Ark Survival Ascended’s initial early access launch in October 2023 was a disaster. The game didn’t offer much except loads of issues and bugs for players to switch from Survival Evolved. However, with time, the game got better and each update and DLC brought tons of content for players to enjoy. Being a remaster of the OG Ark Survival Evolved, it had huge expectations. Anyway, coming to the topic of updates, Ark Survival Ascended has been getting quite a lot of content updates from the developers, which include new dinos for players to tame, new locations, and more. Recently, the Fantastic Tames DLC was released for the game, which introduced a new creature. Along with this, the Center Ascended location was also added. But as the update went live, players have been complaining about encountering the annoying Fatal Error in the game after they updated it. So, if you too are encountering the same, consider reading this guide for more details on how to fix this issue.
The Fatal Error in the Ark Survival series is a recurring one. The issue persisted in Survival Evolved and has made its way to Survival Ascended as well. Once encountered, a message will pop up on your screen stating “Unhandled Exception: EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION reading address 0x0000000000000008” along with a bunch of randomly generated addresses. Due to this, you will not be able to access the game. So, fixing this error code becomes a priority if you want to enjoy the new update. That said, in this guide, we have shared a bunch of effective workarounds for you to try.
Also read: Ark Survival Ascended Console Commands: How to enable them (PS5/Xbox)
ARK Survival Ascended Fatal Error after new DLC update: How to fix it
Although an official fix for this issue is not yet available, the workarounds we have provided should get the game running again. So, make sure to try these:
1) Restart/Clean Boot
Although this workaround might not work right away, you should start the troubleshooting process with a simple PC restart. Sometimes, conflicting programs can lead to fatal errors in games, which is why restarting can be a very good first step toward getting rid of them. You can also do a clean boot by following these steps:
- First, press Windows Key + R to bring up the Run box.
- Here, type msconfig. In the System Configuration window, select Services. Now, checkmark the Hide all Microsoft Services option. Next, select Disable All.
- Once done, restart your PC and then launch the game.
2) Add Launch Options
You can try launching the game using DirectX 11 or 12 by adding certain launch commands. For this, open Steam, go to Library, and right-click on Ark Survival Ascended. Now, select Properties and head over to the General tab. After this, in the Launch Options textbox, add the following commands:
- -dx11 (For DirectX 11)
- -dx12 (For DirectX 12)
Once added, launch the game to check if the issue persists.
3) Destroy All Wild Dinos (Server only)
As mentioned by a player who faced this issue recently, to fix the fatal error in the game, you need to destroy all wild dinos on your server during its launch. Once done, the issue should no longer persist.
4) Remove mods
This workaround involves removing mods from the game before launching it. The mods that you are using in-game may not have been updated to be compatible with the game’s latest update. So, this might be the reason why the fatal error is occurring. So, consider uninstalling the mods, and then check if the issue persists.
5) Update GPU Drivers
This error can also occur if your GPU drivers are outdated. So, visit the official website of your GPU manufacturer (Nvidia/AMD) to download and install the latest drivers for your particular GPU. Once installed, restart your PC and then launch the game.
6) Run /sfc scannow and DISM Commands
For this workaround, open Command Prompt using admin privileges and then add the following command: “/sfc scannow”. This will scan your system for any vulnerabilities or issues and fix them. Once the scan is complete, it’s time to add the DISM commands. Begin by copy-pasting this command in the CMD window and pressing Enter: “Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth”. Next, copy-paste this, and press Enter: “Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth”. After the scan is complete, launch the game to check if the issue persists.
7) Run in Compatibility Mode, Admin Mode, and Disable Full Screen Optimizations
The next best thing you can try is running the game’s .exe file in admin mode, disable full screen optimizations and also use a different compatibility setting. This might look complex but actually it is quite easy. Follow these steps:
- Start by launching Steam, going to Library, and right-clicking on ASA.
- Now, select Manage>Browse. This will take you to the game’s installation folder.
- Here, find the game’s .exe file and right-click on it. After this, select Properties,
- In the Properties window, go to the Compatibility tab. Here, make the following changes:
- Checkmark the “Run this program in compatibility mode for” option and select Windows 7 or 8 (based on trial and error).
- Checkmark the “Run as Administrator” option.
- Checkmark the “Disable Full Screen Optimization” option.
- Once done, select Ok, and then double-click on the game’s .exe file to launch it. If it fails to launch, use Steam to launch the game.
8) Disable Overclocking
If you have overclocked your GPU or CPU for better performance, we recommend that you revert the clock speeds to default. Overclocking can sometimes lead to fatal error crashes in various games, which is why setting the clock speeds to default might fix the issue for good.
9) Disable conflicting programs/overlays
Programs like Discord, Rivatuner, and overlays of applications like Steam and Discord can lead to game crashes as well as the fatal error. So, we recommend that you either uninstall the applications, disable the overlays, or make sure that they are not running in the background when launching the game.
10) Disable Foliage & Fluid interactions
If you are able to load into the game and it crashes after a while, chances are that your GPU is incapable of handling the game’s demands. So, to fix this, go to the game’s Graphics settings menu, and set the Quality preset to Low. After this, look for the Foliage and Fluild Interactions options and make sure that they are disabled.
11) Verify Game Files
Finally, it is possible that the issue is occurring due to corrupted game files. So, to rule out this possibility, we recommend that you verify the integrity of game files. To do this, open Steam, go to Library, and right-click on Ark Survival Ascended. After this, select Properties, head over to the Installed Files tab, and select the Verify Integrity of Game Files option. Once the scan is complete, launch the game and check if the issue persists.
12) Reinstall
As a last resort, if none of the workarounds are able to get rid of the fatal error in Ark Survival Ascended, all you can do is uninstall the game from your system and then reinstall it again. Sometimes, a reinstallation might be all you need to get rid of issues in-game, and the same might be the case here.
For now, these are all the workarounds you can try to fix the Fatal Error in Ark Survival Ascended. We hope that you are able to get rid of the issue with the workarounds provided in this guide. If you find it informative, consider visiting Android Gram for more such content on all things gaming.
