Rockstar Games Launcher update will hopefully fix some Red Dead blues

(Image credit: Rockstar Games)

Rockstar has rolled out an update to its launcher that, among other things, fixes some crashes that can occur when starting Red Dead Redemption 2, including the Epic Games Store version.

Here's the full changelog:

  • Fixed an issue that resulted in the Rockstar Games Launcher returning the error "The Rockstar Games Launcher failed to initialize" on startup
  • Fixed an issue that resulted in the Rockstar Games Launcher preload decryption getting stuck and not completing
  • Fixed an issue that resulted in the Rockstar Games Launcher returning the error "The Rockstar Games Launcher exited unexpectedly" when launching Red Dead Redemption 2
  • Fixed an issue that resulted in crashes when starting the Rockstar Games Launcher from the Epic Games Launcher
  • Fixed an issue that resulted in the Rockstar Games Launcher returning the error "Unable to launch game, please verify your game data" when launching Red Dead Redemption 2 from the Epic Games Launcher

To update the launcher, close any Rockstar games that may be running, and then close the launcher itself by right-clicking the icon in the Windows taskbar and selecting exit. Then restart it (I always like to wait a beat first) and the update should apply automatically.

Some users on Twitter are saying that the update has not corrected their issues, but if you're having troubles it's worth a shot. We've also got an ongoing rundown of other possible fixes and workaround that you can keep up with here.

Andy Chalk

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.