If you’re trying to launch Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 but the game crashes almost immediately, you’re not alone. While the game is still in beta, many players are experiencing frequent crashes, particularly when launching the game through Call of Duty HQ. This issue seems to be related to the Call of Duty HQ launcher rather than the game itself.
The Issue: Call of Duty HQ Crashes on Launch
Currently, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 must be launched through Call of Duty HQ. However, this is precisely where the problem occurs—Call of Duty HQ crashes, preventing players from getting into the game.
If you’re launching through Battle.net, the launcher may suggest using the Scan and Repair feature to fix the issue. While this won’t harm your game files, it also won’t resolve the crash. You can try it by:
Clicking on the ⚙️ (gear) icon next to the Play button.
Selecting Scan and Repair.
Waiting for the repair process to complete (this usually takes 5–10 minutes).
Unfortunately, this process won’t fix the issue, as the problem is not with the game files themselves but with how the game launches through Call of Duty HQ.
Temporary Workarounds
Since there is currently no official fix, the best approach is to keep attempting to launch the game until you succeed. Here are some steps you can try:
Keep Relaunching the Game
After a few tries, you may finally succeed in launching Call of Duty HQ.
If prompted to load default settings, you can select No and continue.
Dealing with Minor Updates and Corrupt Update Cache
Occasionally, small updates will download, requiring a restart.
If the game crashes during an update, you might see an error stating “corrupt update cache” and be asked if you want to redownload the update.
Select Yes to redownload the update.
Shader Compilation & Multiple Relaunches
Even after successfully launching the game, it may need to compile and recompile shaders.
This process can cause additional relaunches before you can finally get into a match.
In-Game Stability Issues
Once you manage to get into a match, you may still encounter game stability problems. Many players report:
The game freezing on the post-match screen or in the lobby.
The game still producing sound while the screen is frozen.
Needing to force-close the game and relaunch it.
Final Thoughts
As Black Ops 6 is still in beta, these issues will hopefully be resolved in future patches. If you’re struggling with crashes, persistence is key—keep retrying, reinstall updates when prompted, and be prepared for some instability.
Once the full game is released, these problems may be addressed. Until then, hopefully, these workarounds help you get into a few matches!