DragonSword Awakening D3D12 Crash Fix: Official -dx11 Workaround

#Quick answer

If DragonSword: Awakening will not launch and reports a D3D12 error, use the developer's official temporary workaround: open the game's Steam Properties, enter -dx11 in Launch Options, and start the game again. Hound13's July 28 notice says the crash can occur on certain GPU and driver configurations.

This is a workaround for the identified D3D12 startup failure, not a general performance tweak or a replacement for checking whether your PC meets the game's requirements.

Current status: The July 28 official notice did not announce a date for the permanent fix. Keep -dx11 only as long as you need the workaround, and check official update notes before removing it.

#Apply the official Steam workaround

Follow the sequence published by the DragonSword: Awakening team:

1. Open your Steam Library.
2. Right-click DragonSword: Awakening and select Properties.
3. Find Launch Options and enter -dx11.
4. Close the Properties window and launch the game.

Type the option exactly as shown, including the leading hyphen. This changes how Steam starts the game; it does not require editing Windows Registry entries or game configuration files.

#What the workaround does—and does not confirm

The notice does not specify which exact GPU models or driver versions are affected. Do not turn the broad “certain configurations” wording into an unsupported compatibility blacklist.

#Check whether this guide matches your symptom

Use this page when the game fails during startup and the failure identifies D3D12. That symptom matches the issue described by the developer.

• If the game launches but has low frame rate, visual artifacts, or graphics-setting questions, use the engine and graphics guide.
• If you are unsure whether the PC meets the published CPU, GPU, memory, DirectX, or storage specifications, check the system requirements.
• If Steam itself shows a release, package, branch, or update-status question, consult the Steam and SteamDB status guide.

A different crash message may have a different cause. The July 28 notice only grounds this specific D3D12 workaround, so it should not be presented as a universal fix for every startup failure.

#Why this page is separate from system requirements

The system-requirements page records the official PC specification tiers. This troubleshooting page owns a current launch problem that can occur on certain GPU and driver configurations even though the official notice does not redefine those specification tiers.

In other words, meeting the listed requirements and encountering this D3D12 startup error are separate questions. After the game opens, new players can continue with the beginner guide; graphics behavior and confirmed patch changes belong in the engine and graphics guide.

#Remove -dx11 after an official resolution

Do not assume the workaround is permanent. Once official DragonSword: Awakening update notes explicitly confirm that the D3D12 startup issue has been resolved, remove the option and test the normal launch path:

1. Return to the game in your Steam Library.
2. Right-click it, open Properties, and locate Launch Options.
3. Delete -dx11 from the field.
4. Launch the game normally.

If official notes have not confirmed a resolution, there is no announcement-based reason to claim the workaround is no longer needed. The July 28 post said the permanent-fix schedule would be announced separately at a later date.

#Avoid unsupported “fixes”

The official notice provides one procedure: the Steam -dx11 launch option. It does not instruct players to:

• change Registry keys;
• delete or replace configuration files;
• install a particular unofficial driver version.

Those steps should not be attributed to Hound13. Keep diagnosis tied to the D3D12 error, use the published workaround, and rely on later official notes for the permanent resolution status.

#Related guides

• DragonSword: Awakening system requirements
• Engine, graphics, and confirmed patch fixes
• Beginner guide
• Steam and SteamDB status

#Sources

• Official July 28 D3D12 known-issue notice — identifies crashes on certain GPU/driver configurations, gives the -dx11 steps, and says the fix schedule will be announced later.
• Official DragonSword: Awakening Steam store — official product and PC platform listing.