Helldivers 2: Black Screen on Launch Working Fix

Helldivers 2 has been a huge success on PC, so much so that the huge overload of players has caused multiple issues with Arrowhead’s servers with the studio having to place a 450,000 cap which has since been raised to 700,000 as servers have stabilized. Asied from server at capacity errors (here’s the guide to fix them), a major issue for PC players is having to face a black screen when they launch the game. The issue is widespread enough to cause enough posts in the Steam Community with players searching for a workaround to get back to fighting for democracy and liberty.

Why is my Helldivers 2 just a black screen?

It is speculated that the issue was caused by a recent patch meant to address crashes however it ended up causing issues for many players when they tried to launch Helldivers 2 in fullscreen mode, with the game locking players out and only displaying a blank screen. Note: This guide is specifically for when the game is completely unresponsive including an absence of audio. These are some workarounds that you can try to fix the issue.

Just Wait like a Patient Helldiver when the Black Screen Appears

This may seem to be a great ask since the fight for liberty and justice should never stop but trust us, in this case, it might be best to just wait. Helldivers 2 sometimes suffers from egregious startup times due to initial server issues, so the game might just be loading in the background and is not stuck. Wait around 5 minutes and see if the issue is recurring which requires a proper fix.

Verify the Integrity of Game Files

You can first try this fix and just verify the integrity of the game files through Steam which may seem like a generic fix but it does work for this error.

1. Go to your Steam Library
2. Right-click on Helldivers 2
3. Open Properties
4. Open Installed files and verify the integrity of the files

Edit a Config File

Instead of outright deleting the file named ‘user_settings.config’ in “C:\Users(username)\AppData\Roaming\Arrowhead\Helldivers2”, you can try editing it.

1. Go to “C:\Users(username)\AppData\Roaming\Arrowhead\Helldivers2”
2. Change view settings to display hidden items.
3. Open the config file with Notepad and just edit the fullscreen field from true to false.

Delete a Config File

This may seem like a harsh solution at first but do not worry it is completely safe and works. 

1. Go to “C:\Users(username)\AppData\Roaming\Arrowhead\Helldivers2”
2. Change view settings to display hidden items
3. Find the file named ‘user_settings.config’ and delete it.

Some users found that switching the game to borderless windowed before closing the game and then switching it back to fullscreen setting after later launching it also works as a temporary workaround for the Helldivers 2 Black screen issue.

Helldivers 2 is being covered across the board at EsportsNext and you can start by checking our beginner tips guide.