Stellaris Dev Tracker

For the launcher issue, Please try this:

- uninstall Paradox Launcher v2 from the Windows "Apps and features" utility, if still present.

Delete the following folders if still present:

- C:/users/{userName}/AppData/Local/Programs/Paradox Interactive/
- C:/users/{userName}/AppData/Local/Paradox Interactive/
- C:/users/{userName}/AppData/Roaming/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2/
To see the AppData folder you'll need to enable View Hidden Items in File Explorer.

- exit the Steam app entirely
- run steam.exe as the Windows Admin user
- run the game from the PLAY button in Steam
OR
- exit the Epic app entirely
- run EpicGamesLauncher.exe as the Windows Admin user
- run the game from the Epic client

IF that doesn't help, in this folder are some .log files:
C:/users/{userName}/AppData/Local/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2/
Please attach them here.
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That's odd, because Horizon Signal is not a DLC, it's an event chain that's part of the base game

https://stellaris.paradoxwikis.com/Horizon_Signal
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There is nothing that can be done about this I'm afraid. You'll need to run it from Steam.

Or, buy a non-Steam edition of the game from, say, GoG.  

The Rogue Admiral said: Its a bit odd that the old launcher is automatically downloaded after installing the game through steam, when its defunct.

It is not defunct. It has two operational modes; standalone non-Steam compatible, and Steam-compatible when triggered by Steam. You are now using the second mode, as the first mode is no longer supported by this game.  

The Rogue Admiral said: The launcher version is "Cepheus v3.4.5 (a361).

That is the cause of your problem; new DLCs can never work in old game versions. Current is 3.8.3

From that first screenshot you are running the game from our launcher in standalone (ie non-Steam) mode. The game is no longer supported there and only has old game versions and DLCs visible.

You'll need to run the game from the PLAY button in Steam from now on.

All the best!  

Does it show in this game's DLCs list in your Steam Library as owned and enabled?

What game version do you see in our launcher?  

What DLCs do you have? Which one is the save saying it needs to be able to load?  

If you had opted into a beta of an older version, that tells Steam you don't want to update.  

The game is compatible with Windows 11, so that is not your problem as such. Yes, it could be a Windows, driver, or hardware problem..

Check your Windows Event Viewer just after one of these crashes or freezes. Do you see any significant ERROR or WARNING entries there?

Then, make a new Windows user and log into it with that - do you get the same problem?  

If it is in our launcher it really has to be in the game too. Toxoids requires at least patch 3.5, are you on that or something later? Current is 3.8.4

When you go into New Game or MP from the main game menu, DLCs are listed on the right of the screen. Is Toxoids there and ticked?  

If the game is in fullScreen at 1920x1200 , the same as your Windows desktop, I don't know why this would be happening to you.

You may as well update that nVidia driver, a new one out today

Download the latest official NVIDIA drivers ...

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Clearly not a 'slow drive' problem, whatever they mean by that!

I agree this is likely a problem with your new hardware. If the people you took it to are those who sold it to you, it is definitely their problem to fix. If they can't find a problem they need to replace it, IMO.  

Has the game always been like that for you? Or it used to work okay up to some point?


DXDIAG is a program you run from the Windows search box on the task bar. After running it will open a window and start collecting info with a progress bar in the lower-left corner. When it completes click the 'save all information' button and save it to a file then attach that file here.

Please attach here your Documents/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris/settings.txt and pdx_settings.txt .
From your Documents/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris/logs/ folder, attach here system.log , error.log .  

The game is still set to 144hz refresh rate there. Please set it to 60, I'm pretty sure that will help you.  

If this save is unmodded, it is almost certainly a bug - best to make a new thread in Bug Reports and attach it there.

If you are after help in editing that bug out of the save, ironically User Mods is probably your best bet!  

Yes, unfortunately that other user stopped responding for some reason, so unresolved.

You say your symptoms are identical, but they reported the problem happened after 15 minutes of play, not on a given date. Which is why I asked for temperatures.

Beyond Disbelief said: I have no idea if the AI is supposed to make a decision/take action on that date that might be causing the conflict. I'm not familiar with how the save file keeps track of AI turns or planned invasion dates.

I don't play or develop this game, so I don't know any of ... Read more

DininGaming said: Win7-8 comp mode + administration run.

That will cause problems all of its own, and is not necessary.

Right click on stellaris.exe , properties, compatibility. Tick "disable fullScreen optimisations" untick every other box in that dialog, Apply and exit.
Then in the launcher Game Settings menu, select fullScreen display mode, Vsync off, cap refresh rate to refresh rate 60.

Then start a new test galaxy - any better?  

Right click on stellaris4.exe , properties, compatibility. Tick "disable fullScreen optimisations" untick every other box in that dialog, Apply and exit.
Then in the launcher Game Settings menu, select fullScreen display mode, Vsync off, cap refresh rate to refresh rate 60.

Is that any better?  

When you say "in the background" you mean you've alt-tabbed out of it?

Does this happen in all 3 display modes?

And, has it always happened since you've had the game, or only since what change or update?


DXDIAG is a program you run from the Windows search box on the task bar. After running it will open a window and start collecting info with a progress bar in the lower-left corner. When it completes click the 'save all information' button and save it to a file then attach that file here.

Please attach here your Documents/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris/settings.txt and pdx_settings.txt .
From your Documents/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris/logs/ folder, attach here system.log , error.log .  

You may all have the same symptom, but can be from different causes.

Please each make a new thread in the Tech Support forum of the affected game, with problem history and system details. In particular, what happens when you run that game's .exe file from File Explorer directly - any Windows error show?