Game crashes on launch

[Atanvaryar]

Hi, I just bought the game and I cannot play at all. I have completed the installation, installed all the prerequisites and launched the game: crash on launch, during the first couple of seconds of the intro. I have reinstalled all prerequisites, rebooted, same issue. Drivers updated, geforce experience overlay disabled.
I have a Surface Book 3 with GTX 1660TI and Intel Iris, so I forced the game to run on the 1660TI, however, the game still doesn't go past the first few seconds during intro or, if I skip the intro, the game crashes during the loading screen.

Anybody had a similar issue or knows a fix I can try? I cannot seem to find anything online with similar symptoms.

[carrottree]

I am experiencing the same issue. The game worked fine on my older AMD laptop, but it crashes on my new Intel pc. Im suspicious that it may have something to do with the processor, but I dont know.

[Talan]

I have a crash issue and since i made the game run as Admin & disabled steam overlay
there have been no issues... still checking but passed first mission without issue from a crashing save and from new start.

[carrottree]

Originally posted by Talan:

I have a crash issue and since i made the game run as Admin & disabled steam overlay
there have been no issues... still checking but passed first mission without issue from a crashing save and from new start.

Are you running an intel or amd processor?

[Line]

Same issue in 2022/2023 on a Microsoft Surface Laptop 4

[Robthebob]

In your Steam Library right-click on Phantom Doctrine and select "Browse Local Files"
In the Windows Explorer window enter the "IWTB" folder, then "Binaries" and finally "Win64"
Leave the Windows explorer window open for now. (We'll need it later)

Now go to Windows Firewall (If you also have antivirus, you can block inboard/outgoing communication too. Did it on McAfee easily, but thats program dependent).
Search in the Windows Start menu for Firewall and select "Windows Defender Firewall" In Settings
Click on Advanced Settings for the real Firewall management.
Click Outbound Rules and then "New Rule on the right.

A "New Rule Wizard" dialogue window appears, it should have Program selected, if so go for "Next"
Now you have to provide the path to the application you want to block. For Phantom Doctrine that's "IWTB-Win64-Shipping.exe"
Here is where the Explorer Window comes in.

Click Browse, a File Location Dialogue should appear.
Copy paste the pathname (e.g. C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\PhantomDoctrine\IWTB\Binaries\Win64 for example) at the top of the Explorer window to the one in the dialogue screen. Then press 'Enter' The dialogue should now show the folder with IWTB-Win64-Shipping.exe in there so you click that file and press "open" This closes the file selection dialogue.

Back in the New Outbound Rule Wizard, clicnk "next"
Make sure it's set to "Block the conenction" in the enxt screen and press "Next"
All option s (DOmain, Private, Public) should be selected, press next.
Give it a name 'Phantom Doctirne Rule' will do.
Press Finish.

Phantom Doctrine will now no longer have access to the Internet, but you can run it without it immediately crashing.

[Khaos Strife]

Re-post from: https://steamcommunity.com/app/559100/discussions/0/1744469130482788923/?ctp=2

After a lot of digging this appears to be an issue with the OpenSSL version being used and tripping a bug that is 'present' with newer model Intel CPUs as mentioned here: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/developer/articles/troubleshooting/openssl-sha-crash-bug-requires-application-update.html

Not sure if the devs are looking at this or not but that would be why disabling your NIC (LAN/WLAN) or setting up a internal block on your local firewall (e.g. Windows Defender) allows the game to lauch. I am going to poke around and see if I can do something that does not require setting an environmental variable or putting in a hard stop for any and all network access to the game. If I can, I will post back on this.

In any case, this appears to be directly linked to the older, now unsupported version of OpenSSL that is being used for how the game uses the internet for multiplayer and other things.

In the interim, this will provide a fix as outlined by this page:
https://steamcommunity.com/app/559100/discussions/0/5946473955227038833/

This will fix any issues going forward with any game using an older version of the OpenSSL.

The tl;dr is: (Credit to Mr. Darcion https://steamcommunity.com/id/578jhy5478jh54 )

* Press Win + E or open File Explorer, right-click on “This PC,” and choose “Properties.
* Click on “Advanced System Settings.”
* Under the Advanced tab, choose “Environment Variables.”
* Under “System variables,” click on “New.”
* In the “Variable name” box, type this: OPENSSL_ia32cap
* In the “Variable value” box, type this: ~0x200000200000000
* Then click on “OK.”
* Confirm the addition of the variable to the “System variables” list and choose “OK.”

[aFacelessName]

Khaos Strife's fix worked for me

[Wilfred Owen]

Originally posted by Khaos Strife:

The tl;dr is: (Credit to Mr. Darcion https://steamcommunity.com/id/578jhy5478jh54 )

* Press Win + E or open File Explorer, right-click on “This PC,” and choose “Properties.
* Click on “Advanced System Settings.”
* Under the Advanced tab, choose “Environment Variables.”
* Under “System variables,” click on “New.”
* In the “Variable name” box, type this: OPENSSL_ia32cap
* In the “Variable value” box, type this: ~0x200000200000000
* Then click on “OK.”
* Confirm the addition of the variable to the “System variables” list and choose “OK.”

Thank you! The game now starts!

[kirtimlak]

same - didn`t work((( requested refund((((

[Frost]

win10 or win11 just do this easy to fix

Step 1. Open "Control Panel" by searching for it in Windows search bar, by pressing the Windows button or key.
Step 2. Go to "System & Security"
Step 3. Go to "System"
Step 3. Press "Advanced system settings"
Step 4. Press "Environmental Variables"
Step 5. Create a new "System Variable" (NOT USER VARIABLE)
Step 6. Enter the following into the Variable name box: OPENSSL_ia32cap
Step 7. Enter the following into the Variable value box: ~0x20000000
Step 8. Now press OK.
it will work , have fun

[cleopa9]

Originally posted by Khaos Strife:

Re-post from: https://steamcommunity.com/app/559100/discussions/0/1744469130482788923/?ctp=2

After a lot of digging this appears to be an issue with the OpenSSL version being used and tripping a bug that is 'present' with newer model Intel CPUs as mentioned here: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/developer/articles/troubleshooting/openssl-sha-crash-bug-requires-application-update.html

Not sure if the devs are looking at this or not but that would be why disabling your NIC (LAN/WLAN) or setting up a internal block on your local firewall (e.g. Windows Defender) allows the game to lauch. I am going to poke around and see if I can do something that does not require setting an environmental variable or putting in a hard stop for any and all network access to the game. If I can, I will post back on this.

In any case, this appears to be directly linked to the older, now unsupported version of OpenSSL that is being used for how the game uses the internet for multiplayer and other things.

In the interim, this will provide a fix as outlined by this page:
https://steamcommunity.com/app/559100/discussions/0/5946473955227038833/

This will fix any issues going forward with any game using an older version of the OpenSSL.

The tl;dr is: (Credit to Mr. Darcion https://steamcommunity.com/id/578jhy5478jh54 )

* Press Win + E or open File Explorer, right-click on “This PC,” and choose “Properties.
* Click on “Advanced System Settings.”
* Under the Advanced tab, choose “Environment Variables.”
* Under “System variables,” click on “New.”
* In the “Variable name” box, type this: OPENSSL_ia32cap
* In the “Variable value” box, type this: ~0x200000200000000
* Then click on “OK.”
* Confirm the addition of the variable to the “System variables” list and choose “OK.”

Tks my friend, this works perfectly, tried a few other strategies before but to no avail, I was even considering to ask for a refund. I guess that explains why the game is on sale at one tenth of its original cost !!! Now let's see what this game looks like !!!

[Zaxxon Prime]

Originally posted by Frost:

win10 or win11 just do this easy to fix

Step 1. Open "Control Panel" by searching for it in Windows search bar, by pressing the Windows button or key.
Step 2. Go to "System & Security"
Step 3. Go to "System"
Step 3. Press "Advanced system settings"
Step 4. Press "Environmental Variables"
Step 5. Create a new "System Variable" (NOT USER VARIABLE)
Step 6. Enter the following into the Variable name box: OPENSSL_ia32cap
Step 7. Enter the following into the Variable value box: ~0x20000000
Step 8. Now press OK.
it will work , have fun

https://images.app.goo.gl/2NfC1Q3rF4dDRKMt7

[Themme]

Originally posted by Robthebob:

In your Steam Library right-click on Phantom Doctrine and select "Browse Local Files"
In the Windows Explorer window enter the "IWTB" folder, then "Binaries" and finally "Win64"
Leave the Windows explorer window open for now. (We'll need it later)

Now go to Windows Firewall (If you also have antivirus, you can block inboard/outgoing communication too. Did it on McAfee easily, but thats program dependent).
Search in the Windows Start menu for Firewall and select "Windows Defender Firewall" In Settings
Click on Advanced Settings for the real Firewall management.
Click Outbound Rules and then "New Rule on the right.

A "New Rule Wizard" dialogue window appears, it should have Program selected, if so go for "Next"
Now you have to provide the path to the application you want to block. For Phantom Doctrine that's "IWTB-Win64-Shipping.exe"
Here is where the Explorer Window comes in.

Click Browse, a File Location Dialogue should appear.
Copy paste the pathname (e.g. C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\PhantomDoctrine\IWTB\Binaries\Win64 for example) at the top of the Explorer window to the one in the dialogue screen. Then press 'Enter' The dialogue should now show the folder with IWTB-Win64-Shipping.exe in there so you click that file and press "open" This closes the file selection dialogue.

Back in the New Outbound Rule Wizard, clicnk "next"
Make sure it's set to "Block the conenction" in the enxt screen and press "Next"
All option s (DOmain, Private, Public) should be selected, press next.
Give it a name 'Phantom Doctirne Rule' will do.
Press Finish.

Phantom Doctrine will now no longer have access to the Internet, but you can run it without it immediately crashing.

This worked for me!!