every time i load up anno 1800 and start playing my game just locks up outta the blue.
Hey guys, thanks for reaching out and sorry to hear about the issue you've been having.
Would it be possible for me to double-check the following:
1. Does the game freeze completely or are you experiencing micro freezes?
2. Since when did you start to experience the issue?
3. I have noted what you suggested robertinsale regarding what causes the game to freeze however for reproduction purposes (same goes for AngryBees69), have you identified whether there are any particular steps you follow to cause this or is it relatively random and hard to point out?
In the meantime, if you haven't already, give the following steps a go, starting of by verifying your game files first, and see if issue persists.
Keep us updated!