Fix: “UE-Sandfall Game Has Crashed” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

The “UE-Sandfall Game Has Crashed And Will Close” error in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a common Unreal Engine crash that interrupts gameplay during loading, exploration, or cutscenes. It often stems from issues in the Sandfall engine’s rendering pipeline, such as memory allocation failures, incompatible GPU drivers, or instability during performance-heavy scenes.

This crash is frequently reported when launching the game, entering high-detail environments, or loading heavy sequences like the prologue battle. The most confirmed causes include corrupted Expedition 33 files, outdated or unsupported GPU drivers, and unstable overclocks on mid-range hardware.

Before proceeding with the fixes, ensure your PC meets the official system requirements for Expedition 33. Let’s now go through verified solutions specifically tailored to this title.

1. Run with Administrator Privileges

Running the game’s executable as an administrator helps resolve launch crashes in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Without elevated permissions, the engine may fail to access system-level resources required for stable execution.

1. Navigate to: “Clair Obscur – Expedition 33\Content\Sandfall\Binaries\WinGDK” or your custom installation path.
2. Locate “SandFall-WinGDK-Shipping.exe”.
3. Right-click the file and choose Properties.
4. Go to the Compatibility tab.
5. Check “Run this program as an administrator” and click OK.
6. Launch the game again and verify if the crash still occurs.

2. Force DirectX 11 Mode for Better Stability

By default, the game runs on DirectX 12. However, systems with older or mid-tier GPUs may struggle with DX12 compatibility. Switching to DirectX 11 has resolved crashes for many users, especially during combat and cinematic sequences.

1. Open your Steam Library, right-click on Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and select Properties.
2. In the General tab, locate the Launch Options field.
3. Enter -dx11, close the window, and start the game.

3. Cap the FPS to 60 to Prevent Overload

Systems with high refresh rates or unlocked framerates may experience crashes due to excessive GPU or CPU load. Locking the FPS to 60 can stabilize engine behavior during heavy combat or open-world rendering, and reduce overheating or stutter-related crashes.

1. Launch the game and open Settings.
2. Go to the Graphics section.
3. Locate Max FPS and set it to 60.
4. Press F to save and apply the changes.

4. Free Up Storage on the Installation Drive

The game streams textures and assets in real-time. If the drive where the game is installed is nearly full, Windows may be unable to allocate sufficient virtual memory or process shader caching smoothly. This can result in crashes, especially during cutscenes or large area transitions.

Expedition 33 also writes runtime logs and shader data during gameplay. Keeping at least 15–20 GB of free space ensures smoother performance and fewer crashes.

Clean Junk Files via Disk Cleanup:

1. Press Win + S, type “Disk Cleanup”, and open the utility.
2. Select the game’s installation drive. Enable options like “Temporary Files” and “DirectX Shader Cache”, then click OK.

Delete Manual Temp Files:

1. Press Win + R, type “%temp%”, and hit Enter.
2. Select all contents and delete them permanently.
3. Repeat the process using Win + R and type “temp”.
4. Clear all contents in that folder as well.

5. Enable Power Saver Mode to Prevent GPU Instability

On laptops or compact desktops, thermal throttling can trigger game crashes during extended sessions. Power Saver Mode slightly lowers system performance, which can reduce temperature spikes and prevent instability in high-load scenes like boss fights or environment transitions.

This is not a performance boost but a thermal management step to avoid crashes due to overheating.

1. Press Win + S and search for “Control Panel”.
2. Select Hardware and Sound.
3. Click Power Options and select “Change power-saving settings”.
4. Under Show additional plans, choose Power Saver.