If you’ve encountered the Fatal error! The UE-Sandfall Game has crashed and will close error while playing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, you’re not alone. Many players, even those with high-end PCs (RTX 4090, i9-14900K, etc.), have reported this issue occurring during cutscenes, at launch, or seemingly at random. Some also experience Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), lost saves, or freezing.
This guide compiles the most effective solutions to help you address this issue. Try them to get your adventure back on track.
Try These Fixes
You may not need to try every fix—simply work your way through the list until you find the solution that works for you.
- Update Your GPU Driver
- Run the Game as Administrator
- Disable Steam Overlay and Verify Game Files
- Adjust CPU Performance Core Ratio
- Force the Game to Use DirectX 11
1. Update Your GPU Driver
Graphics drivers serve as the communication bridge between your operating system and your GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). They are essential for rendering visuals and ensuring that games and applications run smoothly. Your graphics driver may be outdated and lack optimizations for newer titles like Expedition 33.
NVIDIA users can download and install the latest driver from the Drivers tab of NVIDIA App.
Or manually search for it from the Manual Driver Search page. If you’re not quite sure about the specific model you’re using, open Task Manager head to Performance > GPU.
As time of writing, the latest driver version for GeForce users is version 576.02. However, users with RTX 50-series GPUs reported that this latest version seems to be buggy for them when playing Expedition 33. To address these specific issues, NVIDIA released GeForce Hotfix Display Driver version 576.15 and 576.26. So you may want to give it a try.
If you’re using an AMD GPU, go to the Support page, then download and install the latest version driver for your system.
Short on time or patience, you can use Driver Easy to handle it automatically. Driver Easy is a one-click driver updater tool that automatically scans your system, identifies outdated drivers, and updates them for you, direct from the manufacturers. You won’t need to worry about downloading the wrong drivers or worrying about installation errors — it takes care of everything. Besides, it allows users to view all versions of drivers and decide which one to download and install.
To use Driver Easy:
- Download and install Driver Easy.
- Run Driver Easy and click the Scan Now button. Driver Easy will then scan your computer and detect any problem drivers.
- Check if your graphics driver is flagged in the scan results. If it is, click Activate & Update to start a 7-day free trial or upgrade to Driver Easy Pro. Either option will automatically download and install the latest graphics driver for you.
- Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
- Launch Expedition 33 and see if the Fatal error is resolved. If yes, congrats – you’ve fixed the issue! If the error still pops up, please proceed to the next fix below.
2. Run the Game as Administrator
Some crashes occur due to insufficient permissions. To address your issue, run Expedition 33 with administrative privileges and disable fullscreen optimizations:
- Open your Steam LIBRARY, Right-click on Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and select Manage > Browse local files.
- Now you should be in the game’s installation directory. Right-click Expedition33_Steam and select Properties.
- Select the Compatibility tab, check the box next to Run this program as an administrator. Then click Apply > OK.
- You should also do this for the executable SandFall-Win64-Shipping. From the Expedition 33 folder, go to Sandfall\Binaries\Win64, find SandFall-Win64-Shipping, right-click it and select Properties.
- Select the Compatibility tab, check the box next to Run this program as an administrator. Then click Apply > OK.
After this, relaunch your game and check if the Fatal error is gone. If it still persists, also try to allow your game’s executable files through Controlled Folder Access:
- On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key to invoke the Search. Type windows security, then click it from the list of results.
- Go to Virus & threat protection > Manage ransomware protection.
- Turn on the Controlled folder access toggle switch.
- Now click Allow an app through Controller folder access.
- Click + Add an allowed app > Browse all apps, then navigate to your game’s installation folder to add both Expedition33_Steam and SandFall-Win64-Shipping executables to the list. If you don’t know where to locate your game’s installation directory, right-click your game title from the Steam LIBRARY and select Manage > Browse local files. Usually, you can locate it from C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\Expedition33.
The above steps don’t work, don’t worry! Below are the other fixes you can try.
3. Disable Steam Overlay and Verify Game Files
The Steam Overlay allows access to features like the friends list, web browser, and in-game purchases without leaving the game. However, it can sometimes interfere with game performance or stability, especially in titles that have compatibility issues. Disabling it can reduce potential conflicts.
- Open your Steam LIBRARY, Right-click on Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and select Properties.
- In the General tab, uncheck Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game.
- And it’s also suggested that you verify your game files. Over time, game files can become corrupted or may not download correctly. Verifying the integrity of game files ensures that all necessary files are present and not corrupted, which can resolve crashes or other issues caused by missing or damaged files. Follow the steps below to proceed.
- Select the Installed Files tab, then click on the Verify integrity of game files tab.
- Steam will verify the game’s files, and this process may take several minutes. Once done, relaunch Steam and your game to check if your problem has been solved. If the error persists, proceed to the next fix below.
4. Adjust CPU Performance Core Ratio
High-performance CPUs like the Intel i9-14900K can sometimes cause instability in games due to aggressive core ratios. Lowering the Performance Core Ratio can enhance stability.
- Download and install the Intel® Extreme Tuning Utility (XTU).
- Open XTU and locate the Performance Core Ratio setting.
- Reduce the ratio to 50x – 54x. 54x seems to work for a bunch of players who encountered the Fatal error, so you might want to give it a shot to see if it works for you.
Then check if the error still shows up. If it does, try the next fix below.
5. Force the Game to Use DirectX 11
Expedition 33 utilizes Unreal Engine 5, which defaults to DirectX 12. However, some systems experience stability issues with DX12. Forcing the game to run on DirectX 11 may enhance compatibility and reduce crashes.
Here are the steps you can follow:
- Open your Steam LIBRARY.
- Right-click on Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and select Properties.
- Under the General tab, find Launch Options. Type -dx11 into the box.
- You should also delete the D3D12 file, which can be found from the game’s installation directory. You can also locate it by right-clicking the game title and select Manage > Browse local files from the Steam LIBRARY.
When you’re finished, try to launch Expedition 33 and test your gameplay.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve tried the methods above and are still encountering the fatal error, don’t hesitate to seek further assistance. Please feel free to share your experience in the comments section below. When doing so, consider including the following information:
- System Specifications: Details about your CPU, GPU, RAM, and operating system.
- Error Occurrence: When and where does the error occur? For example, during startup, after a cutscene, or during specific gameplay moments.
- Troubleshooting Steps Taken: List the solutions you’ve already attempted.
Providing this information can help us better understand your situation and offer more targeted advice.