EA's help pages say Apex Legends launch failures tied to the anti-cheat usually come from corrupted game files or background software that conflicts with it.
The basic order is to restart the game and your PC, check the server status, let the game update finish, and then run Repair in the EA app, or Verify integrity of game files if you play on Steam.
The PC anti-cheat moved from Easy Anti-Cheat to EA Javelin Anticheat on September 29, and that day the developers posted on Steam that some players were encountering errors during the transition.
As of November 12, 2026 we could not find an official notice saying those errors are resolved, so this guide puts the update and anti-cheat install checks near the top.
It covers PC only (EA app and Steam) and problems that stop you before a match: nothing opening, the game closing right away, or being stuck on the title screen. If the game runs but the frame rate is the problem, read our Apex Legends FPS boost guide instead.
Error messages, causes, and first actions (EA's wording)
| Symptom or error message | Cause per EA's pages | What to do first |
|---|---|---|
| Failure during update process | The anti-cheat update process failed | Close the anti-cheat popup and restart the game; if it repeats, reinstall manually with the installer |
| Please start the game from the EA app | EA app or Steam is out of date, or other software interferes | Update the EA app and Steam to the latest version and close interfering software |
| EA anticheat Service has encountered an error. Please restart the game. | The install folder was not found or the game could not start | Right-click the EA app, choose Run As Administrator, launch the game from it, or reinstall Javelin |
| incompatible software / incompatible driver (Error #119) / unacceptable configuration (Error #95) | Software or drivers on the denylist, and some VPN or proxy software | Update that program and restart; if it persists, disable or remove it |
| Your Windows version is not supported | Windows is older than 10 20H1 (10.0.19041) | Update Windows to the latest version |
| The client failed Anti-Cheat runtime integrity check / Error code 30005 | Anti-cheat integrity problem (possibly corrupted files) / anti-cheat failed to run (wording may predate the switch) | Run Repair in the EA app; for 30005, start with a file repair in the EA app or Steam |
| Error code 23 | Outdated graphics driver, or missing or corrupted game files | Match language and region in your EA Account and EA app, update the graphics driver, repair or reinstall |
| Invalid game executable / DirectX error 4294967287 | Antivirus exception needed / can occur during installation | Add r5apex.exe to the antivirus exceptions, then Repair (path depends on install location) / clean boot (deleting antivirus is not recommended) |
Bottom line: where it stops tells you whether it is the update, damaged files, conflicting software, or the connection
If nothing opens at all, work through three branches in order: whether the game update finished and the anti-cheat installed properly, whether game files are corrupted (Repair in the EA app, Verify on Steam), and whether software or drivers conflict with the anti-cheat.
If you reach the title screen but it will not continue, or you see a message about being unable to connect to EA servers, the game itself has launched, so start with server status, your router or a wired connection, and account linking (the first step below).
In the September 29 post the developers suggested switching your launcher to Steam if you cannot get into matches, including Party Not Ready errors, but that advice did not address launch failures.
EA Forums also carry user reports of the game sitting on the Starting EA Javelin Anticheat screen, with no official cause announced, so treat the switch as a reason to order your checks rather than a confirmed cause. EA's announcement also says Secure Boot is not needed for Apex Legends. If the game launches and then crashes, see when the game crashes while recording.
Fix order when Apex Legends won't launch
- 1Restart and check server statusEA's first suggestions are to check problems reported by @PlayApex, restart Apex Legends and your system, and check the Apex Legends server status. EA's announcement points to @ApexLiveComms for anti-cheat news, and EA notes that your game progress stays intact after a reinstall. If you are stuck on the title screen or get an EA server connection error while the servers look fine, power off your router for about a minute, switch from WiFi to a wired connection, and make sure your PC's date and time are correct. For Unable to connect (code:clock), EA suggests not pressing continue on the title screen, picking a nearby data center from the lower left first, and restarting your router and PC.
- 2Confirm the game update finishedEA told PC players to download the game update when the change took effect on September 29, and said launching after the update finishes migrates you to EA Javelin Anticheat automatically. The same applies after any big update, such as Season 31, which started November 3: if a download bar shows on the Steam launch screen, a background update is still running, so wait until it finishes. Check that the EA app and the Steam client are up to date too. If you use the EA app and cannot get into matches, trying the Steam launcher, as the developers suggested, is another option.
- 3Repair in the EA app, verify files on SteamIn the EA app, go to Library > Apex Legends > Manage icon (three dots at the upper right of the game) > Repair. For a Steam install, right-click the game in your library and choose Properties... > Installed Files > Verify integrity of game files. It can take a few minutes, and Steam says a few files failing verification is normal because they are local configuration files. Do not run it during heavy system work such as defragmenting or a virus scan.
- 4Install Javelin manually and check WindowsGames that use Javelin install it automatically, but if something is wrong you can download the EA Javelin anticheat installer, select the game, and click Install, which shows Install success when done. Javelin requires Windows 10 20H1 (version 10.0.19041) or later, so check Windows Update. That page is a general guide for EA games that use Javelin, not one written for Apex only. EA advises uninstalling only when you need to reinstall; open C:\Program Files\EA\AC, run EAAntiCheat.Installer.exe, and uninstall just the affected game.
- 5Clear conflicting software and try a clean bootIf you see an incompatible software or driver message, update that program and relaunch, and if it still fails, disable or remove it. EA's page lists ASUS Aura Sync, CPU-Z, HWiNFO, MSI Command Center, Razer Synapse, Samsung Magician, and Voicemod as examples and says the list is not complete. It also says certain VPN or proxy software can make Javelin misbehave, so turn those off. If you cannot find the cause, use msconfig: on the Services tab tick Hide all Microsoft Services and choose Disable all, disable each Startup item through Task Manager, restart, and re-enable items one at a time. EA warns that a wrong step can harm your computer, so get expert help if you are unsure.
- 6Graphics driver, EA app cache, and overlayEA suggests running dxdiag from the Windows button and checking the Display tab for your graphics card, then downloading drivers from AMD, Intel, or Nvidia and doing a clean install. In the EA app, open the three-line menu at the upper left > Help > App recovery > Clear cache; clearing the cache cannot fix problems such as a server outage. If the game will not appear, turn off profile thumbnail > Settings > Application > In-game overlay, and turn it back on afterward because game invites and messages need it. If it crashes on a Radeon RX 9070 series card, the developers said in October that AMD's latest driver resolves the crash, so install the newest version.
- 7Last resorts and steps that may predate the switchFor Error code 30005, the error codes page says to repair game files and then delete the .sys file in C:\Program Files (x86)\EasyAntiCheat and restart the PC, but that page may predate the switch and we could not confirm the step still applies as of September 30, so do the Javelin steps above first and treat this one with care because it touches system files. If the Javelin installer shows Error #701, open an administrator Command Prompt (Windows+R, cmd, Ctrl+Shift+Enter), enter fsutil resource setautoreset true C:\ (replace C:\ if Windows is on another drive), reboot, and run the installer again. For Error #41 on a Windows 11 Insider Preview build, install the latest Insider Preview through Windows Update. If nothing works, use Contact us on EA's help page or the EA Forums.
Final checklist when nothing has worked
- Did the game update finish, and is the download bar on the Steam launch screen gone?
- Did you run Repair in the EA app at least once?
- Did you try starting the game from the EA app opened with Run As Administrator?
- Is Windows at 10 20H1 (10.0.19041) or later and fully updated?
- Did you turn off or update VPN or proxy software and any program named in the error?
- For Create Folder Error, did you check that the SYSTEM account has Full control under the game folder's Security tab > Advanced?
Once it launches again, keep every match automatically
With the launch problem solved, you can get back to playing. DOR is a free Windows app that detects Apex Legends when you start it and records the whole match automatically, collecting the recordings in the app's My Clips.
Game sound and your microphone go on one track, and on supported NVIDIA graphics cards such as the RTX series DOR records with NVENC hardware encoding.
For a squad wipe or a championship in your first match back, cut the part you want from the recording and save it in 16:9, 9:16, or 1:1, or use DOR Studio to join several moments, add text and music, then export an mp4 or share a dor.gg link. Our guide to making Apex Legends clips covers the trimming step.
