First of all, excuse my terrible English.

My problem with the game (and I think that of the majority) is that crashes right after the start. Just the little "loading" icon and boom, error message.

Well the only solution that worked for me was:

-Open it directly by its .exe file
- The first time it will show up the error, don't close the popup
- alt+tab and open the game again. It will run the second time as long as the first one is not closed yet

After it starts you can close the error message

Amazingly that worked - thank you!

Do you mind posting what your OS and hardware configuration is here so we can help determine if there's any common element?

It's happening to me too, here's my configuration:
* Windows 11 23H2 (OS Build 22631.3447)
* RTX 4070 Founders Edition with fresh install of latest game ready drivers (552.22)
* Intel i7-12700 (12th Gen Core i7)

Things I've tried that made no difference:
* Installing from downloaded 'backup' installation files.
* Completely uninstalling and reinstalling via GOG Galaxy
* Deleting save game files and settings files (ensured save game syncing was disabled in GOG Galaxy)
* Launching directly from .exe rather than GOG Galaxy or Start Menu shortcut
* Disabling or Enabling XMP (memory profiles in motherboard settings)
* Disabling or Enabling Resizable Bar

In addition, my system is not overclocked (aside from XMP, which I tried disabling) and I don't have any unusual software installed that would hook into every process (only stock Windows Defender, which ships with the OS enabled).

I tried running on another machine in the home - a Dell XPS with an 11th gen Intel i5 CPU, RTX 1660, and Windows 11 - that works fine.

The exception code in the coredump is 0xc000000C which is an Access Violation. The memory address is all zeroed out, which makes me think some API call failed to initialize a pointer, the error code wasn't checked, and then the game process crashed when trying to access the NULL pointer.

Works for me too. thank you so much!

It works! It sounds wonky, but it works just like you described. Thank you!

Hello Everyone. Good news!
(Potentially)

I have just encountered / struggled with the same game launch insta-crash issue symptoms.
And, was able to determine the issue, in my case... With my 35 pound (emotional support) WAR... I mean, sledge hammer in hand, engaged in loving, tender and non-threatening inquisitorial system analytical congress.

My specific case of conjugated heresy was caused by several access violation errors.
(Executed Core Dump file inquisitorial diagnostics - consentually of course).
I shall create a Standalone Help Thread, alas I saw your post and figured I will share my solution here first, in case it also helps out.

Issue Overview:
Some users may experience persistent crashes when launching Horizon Zero Dawn on PC through GOG Galaxy or similar platforms, particularly in setups with modern hardware (e.g., high RAM capacity, RTX GPUs). The crashes typically manifest as access violation errors (code c0000005) indicating null pointer dereferences within the game’s executable.

Observed Symptoms:
- Crashes during or shortly after game launch.
- Error logs pointing to memory access violations.
- Failed attempts with common troubleshooting (e.g., clean reinstall, disabling overlays).

Root Cause (Potential Hypothesis):
The crash appears related to DirectX 12 compatibility issues between Horizon Zero Dawn (likely optimized for pre-2020 hardware/software combinations) and modern hardware configurations.

My Solution:
[i]Forcing the game to launch with DirectX 11 resolved the issue.
This solution bypassed DX12-specific operations while retaining excellent graphical performance.[/i]

Steps to Resolve [GOG]:
- Close Overlays and Background Apps: Ensure no external overlays (e.g., GeForce Experience, Discord) are active.
- Disable Spatial Audio: If enabled, turn off spatial audio through Windows sound settings.

Add Executable Launch Argument:
- Open GOG Galaxy (or equivalent platform).
- Navigate to the game’s "FEATURE" settings:
> Right-click Horizon Zero Dawn > Manage Installation > Configure.
- Enable (checkbox) "Custom executables / arguments" and click on "Duplicate" below the default executable.
> Typically [GOG]: File 1 featuring the respective: [DIRECTORY PATH] to HorizonZeroDawn.exe.
- This should create a File 2 instance with the same HorizonZeroDawn.exe listed.
- Under the File 2 instance parameter “Launch Arguments”, define: -dx11
- Finally mark the File 2 instance as the "Default executable".

(Optional)
Disable Full-Screen Optimizations:
- Go to the game’s executable file.
- Right-click > Properties > Compatibility > Check “Disable full-screen optimizations” and Apply.


Hope this helps some if not most with the game launch & instant crash issue.



My relevant Conjugator Specification reference:

------------------
System Information
------------------
Time of this report: 3/31/2025, 01:21:32
Machine name: [REDACTED]
Machine Id: [REDACTED]
Operating System: Windows 11 Enterprise 64-bit (10.0, Build 26100) (26100.ge_release.240331-1435)
Language: German (Regional Setting: German)
System Manufacturer: ASUS
System Model: [NINTENDO X-STATION GENESIS 9006] ;-P
BIOS: 2801 (type: UEFI)
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-10700K CPU @ 3.80GHz (16 CPUs), ~5.2GHz
Memory: 131072MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 130880MB RAM
Page File: 35060MB used, 104011MB available
Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS
DirectX Version: DirectX 12
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
User DPI Setting: 120 DPI (125 percent)
System DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)
DWM DPI Scaling: Disabled
Miracast: Available, no HDCP
Microsoft Graphics Hybrid: Not Supported
DirectX Database Version: 1.6.8
Auto Super Res Version: Unknown
System Mux Support: Mux Support Inactive - Ok
Mux Target GPU: dGPU
Mux Incompatible List:
DxDiag Version: 10.00.26100.3624 64bit Unicode

---------------
Display Devices [PRIMARY]
---------------
Card name: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
Manufacturer: NVIDIA
Chip type: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
DAC type: Integrated RAMDAC
Device Type: Full Device (POST)
Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_2504&SUBSYS_88181043&REV_A1
Device Status: 0180200A [DN_DRIVER_LOADED|DN_STARTED|DN_DISABLEABLE|DN_NT_ENUMERATOR|DN_NT_DRIVER]
Device Problem Code: No Problem
Driver Problem Code: Unknown
Display Memory: 77554 MB
Dedicated Memory: 12115 MB
Shared Memory: 65439 MB
Current Mode: 3440 x 1440 (32 bit) (100Hz)
HDR Support: Supported