If you’re trying to launch The Finals and it crashes immediately with the error message “An Unreal process has crashed: UE4-Discovery”, you’re not alone. This issue commonly occurs after game updates, and while this guide focuses on The Finals, these solutions may also work for other Unreal Engine-based games like Fortnite.
Understanding the Issue
Many players have reported that The Finals was running perfectly until a new game update caused immediate crashes upon launch. This is not unusual, as each major update—especially new seasons—tends to introduce new technical issues. Unfortunately, many outdated troubleshooting methods are still circulating online, making it harder to find effective solutions.
Outdated Fixes That No Longer Work
Before diving into working solutions, let’s debunk a few outdated recommendations:
Disable Razer Software: This was a common fix in the past, but Razer has since updated its software to be compatible with Unreal Engine.
Uninstall NVIDIA App (formerly GeForce Experience): While this can sometimes help, it’s not a guaranteed fix.
Force DirectX 11 (-dx11 or -d3d11 Launch Option): Previously, switching to DX11 helped resolve crashes, but The Finals no longer supports DX11.
Use Vulkan (-Vulkan Launch Option): This command is not functional for The Finals and won’t resolve your issue.
Potential Solutions
If the game was running fine before an update and now crashes at launch, try the following:
1. Remove Unnecessary Software
Certain applications can interfere with Unreal Engine games. Consider uninstalling:
RivaTuner (automatically installed with MSI Afterburner)
NVIDIA App (formerly GeForce Experience)
2. Limit Hardware Performance
If your system is unstable, reducing hardware stress can improve game stability:
Limit FPS in-game (e.g., to 100 FPS)
Underclock GPU using MSI Afterburner
Disable XMP profiles in BIOS
Reduce CPU multiplier in BIOS or Intel XTU
These solutions are most effective for in-game crashes rather than launch failures.
3. Clean Reinstall Windows (Properly)
If resetting Windows is necessary, do not use the built-in Reset this PC function. Instead:
Create a Windows installation USB using Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool.
Completely wipe your drives during installation.
Use a local account instead of a Microsoft account to avoid carrying over corrupted profile data.
4. Update Your BIOS
A critical yet often overlooked solution is updating your BIOS. In one case, a player had an outdated BIOS from 2017 while the latest version was from 2021. Updating the BIOS fixed the crash immediately.
Steps to Update BIOS:
Check your current BIOS version (press Win + R, type msinfo32, and check BIOS Version/Date).
Visit your motherboard manufacturer’s website and find the latest BIOS update.
Download the latest BIOS update and copy it to a USB drive.
Enter BIOS setup (usually by pressing Del or F2 during boot).
Load optimized defaults, then update the BIOS using the built-in flash utility.
Restart your PC and try launching the game.
If you’re already on the latest BIOS version, try resetting BIOS settings to optimized defaults.
Final Thoughts
The root cause of this issue may not always be the game developers, but rather outdated system configurations. Many motherboard manufacturers advise against updating BIOS unless necessary, but real-world cases show that even a system running “perfectly” can experience game crashes due to outdated firmware.
If you’re serious about PC gaming, understanding how to troubleshoot your system is essential. If you’d rather avoid these technical issues, a console might be a better choice for hassle-free gaming.
Let us know in the comments if any of these solutions worked for you!