Apex Legends is getting 'fatal error' crashes with RX 9070 XT GPUs, but there is a workaround
Apex Legends seems to be having trouble working with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT right now. As relayed by the Apex Legends account ApexCommunityJP on X (machine translated), "We have confirmed an issue causing crashes for players using the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT GPU, and we are currently investigating the cause."
I can confirm on my end that Apex Legends crashes when I try to launch it using a rig with an RX 9070 XT. I get the following game/engine 'fatal error': "The application's device failed due to badly formed commands sent by the application. This is a design-time issue that should be investigated and fixed."
現在、AMD Radeon RX 9070 XTのGPUをご使用のプレイヤーにおいて、クラッシュが発生する不具合を確認しており、原因の調査を行っております。本件の一時的な回避策として、グラフィックドライバーのバージョンを以前の「26.7.1」へロールバックすることをお試しいただけますようお願い申し上げます。August 26, 2026
The aforementioned X account does recommend trying to roll back your AMD graphics driver; however, some replies to this claim that doing so doesn't resolve the problem.
One suggestion in the replies that does seem to have worked for me as a temporary workaround is to add the following to the game's Steam launch options: "+staticprop_color_use_bindless 0 +staticprop_depth_use_bindless 0 +r_drawworld_depth_bindless 0". To do so, on the game's Steam page, click the cog, then Properties, then paste those commands into the launch options.
These seem to be options related to bindless rendering, which is where the GPU accesses shaders without mediation from the CPU. It looks like these commands disable that newer tech, which could mean a bit of a performance hit. I can confirm that adding these commands to my game's launch options did allow me to boot up and have a quick game, so it looks like it works.
Of course, it's only a workaround, and we'll have to hope AMD or Respawn come up with a proper fix for something a little cleaner and more permanent. It's unclear at this time what is causing the crashes and what can or will be done about it, so we'll just have to keep our eyes peeled for updates.
1. Best gaming chair: Secretlab Titan Evo
2. Best gaming desk: Secretlab Magnus Pro XL
3. Best gaming headset: Razer BlackShark V3
4. Best gaming keyboard: Asus ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless
5. Best gaming mouse: Razer Viper V4 Pro
6. Best PC controller: GameSir G7 Pro
7. Best steering wheel: Logitech G Pro Racing Wheel
8. Best microphone: Shure MV6 USB Gaming Microphone
9. Best webcam: Elgato Facecam MK.2
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.

Jacob got his hands on a gaming PC for the first time when he was about 12 years old. He swiftly realised the local PC repair store had ripped him off with his build and vowed never to let another soul build his rig again. With this vow, Jacob the hardware junkie was born. Since then, Jacob's led a double-life as part-hardware geek, part-philosophy nerd, first working as a Hardware Writer for PCGamesN in 2020, then working towards a PhD in Philosophy for a few years while freelancing on the side for sites such as TechRadar, Pocket-lint, and yours truly, PC Gamer. Eventually, he gave up the ruthless mercenary life to join the world's #1 PC Gaming site full-time. It's definitely not an ego thing, he assures us.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.