Victoria 3 is a strategic society simulator where you need to build the ideal society during the period of the 19th century. As you create the society of your dreams, you will need to balance the demands of various economic groups and lead your nation towards stability. The game gives you complete freedom on how you wish to develop your country and extend your influence either diplomatically or militarily as you try to maintain global peace and avoid conflicts.
While the game has been receiving rave reviews from fans, unfortunately, some players have been unable to launch the game. This is something that people don’t expect after paying $49.99 for a game that doesn’t even launch. If you are unable to launch the game then follow the steps mentioned in this guide to fix the issue.
This guide will tell you how to fix the Victoria 3 Game launch fail error.
How To Fix Game Launch Fail – Victoria 3
1. Rename the dbghelp.dll file in the game’s folder
In order to find this file, you will need to open the directory where the game is installed. If you are unable the installation folder of the game, launch Steam and right-click on Victoria 3 in your library.
Select the Browse local files option and the game’s folder will be opened.
Double-click on the Binaries folder in the directory and there you will find the dbghelp.dll file. Select and right-click on the file to choose the Rename option.
Rename the file to dbghelpold.dll and then press Enter. Now try launching the game and check whether the issue is fixed or not.
2. Copy the dbghelp.dll from the SYSWOW64 folder
In case the first method is not working for you then you can navigate to the C:\Windows\SysWOW64 folder on your computer and copy the dbghelp.dll file present there.
Now navigate to the folder where the game is installed, in case you don’t know the location, open Steam and right-click on Victoria 3 in your library to select the Browse Local Files option.
This will open the game’s directory where you need to open the Binaries folder and press the dbghelp.dll file there.
Click on the Replace button if the prompt appears and then launch the game to check if the issue is resolved.
3. Run “launcher-installer-windows” to install Paradox Launcher v2
If none of the methods mentioned is working for you then need to open the game’s directory and install run the launcher-install-windows.msi file there.
In case you are unable to find the game’s folder, open your Steam library and right-click on Victoria 3 to select the Browse Local Files option.
This will open the game’s folder where you open the launcher folder and right-click on the launcher-installer-windows.msi file. Right-click on it and select the Install option and wait for the process to complete.
4. Run the game as an administrator in the game’s folder
Open the game’s directory by going into the Steam library and right-clicking on Victoria 3 to select the Browse Local Files option.
This will open the game’s folder where you can open the Binaries folder to find the Victoria3.exe file. Right-click on it and select the Run as Administrator option to launch the game.
5. Install the latest version of Paradox Launcher V2 from the official website.
If you are facing issues with the launcher of the game then you can install the latest version by visiting the official website of Paradox Interactive.
Click on the link: https://www.paradoxinteractive.com/our-games/launcher to open the website and then scroll down to download the latest version by clicking on the Windows button.
Download the launcher to install it and then try launching the game to check if the issue is fixed or not.
That’s it, hopefully, these troubleshooting methods will fix the issue and allow you to launch Victoria 3 on your PC!
