
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Restart Windows and check the minimum requirements
Restart the PC, then compare its hardware and operating system with the game’s minimum requirements. If the PC falls short, software troubleshooting may not resolve the problem. SEGA’s guidance is general rather than a Shadow of War-specific diagnosis.
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Install Windows updates
Check Windows Update for available updates, install them, and restart if prompted. This is a general troubleshooting measure, not confirmation that an update will fix this game.
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Check for a newer graphics driver
Use the support or update tool provided by your graphics-card vendor to check for a newer driver. Record your current driver version first, and retest after installing an update.
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Verify the game files in Steam
If you own the game on Steam, open your Library, right-click Middle-earth: Shadow of War, choose Properties, open Installed Files, then select Verify integrity of game files. The exact label can vary with Steam’s interface. Wait for verification to finish and try launching again. Publisher support guidance recognizes file verification as a general Steam troubleshooting step; it does not establish that corrupted files are the cause here.
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Close unnecessary background applications
Exit resource-intensive applications you do not need, then launch the game again. This suggestion appears in a third-party Shadow of War troubleshooting article, but that article provides no controlled test or developer confirmation. Close only applications you recognize and can safely reopen.
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Check whether security software is blocking the game
Review your antivirus or firewall’s recent alerts or blocked-app list for the game or launcher. SEGA’s general Steam troubleshooting guidance notes that security software can interfere with games, but it concerns a different game series. Do not leave antivirus or firewall protection disabled. If you add an exception, limit it to the specific trusted game or launcher file, and remove it if it does not help.
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Consider administrator permissions only if there is a reason
A 2023 third-party article suggests running the game as an administrator, but provides no testing or Shadow of War developer confirmation. If you try it, use the game’s executable or launcher options and change only that program’s setting; revert it if the issue remains. Administrator access increases what an application can do, so it should not be the first step.
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Do not treat VPN toggling as a proven fix
The same third-party article suggests enabling or disabling a VPN, but supplies no evidence that VPN settings cause Shadow of War startup crashes. Avoid changing VPN settings unless you have a specific reason to suspect a network-related problem, and restore your usual configuration after testing.
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If the game still will not launch
Collect the details that will help support narrow down the problem: Windows version, storefront, PC hardware, graphics-driver version, the exact error message or a description of the black screen, and when the failure began. Note which steps you tried and what changed. Then contact the game publisher or the support service for the storefront where you own the game. The available sources do not establish a current Shadow of War-specific support article, known error patterns, or an official fix for this problem.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How certain are these fixes?
The eight suggestions were grouped in a third-party article published by The CPU Guide on 8 September 2023. It does not report test results, success rates, or developer approval. Separate SEGA support pages updated 28 April 2026 and 5 March 2026 describe general Windows and Steam troubleshooting; neither is guidance for Shadow of War. There are no attributable figures establishing how often the game crashes or which PC configurations are affected.
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