How to Fix Helldivers 2 Black Screen Issue

When you start Helldivers 2, sometimes you only see a black screen with no sound or menu. This usually happens right after the game logo or when you finish a mission. This problem means the game is stuck or cannot show graphics because of problems with drivers, overlays, or screen settings.

The most common causes are problems with your graphics card, like old drivers, DirectX errors, or overlay apps getting in the way. Issues can also come from fullscreen settings or broken game files.

1. Change Helldivers 2 Display Mode

You should start by changing the display mode of Helldivers 2. Wrong display settings can often cause a black screen problem. You can change the game’s display mode by using the launch options in Steam, first trying a forced fullscreen mode and, if that doesn’t work, trying a windowed mode.

1. Open the Steam client on your PC.
2. In your Library, right-click on Helldivers 2 and select Properties.

   

3. Type -full into the Launch Options input field.

   

4. Start the game and check to see if the black screen issue is fixed.
5. If you still see a black screen, replace -full with -windowed and try launching the game again.

   

2. Run Helldivers 2 as an Administrator

Another possible cause of the black screen is that the Helldivers 2 process may not have the necessary permissions to use your system resources. Running the game as an administrator can help by giving it the rights it needs. Here is how you can do it:

1. Start up the Steam application.
2. Go to your Library and right-click on Helldivers 2.
3. Click Manage > Browse local files.

   

4. Open the bin folder in the installation directory.
5. Right-click on helldivers2.exe and select Properties.
6. Go to the Compatibility tab and check Run this program as an administrator.

   

7. Click Apply and then OK.
8. Try starting the game and see if the black screen issue is gone.

3. Force DirectX 11

Issues with DirectX 12, such as incompatibility with your graphics card drivers or other system-related problems, can sometimes cause a black screen.

1. Right-click on Helldivers 2 in your Steam Library and choose Properties.

   

2. Enter –use-d3d11 in the Launch Options field.

   

3. Close the Properties window and launch the game.

4. Change Game Data Files Permissions

If the permissions for the game’s data files aren’t set up properly, the game may not be able to update its files, resulting in a black screen.

1. Open the Steam application.
2. Right-click on Helldivers 2 in the Library.
3. Click Manage > Browse local files.

   

4. Right-click on the data folder and choose Properties.
5. In the Properties window, uncheck the Read-only option.

   

6. Click Apply and then OK.

5. Verify Helldivers 2 Files

Corrupted or missing game files can easily cause a black screen or other problems in Helldivers 2. Steam can check and repair these files for you.

1. Open Steam and right-click on Helldivers 2.
2. Select Properties.

   

3. Go to the Local Files tab.
4. Click Verify integrity of game files.

   

5. Let Steam complete the scan and repair process.
6. Try launching the game again to see if the black screen issue has been resolved.

6. Delete Corrupted User Config

A problem in Helldivers 2’s local user configuration file can stop the game from working correctly. This is a common cause of a persistent black screen, because the file is loaded every time the game starts. You can delete or rename the file to reset your settings and allow the game to recreate it.

1. Press Win key + R to open the Run dialog.
2. Type %AppData% and press Enter.

   

3. Go to the Arrowhead > Helldivers2 folder.

   

4. Find the user-settings.config file and either move or rename it.
5. Start Helldivers 2 and check if the black screen is gone.

7. Disable Steam Controller Input

Sometimes, Steam’s controller input feature can conflict with Helldivers 2 and cause a black screen. Disabling it in your game properties can help.

1. Open the Steam client.
2. In the Library, right-click on Helldivers 2 and select Properties.
3. Go to the Controller tab and select Disable Steam Input.

   

8. Update Graphics Drivers

Old graphics drivers can sometimes create compatibility problems with new games, causing issues like a black screen. Updating your drivers is a simple but important step.

1. Download the Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) from the official link here.
2. Extract the file and run Display Driver Uninstaller.exe.
3. On the General Options screen, click Continue.

   

4. Choose your GPU type under Select device type.

   

5. Select your graphics card’s manufacturer.

   

6. Click Clean and restart to remove the old drivers.

   

7. After your PC restarts, download and install the latest graphics drivers from the manufacturer’s website.
8. Launch Helldivers 2 to check if the black screen issue is fixed.

9. Change Installation Directory

If none of the above helps, you can try changing the installation directory for Helldivers 2. Sometimes, moving the game can resolve underlying permission or drive-specific issues.

1. If you already have an extra Steam Library folder, skip to step 7.
2. Click Steam in the upper left of the client and select Settings.

   

3. Go to the Downloads tab.
4. Click Steam Library Folders and choose Add Library Folder.

   

5. Pick your new drive and click Add.
6. Close the Steam Settings window.
7. In the Library, right-click on Helldivers 2 and select Properties.
8. Switch to the Local Files tab and click Move install folder.

   

9. Select the new Steam Library folder and click Move.
10. Wait for the process to finish, then try launching the game again.

If the problem still isn’t fixed, consider reaching out to the Helldivers 2 support team for more help.