Why does Halloween: The Game crash when Loomis spawns?

On PC it is a DirectX 12 crash when the game loads Dr. Loomis, and it also fires when a teammate uses the CB radio, when someone respawns as an officer and when Story Mode starts. Patch 1.0.4 fixed a Loomis crash on lower-spec platforms, but older AMD cards still hit it. Adding -dx11 to the Steam launch options has stopped it for many players at the cost of frame rate.

Why does my Xbox Series X restart when the game crashes?

The game's memory and GPU crashes can take the whole console down with them. Patch 1.0.4 fixed a range of them and many players crash far less now, but not everyone. Some players have had fewer crashes after switching the Series X from Performance to Quality mode, and some close the game every two or three matches to keep it steadier.

How do I add -dx11 to Halloween: The Game?

In your Steam Library, right-click Halloween: The Game, choose Properties, and type -dx11 into Launch Options on the General tab. Close the window and start the game. To undo it, delete the text.

Is it safe to use -dx11?

Yes, it only changes which graphics API the game uses. The downside is performance: the game is built for DirectX 12, so under DX11 the frame rate drops and some detail fails to load. Use it only if you have the Loomis or radio crash.

My PS5 turns off when the game crashes. What can I do?

Delete the game and reinstall it; some players whose PS5 was switching off have had no trouble since. Clearing the cache, rebuilding the database and turning off HDR have not helped. Plenty of PS5 owners report no crashes at all, so if yours keeps doing it, report it to IllFonic.

What does session heartbeat failure mean?

Your connection to the game's servers dropped, which sends you back to the title screen. It is not a crash. On PC, turning off IPv6 on your network adapter has fixed it for some players. Invalid queue response is usually a server outage that hits everyone at once; wait it out.

Why is Series S locked at 30 FPS?

Patch 1.0.4 removed the Quality/Performance toggle on Series S and replaced it with one mode capped at 30 FPS, to stop the console crashing. It is intended, not a bug.

Troubleshooting

Crash fixes for PC, Xbox and PS5: what sets each crash off, and what to try

Most crashes in Halloween: The Game have a trigger you can spot: Loomis arriving, the CB radio, an execution, the loading screen. Find yours below, then work through the fixes for your platform. Make sure you are on Patch 1.0.4 or later first, because it fixed several crashes outright.

Tap a row to jump to its fix.

What IllFonic fixed, and what still crashes

Patch 1.0.4 was mostly a stability patch. It helped, and plenty of players crash far less than they did, but several crashes survived it. The full notes are on the patch notes page.

Crashes IllFonic has fixed and what still happens
Problem	What the patches did	What still happens
Xbox Series X\|S crashes	1.0.4 fixed a range of memory and GPU crashes and retuned Performance Mode on Series X.	Some Series X players still crash every few matches, sometimes rebooting the console.
Series S stability	1.0.2 flagged Series S memory crashes; 1.0.4 replaced its two modes with a single 30 FPS mode.	Crashes still turn up on Series S.
Crash when Loomis spawns	1.0.4 fixed the performance hit from Loomis's hair that crashed lower-spec platforms.	On PC, older AMD cards still crash when Loomis or an officer arrives or the radio is used.
Crash after a Story Mission	1.0.4 fixed crashing after completing a Story Mission, which was worst on the Prologue and Chapter 3 results screen.	Some players still crash at the end of public matches.
Crash loading into a match	1.0.4 fixed a crash when loading into a match, on every platform.	Series X players still crash on the loading screen of their first match.
Freeze on an execution	Not mentioned in any patch yet.	Context executions freeze and crash the game on Series X and for some other players.
Frame rate	1.0.4's optimization work was aimed at Xbox.	PC and PS5 Pro frames sink to 20–30 near groups, Evil Presence and flashlights.

PC crashes

On PC, the crash nearly everyone asks about is the Loomis one. When a civilian calls for help on the radio, the game loads Dr. Loomis (the same radio Michael can smash), and on some graphics cards that load kills the game instantly. Story Mode starts the same way, which is why the same players can’t get past the opening either. Check your PC against the system requirements too: Windows 11 and an SSD are required, and a lot of trouble starts there.

PC crashes: symptom, trigger and what to try
What you see	Likely trigger	What to try
The game closes to the desktop the moment Loomis or an officer comes back, anyone uses the CB radio, or Story Mode starts.	Loading Dr. Loomis under DirectX 12. It hits older Radeon cards hardest (RX 500 series, Vega, integrated AMD graphics), and it still happens on PC after 1.0.4.	Add -dx11 to the game's Steam launch options. It has stopped this crash for many players who tried it. Expect a much lower frame rate and some missing or broken detail under DX11. Remove the option once a patch fixes Loomis. Until then, some civilians skip the radio when a teammate is known to crash.
It crashes on launch, usually just as the menu music starts.	The Intel AI Boost neural processor found on newer Intel laptops and desktops. An out-of-date graphics driver can do it too.	Open Device Manager (Windows + X), expand Neural processors, right-click Intel(R) AI Boost and choose Disable device. Do not uninstall it. No Neural processors entry? Update your graphics driver and try again.
It crashes when you change Frame Generation, DLSS or another graphics option.	Applying frame generation or DLSS changes, especially while FSR frame generation is on.	Change graphics settings from the main menu, not in a match. If DLSS frame generation won't switch off, turn FSR frame generation off first, then DLSS frame generation. Several players find the in-game frame generation doesn't work for them, so leave it off unless you've tested it.
Random crashes to desktop mid-match, sometimes with an nvlddmkm error in Event Viewer.	No single cause that players agree on.	Verify the game files in Steam and update your graphics driver. Some players stopped crashing after dropping Shading to Low; everything else can stay high. Some fixed single-player crashes by switching to Windowed instead of Windowed Fullscreen. Some players with the nvlddmkm error have tried a clean driver reinstall and older drivers without luck.
It freezes and dies at the end of a match, or during an execution.	Not fixed yet. Patch 1.0.4 fixed the crash after finishing a Story Mission, but not these.	No workaround has held up yet.

Adding a launch option in Steam

In your Steam Library, right-click Halloween: The Game and choose Properties.
On the General tab, find Launch Options and type -dx11.
Close the window and start the game.
To go back to DirectX 12, delete the text or replace it with -dx12. Do it as soon as a patch fixes the Loomis crash for you, because DX12 runs noticeably better.

Xbox Series X|S crashes

Xbox had it worst at launch, and IllFonic said as much before aiming Patch 1.0.4 at it. The console rebooting itself mid-crash is the part that worries people most. Series S no longer has a mode to choose; the Xbox page has what changed on each console.

Xbox crashes: symptom, trigger and what to try
What you see	Likely trigger	What to try
The game crashes and the whole Series X reboots or switches off, every few matches.	The memory and GPU crashes IllFonic targeted in 1.0.4. They are rarer now for many players but not gone.	Switch the Series X from Performance to Quality mode. Several players stopped crashing entirely; others still crash, just less. Close the game fully every two or three matches. Players who crash on a schedule find a fresh start resets it.
It crashes while loading into the first match of a session.	IllFonic fixed a crash when loading into a match in 1.0.4, but it still happens on Series X.	Same as above: Quality mode, and a full restart of the game if it happens twice in a row.
It freezes on an execution, then crashes.	Execution animations, which are also where the frame rate dips hardest on Series S.	No workaround yet.
Series S is stuck at 30 FPS and has no Quality/Performance setting.	Intentional. Patch 1.0.4 replaced the toggle with one mode to stop Series S crashing.	Nothing to fix. Textures are better and hair physics are on in exchange.

PS5 crashes

Plenty of PS5 owners, on base and Pro consoles, report no crashes at all, which makes the consoles that switch themselves off stand out. More on the PlayStation version is on the PS5 page.

PS5 crashes: symptom, trigger and what to try
What you see	Likely trigger	What to try
The PS5 turns off completely, sometimes with a system software error.	Unclear. It is not happening on most PS5s: plenty of players on base and Pro consoles never crash.	Delete the game and reinstall it. Some players have had no crashes since. Clearing the cache, rebuilding the database and turning off HDR have not helped the players who tried them.
Frame rate drops to 20–30 when two or three players are close together, even on PS5 Pro.	The performance drop after 1.0.4. There are no graphics settings to change on console.	Nothing to change on your side. It is worst in crowded fights.

Kicked to the title screen: heartbeat failure and queue errors

These look like crashes, but the game is still running. It has lost its connection to the servers and throws you back to the title screen.

Invalid queue response

When this appears for everyone at once, the servers are down. Nothing on your side will fix it; wait and queue again.

Session heartbeat failure

Your connection dropped for too long. It also hits single-player sessions, especially long ones. On PC, unticking IPv6 in your network adapter’s properties has fixed it for some players and done nothing for others; turn it back on if it doesn’t help.

Failed to select service region

A login error rather than a crash. Some players get in after retrying a few times.

Only your friends get kicked

Some parties find the heartbeat failure kicks members but never the leader. Cross-platform parties have their own quirks, covered on the crossplay page.

Frame drops since 1.0.4

Since Patch 1.0.4, frames sink to 20–30 when several players bunch up, when Michael uses Evil Presence near a civilian, and when a flashlight blinds you. It happens on high-end PCs and on PS5 Pro, so it is the game, not your hardware.

Cap your frame rate at 60. With a lower ceiling the drops are smaller, and a lot of players find the game smoother for it.
Put Shadows and Global Illumination on Low and turn ray tracing off. Those are the heaviest settings; textures can stay high.
Use DLSS or FSR upscaling, and skip the in-game frame generation, which several players find doesn’t work.
For Evil Presence specifically, some PC players add fx.NiagaraAllowGPUParticles=0 under [SystemSettings] in Engine.ini (in %LOCALAPPDATA%\Ravage\Saved\Config\Windows). It removes the drop but also hides Detection Pulse and Shape Jump highlights, so it is a poor trade if you play Michael.

The full settings walkthrough is in fixing stutter and low frame rates.

Sending IllFonic a crash report

IllFonic asks players who crash to email htghelpdesk@illfonic.com with their username, platform, device specs, and what was happening in the match right before the crash. The last part matters most: “it crashed when Loomis spawned” or “it crashed on the execution” is what gets a crash fixed.

Questions

Why does Halloween: The Game crash when Loomis spawns?: On PC it is a DirectX 12 crash when the game loads Dr. Loomis, and it also fires when a teammate uses the CB radio, when someone respawns as an officer and when Story Mode starts. Patch 1.0.4 fixed a Loomis crash on lower-spec platforms, but older AMD cards still hit it. Adding -dx11 to the Steam launch options has stopped it for many players at the cost of frame rate.
Why does my Xbox Series X restart when the game crashes?: The game's memory and GPU crashes can take the whole console down with them. Patch 1.0.4 fixed a range of them and many players crash far less now, but not everyone. Some players have had fewer crashes after switching the Series X from Performance to Quality mode, and some close the game every two or three matches to keep it steadier.
How do I add -dx11 to Halloween: The Game?: In your Steam Library, right-click Halloween: The Game, choose Properties, and type -dx11 into Launch Options on the General tab. Close the window and start the game. To undo it, delete the text.
Is it safe to use -dx11?: Yes, it only changes which graphics API the game uses. The downside is performance: the game is built for DirectX 12, so under DX11 the frame rate drops and some detail fails to load. Use it only if you have the Loomis or radio crash.
My PS5 turns off when the game crashes. What can I do?: Delete the game and reinstall it; some players whose PS5 was switching off have had no trouble since. Clearing the cache, rebuilding the database and turning off HDR have not helped. Plenty of PS5 owners report no crashes at all, so if yours keeps doing it, report it to IllFonic.
What does session heartbeat failure mean?: Your connection to the game's servers dropped, which sends you back to the title screen. It is not a crash. On PC, turning off IPv6 on your network adapter has fixed it for some players. Invalid queue response is usually a server outage that hits everyone at once; wait it out.
Why is Series S locked at 30 FPS?: Patch 1.0.4 removed the Quality/Performance toggle on Series S and replaced it with one mode capped at 30 FPS, to stop the console crashing. It is intended, not a bug.

Keep going

Fixing stutter

Settings and checks for low frame rates.

System requirements

Windows 11, SSD and the GPU tiers.

Patch notes

Every crash fix IllFonic has shipped.

Xbox Series X|S

The Series S 30 FPS mode and the Xbox fixes.

PS5

The PlayStation version at a glance.