Fix: “Unreal Process Has Crashed” in Mafia: The Old Country

The “Unreal Process has Crashed” error in Mafia: The Old Country occurs when the Unreal Engine runtime fails during its initialization sequence. This failure interrupts the startup process, preventing the game from loading properly and often forcing it to close before reaching the main menu.

This issue is commonly caused by corrupted installation files, outdated or incompatible graphics drivers, third-party overlay conflicts, or system configurations the engine cannot process correctly during startup.

With these root causes in mind, follow the solutions below to fix the problem.

1. Update Graphics Drivers

Unreal Engine depends heavily on your GPU for rendering and shader compilation. Outdated or unstable drivers can break this process and trigger a crash during launch. Updating to the latest WHQL-certified driver ensures proper API support, improved performance, and fewer compatibility issues.

For Nvidia Users:

1. Right-click on the Nvidia icon in the system tray > Click on NVIDIA App.
2. Click on Drivers.
3. If any new updates are available, click on Install.

For AMD Users:

1. Open AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition.
2. Click on Check for Updates, and if an update is available, install it.

Once the latest graphics drivers are installed, relaunch the game and check if the error persists.

2. Verify Game Files

Damaged or missing game files interrupt Unreal Engine’s startup sequence, leading to immediate crashes. Verifying the game files restores corrupted assets, replaces missing binaries, and ensures the engine loads required components correctly.

1. Press Win + S > Search Steam > Click on Open.
2. Click on Library.
3. Locate Mafia The Old Country > Right-click on it and select Properties.
4. Click on the Installed Files tab.
5. Click on Verify integrity of game files.
6. If any files are missing, Steam will re-download them.
7. Relaunch the game to check if the issue is resolved.

3. Force DirectX 11 Mode for Better Stability

By default, the game runs on DirectX 12. Systems with older or less capable GPUs may experience instability with DX12. Forcing the game to run on DirectX 11 often improves stability and resolves launch crashes.

1. Open your Steam Library, right-click on Mafia The Old Country, and select Properties.
2. In the General tab, locate the Launch Options field.
3. Type -dx11, close the window, and launch the game.

4. Disable Hardware Accelerated GPU Scheduling

Hardware Accelerated GPU Scheduling can sometimes cause timing conflicts between Windows and Unreal Engine’s rendering pipeline. Disabling this feature forces the system to use the default scheduling method, which can stabilize performance and prevent crashes during startup.

1. Press Win + I to open Settings.
2. Click on System.
3. Click on Display > Graphics settings.
4. Disable Hardware Accelerated GPU Scheduling.
5. Restart your PC and relaunch the game to check if the issue is fixed.