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If Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 keeps freezing on PC, first note where it happens: Sandfall Interactive has published temporary workarounds for two specific cases, not one fix for every crash. For a crash loading into the Reacher or leaving the Manor, set Global Illumination below Epic. For a freeze at the end of the cutscene after the Sirene fight on certain NVIDIA GPUs, disable NVIDIA Frame Generation or cap the frame rate at 120 FPS. These steps come from developer notices; check current patch notes because the notices do not establish whether later updates resolved the issues.
Identify when the freeze happens
The location and timing matter: the developer notices describe distinct problems with different workarounds. A game closing to desktop, a game that stops responding, and a PC that locks up or reboots are also different symptoms. Record which one you see before changing settings.
- Loading into the Reacher or leaving the Manor: a developer notice describes crashes on some PC configurations.
- At the end of the cutscene after defeating Sirene: a separate notice describes a crash or indefinite freeze on some NVIDIA GPUs.
- At startup, elsewhere, or apparently at random: the cited notices do not establish a cause or a general fix for these cases.
These notices document particular scenarios; they do not establish how common the problems are or confirm that they remain unfixed after later patches.
Try the workaround that matches your location
If the game crashes loading into the Reacher or leaving the Manor
Sandfall Interactive’s rolling bug thread recommends setting Global Illumination to any option below Epic, temporarily. Change that graphics setting and retry the same loading transition. The recommendation applies to the Reacher/Manor crash described by the developer, not to freezes in general.
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Read the developer’s rolling bug thread on Steam.
If the game freezes after the Sirene fight
In a January 28, 2026 developer notice, Sandfall Interactive said the freeze at the end of the post-Sirene cutscene may happen on NVIDIA 40- and 50-series GPUs when NVIDIA Frame Generation is enabled. The notice also says it may occur with Frame Generation disabled if the frame rate exceeds 160 FPS.
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Try one of the developer’s two temporary avoidance steps, then repeat the cutscene to see whether the symptom changes:
- Disable NVIDIA Frame Generation. This is the direct workaround if the feature is enabled.
- Limit the frame rate to 120 FPS. This is an alternative setting to try for the same cutscene issue.
The notice presents these as temporary workarounds, not permanent fixes. It does not say that either setting addresses freezes in other scenes.
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Find the developer’s notices in the Steam discussion thread.
Check whether your PC meets the published requirements
Steam lists the following PC requirements for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Its performance targets describe the listed configurations; meeting the minimum is not a guarantee that the game will never freeze.
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| Specification | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 10 | Windows 11 |
| Memory | 8 GB RAM | 16 GB RAM |
| Graphics | GTX 1060 6 GB, RX 5600 XT 6 GB, or Intel Arc A380 6 GB | RTX 3060 Ti 8 GB or RX 6800 XT 16 GB |
| DirectX | Version 12 | Version 12 |
| Storage | 55 GB available; SSD required | SSD required; the listed storage figure is 55 GB |
| Stated target | 1080p at 30 FPS on low settings | 1080p at 60 FPS on high settings |
These are Steam’s published requirements, accessed in 2026; the listing does not state its publication year. Compare your system against the full list, but do not treat a freeze by itself as proof that you need to buy a graphics card or SSD.
See the game’s Steam page and PC requirements.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.If neither workaround matches, make a useful report
The cited developer notices do not identify a universal cause for startup failures, full-system lockups, or crashes that happen in other locations. Rather than applying unrelated settings or unverified launch options, capture enough detail for support to distinguish your case.
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- Game version and when the problem began, including whether it followed a patch.
- Operating system, RAM, graphics card, DirectX version, and whether the game is installed on an SSD.
- Exact location and action when the freeze occurs, plus steps that reproduce it.
- Whether only the game closes, it stops responding, or the whole PC freezes or reboots.
- Any error message and whether Frame Generation was enabled or the issue occurred above 160 FPS, if relevant to the Sirene cutscene.
Steam’s support listing names Official Support and gives [email protected]. The developer’s rolling bug thread also links to a centralized issue-report form for triage.
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