Game Won't Launch Troubleshooting

[-Dare Devil/x/]

-If you're having issues launching feel free to try some of these solutions from the official support website: https://support.ageofempires.com/hc/en-us/categories/360004863571-Age-of-Empires-IV

For some users, this issue may result in a gray screen or window prior to the crash, or just appear like the game is not launching. There is usually no error message when this occurs. This could be caused by a variety of issues, which all have similar symptoms. Please try each of these troubleshooting steps.

🛠 Manually Check for Windows Updates
While your Windows Updates may be set to automatically install, it is possible that these updates failed to install properly, or that an essential update was skipped. Please confirm that you are on Windows 10, build 19043 or better. If you are on an earlier OS version, or a preview version, you may run into issues.

If you are on Windows 11, please continue with the troubleshooting advice below.

🛠 Manually Update Visual C++ Redistributables
You can find these files HERE.

If you are using a 64-bit Operating System, download the vc_redist.x64.exe file.
If you are using a 32-bit Operating System, download the vc_redist.x86.exe file.
Please Note that Age of Empires IV requires Win10 64-bit as part of its minimum technical requirements, if you are running a 32-bit version, you may not be meeting min-spec.

🛠 Add the Game to the Allow List of Windows Antivirus Programs
Check that the game is on the Allow List for Windows Defender, Windows Security, and Windows Controlled Folder Access. This process may require additional steps if you have any additional Antivirus programs running on your machine.

Windows Controlled Folder Access

Search for and open "Controlled Folder Access" from the Windows Search Bar
Click Allow a program
Locate RelicCardinal.exe from among the recently blocked programs
Select allow program
Windows Security

Search for an open "Windows Security" from the Windows Search Bar
Go to Settings > Protection History
Locate RelicCardinal.exe from among the recently blocked program
Click Actions > Allow
Windows Defender

Search for and open "Control Panel" from the Windows Search Bar
Go to System & Security > Allow an app through Windows Firewall
Locate the RelicCardinal.exe from the list of apps
If not listed, click Allow another app, then locate RelicCardinal.exe
Checkmark both Private and Public settings
Click OK

🛠 Check Your Antivirus Settings & Quarantined Files
Some antivirus programs may prevent the game from launching, or may quarantine critical game files during downloading. Check your antivirus settings to make sure the game is not being blocked.

Add the game to any allow-list feature in your antivirus program. (Note: some antivirus programs may remove the game from the allow-list when it is updated. Double check that the game is still on your allow-list!) The steps for this process will differ based on your antivirus program.

If the game is on the allow-list for your antivirus programs, please see if temporarily disabling the program allows the game to launch. If it does, then your antivirus program could still be blocking the game from accessing critical files.

🛠 Manually Update Graphics & Audio Drivers
If your graphics or audio drivers are out of date, or missed a recent update, this may be causing the issue. Steps for this are going to differ between driver makes and models. If running an update checker does not find any updates, please manually check with your driver manufacturer's website to see if you need to run a manual update.

🛠 Check that you are Running DirectX 12 and have a Compatible GPU
Especially if you are seeing a gray-screen before the crash, check that your machine is running DirectX 12, and that your GPU is compatible with that version of DirectX as well.

Go to the Start Menu and type "dxdiag" and press Enter
On the System Tab, under System Information, look for your DirectX version number to confirm you are running DirectX version 12
Next, go to the Display Tab, under Drivers, look for your Feature Levels number
If the Feature Levels starts with 11 or lower, then your GPU may not be compatible with DirectX version 12

If you are not running DirectX 12 OR your GPU is not compatible with DirectX 12, then your machine is not meeting the minimum technical specifications for this game.

[Fenrir]

crashing on loading screen

title says it all

[TaterTot]

Try restarting the PC. At times a good reset always did the trick for me when something didnt wanna run just after installation.
Outside that you may be having a system error of some kind. Maybe due to requirments. No idea tho you shared zero information.

[rob.silva]

Game does not load on PLAY

Any one else experiencing this issue?

[salafibrahim]

Game wont open

Anyone else on this ?

[Fenrir]

Originally posted by TaterTot:

Try restarting the PC. At times a good reset always did the trick for me when something didnt wanna run just after installation.
Outside that you may be having a system error of some kind. Maybe due to requirments. No idea tho you shared zero information.

its not giving me any info? it just crashes. I restarted my pc and still an issue

[Sperling]

win 7 ?

[Rain season.]

Originally posted by arthur_pendragon:

crashing on loading screen

title says it all

Same thing happening to me. Loading for ages and then crashes.

Edit: It worked after verifying integrity of files.

[dominicsaul]

Running Steam through Crossover on M1 Mac, and game won't open and just says reliccardinal.exe encountered a serious problem, does anybody know what this is and if/how I can get around it?

[TRiBaL_LeNNoX]

i don't even get a loading screen, or well, a tiny black window appears saying AOE4 is starting, then the window disappears again after 2 seconds and that's it...
there is no thread in the task manager.
i verified game files two times, i restarted windows (win10) and steam two times... nothing.
any idea how to get this game running?

[AmmoSpec]

Originally posted by rob.silva:

Game does not load on PLAY

Any one else experiencing this issue?

Same. Black screen for a second then Shuts down without an error code.

[N2O | Gianfrest]

Same . No black screen ....i play start but nothings .

[Odin Prime]

Same. Starts to load, screen goes black, then game just exits. No error code, no logs, nothing. :-(

[Demoncleaner88]

Originally posted by N2O | Gianfrest:

Same . No black screen ....i play start but nothings .

same, went into aoe4 folder, tried to run reliccardinal.exe ...get xinput1_4.dll missing...try to reinstall..

[Armaggeddon]

Originally posted by dominicsaul:

Running Steam through Crossover on M1 Mac, and game won't open and just says reliccardinal.exe encountered a serious problem, does anybody know what this is and if/how I can get around it?

same here. Started it on Macbook pro and it crahs by the load screen at the beginning.

[jia_cherng95]

Originally posted by rob.silva:

Game does not load on PLAY

Any one else experiencing this issue?

Me too, why it still shows that the game has not been released after 12am