Destiny 2 crashing or won't launch on PC? Bungie's official fixes: CHIVE, MARMOT, PLUOT/BattlEye, CVARS.xml, overlays

Destiny 2, Bungie’s free-to-play online shooter, has been on Steam since October 1, 2019, and Bungie also supports it on PC through the Microsoft Store / Xbox app and the Epic Games Store. If the game crashes, freezes on the title screen, refuses to start or throws an error code such as CHIVE, MARMOT or PLUOT, here are the official fixes listed by Bungie Help, in the order we recommend trying them. Everything below comes from Bungie’s support pages and the Steam store page, read on November 12, 2026; TricknFix has not tested these steps itself.

1. Check that your PC and Windows version are supported

• Minimum (Bungie Help): Intel Core i3-3250 3.5 GHz or Pentium G4560 3.5 GHz / AMD FX-4350 4.2 GHz, 6 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 2GB or GTX 1050 2GB / AMD Radeon HD 7850 2GB, Windows 10 64-bit, broadband internet. Recommended: Intel Core i5-2400 3.4 GHz or i5 7400 3.5 GHz / AMD Ryzen R5 1600X, 8 GB RAM, GTX 970 4GB or GTX 1060 6GB / AMD R9 390 8GB. The Steam page lists 105 GB of storage.

• Since June 4, 2024, Destiny 2 no longer supports Windows 7, 8 and 8.1. The Epic Games Store version only supports Windows 10 64-bit.

• Bungie does not officially support Destiny 2 on laptops; laptops that meet or exceed the minimum specs “may be able to play”.

• Steam Deck and Linux: Destiny 2 is not supported on SteamOS or through Proton unless Windows is installed and running. The game sends you back to your library, and Bungie warns that trying to bypass this restriction leads to a game ban.

2. Update Windows and your graphics driver (error CHIVE)

• Bungie’s first troubleshooting step on PC is to accept all operating system and driver updates.

• Error CHIVE when launching on PC: make sure your graphics driver is up to date; if the error continues, reinstall the driver. Bungie also suggests running the “Scan and Repair” function so that the game is correctly installed (see section 3).

• For error PLUM, Bungie also recommends installing the latest Windows update before launching the game.

3. Repair corrupted game files (error MARMOT)

• MARMOT means the game files are corrupted and need to be repaired or verified.

• Steam: close Destiny 2, right-click it in your Library > Properties > Local Files > Verify Integrity of Game Files, then restart the game.

• Steam, advanced step from Bungie: in Properties > Local Files > Browse, delete every file except the “packages” folder, then run Verify Integrity of Game Files again and wait for the download to finish. If problems continue, Bungie suggests running chkdsk to fix hard drive errors, or fully uninstalling and reinstalling the game.

• Epic Games Store: right-click Destiny 2 in your Library > Manage > Verify, then restart the game.

4. BattlEye must be installed and running (errors PLUOT and PLUM)

• BattlEye is Destiny 2’s anti-cheat. It installs automatically with game updates and must be allowed to install: if you refuse it, Destiny 2 will not launch.

• Error PLUOT: BattlEye is not running. Bungie advises logging in again to see if it reinstalls on its own; otherwise repair Destiny 2 in your launcher or reinstall the game.

• Always launch the game from Steam, the Microsoft Store / Xbox app or the Epic Games Store launcher. Starting it directly from its installation folder, or uninstalling BattlEye, causes PLUOT at sign-in.

• Error PLUM means BattlEye detected a problem that may violate Bungie’s Terms of Service; Bungie points to BattlEye’s FAQ and to the latest Windows update.

5. Reset your settings by deleting CVARS.xml

• When you have problems with key bindings, graphics or other settings, Bungie says deleting CVARS.xml should be the first step. Close the game, open \Users\USER_NAME\Appdata\Roaming\Bungie\DestinyPC\prefs\, delete CVARS.xml and relaunch: a new file is created and all your settings return to their defaults.

• Stuck on the title screen or character select? You are probably launching in “true” fullscreen. Try Alt+Enter first; if that is not enough, Bungie explains how to set the window_mode line in CVARS.xml to 0 (Windowed Mode, recommended for players having issues). Changes may require closing the game.

• Bungie says editing CVARS.xml is not officially supported: if something breaks after an edit, delete the file again to start fresh. The default frame rate cap is 200 FPS.

6. Turn off incompatible overlays and capture modes

• Destiny 2 on PC resists any third-party app that tries to insert code into the game. Bungie says this can hurt performance or stop the game from running properly.

• Listed as not compatible: the Game Capture mode of OBS and XSplit; the “who’s talking” overlays and notifications of Discord or Mumble; frame rate and statistics overlays such as EVGA Precision XOC, MSI Afterburner and Fraps. Dxtory, Razer Cortex and Fraps recording have similar restrictions.

• Supported instead: NVIDIA ShadowPlay and AMD ReLive, or hardware capture (Elgato, AVerMedia, a second PC) in Exclusive Fullscreen; OBS/XSplit Screen Capture or Window Capture in windowed or borderless modes. The Windows Game Bar overlay does not work in Exclusive Fullscreen, but Game DVR recording works in all modes with hotkeys.

• Bungie says it does not ban players for using common apps such as Discord, XSplit, OBS or RTSS; bans are reviewed manually. If performance drops, disable the overlay features first, then close the app.

7. Windows Defender flags Destiny 2 files

• Windows Defender can wrongly detect some Destiny 2 files as malware. Bungie says files downloaded from Steam and the Microsoft Store pose no security threat.

• Fix: update your Windows Defender virus definitions (Microsoft page: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/wdsi/definitions), then clear your Steam download cache (following Valve’s “Clear Download Cache” instructions linked by Bungie).

8. Laptops and integrated graphics: force the dedicated GPU

• Bungie’s Known Issues page warns that integrated graphics below the minimum specs can cause performance problems, and that laptops with Intel 12th generation Iris integrated graphics may crash in demanding areas.

• Workaround: in Windows > Settings > Graphics settings, add Destiny 2 and choose “High Performance” so that it only uses the dedicated graphics card.

9. Other PC errors listed by Bungie

• “Problem reading game content” on Steam (archived PC known issue): delete the steam_appid.txt file in the Destiny 2 folder, and make sure you are NOT launching the game with “Run as administrator”.

• BUFFALO when logged in on several PCs: log out of Destiny 2 on every PC you are not playing on.

• Epic Games Store, “Time Skew Maxed” or RUTABEGA errors: update the Epic launcher; if that does not help, press Escape repeatedly after choosing a character to skip the opening cinematic.

• After a connection loss, a generic error can block you from logging back in: close the game completely and relaunch it.

10. Still stuck? Where to get help from Bungie

• Check the Bungie Help known issues page and @BungieHelp for outages, then post in Bungie’s #Help / PC Support forums with your error code and PC details. For Steam account or client problems, Bungie sends you to Steam Support. Main Steam guide: https://help.bungie.net/hc/en-us/articles/360049024592-Destiny-2-Steam-Guide

Sources (Bungie Help and Steam, read on November 12, 2026)

• Bungie Help, “Destiny 2 Steam Guide” (page updated November 11, 2026): https://help.bungie.net/hc/en-us/articles/360049024592-Destiny-2-Steam-Guide

• Bungie Help, “Destiny 2 on PC System Requirements” (updated October 21, 2026): https://help.bungie.net/hc/en-us/articles/360048721052-Destiny-2-on-PC-System-Requirements

• Bungie Help, “Error Code: CHIVE” (updated August 28, 2026): https://help.bungie.net/hc/en-us/articles/360048719232-Error-Code-CHIVE

• Bungie Help, “Error Code: MARMOT” (updated November 7, 2026): https://help.bungie.net/hc/en-us/articles/4405096052244-Error-Code-MARMOT

• Bungie Help, “BattlEye Anti-Cheat Support Guide” (updated June 6, 2026): https://help.bungie.net/hc/en-us/articles/4404072197140-BattlEye-Anti-Cheat-Support-Guide

• Bungie Help, “Error Code: PLUOT” (updated October 10, 2026) and “Error Code: PLUM” (updated November 8, 2026): https://help.bungie.net/hc/en-us/articles/4404263349012-Error-Code-PLUOT

• Bungie Help, “CVARS Guide: CVARS Troubleshooting and Setting a Framerate Cap” (updated October 20, 2026): https://help.bungie.net/hc/en-us/articles/360049202131-CVARS-Guide-CVARS-Troubleshooting-and-Setting-a-Framerate-Cap

• Bungie Help, “Destiny 2 PC and Third-Party Application Feature Compatibility” (updated October 5, 2026): https://help.bungie.net/hc/en-us/articles/360049199891-Destiny-2-PC-and-Third-Party-Application-Feature-Compatibility

• Bungie Help, “Windows Defender and Destiny 2 on PC” (updated November 8, 2026): https://help.bungie.net/hc/en-us/articles/360049202491-Windows-Defender-and-Destiny-2-on-PC

• Bungie Help, “Destiny 2 Known Issues and Vital Information” (updated November 7, 2026): https://help.bungie.net/hc/en-us/articles/39007140765204-Destiny-2-Known-Issues-and-Vital-Information

• Bungie Help, “Destiny 2: Archived PC Known Issues” (archived page, updated November 2, 2026): https://help.bungie.net/hc/en-us/articles/360048720232-Destiny-2-Archived-PC-Known-Issues

• Steam store page, Destiny 2 (app 1085660: release on Steam October 1, 2019, minimum specs, 105 GB): https://store.steampowered.com/app/1085660/