Arena Breakout Infinite Launch Help: 6 Fixes for Most Startup Crashes

Arena Breakout: Infinite refuses to launch for a growing number of Windows players, and the troubleshooting checklist circulating in forums and support pages converges on a small set of practical, high‑impact fixes that address corrupted files, anti‑cheat failures, overlay and monitoring conflicts, GPU selection problems, and corrupted startup media — six solutions that together restore launch success for the vast majority of affected players.

Background​

Arena Breakout: Infinite launched on PC with a kernel‑level anti‑cheat called Anti‑Cheat Expert (ACE) and, like many modern Unreal Engine ports, includes startup movies and a launcher layer that performs online checks and driver/anti‑cheat installs. The Steam store page and the publisher’s site explicitly identify ACE / AntiCheatExpert as the anti‑cheat provider and note that the game requires kernel‑level components to enforce fair play.
That combination — a heavy anti‑cheat that installs drivers, an Unreal Engine runtime and startup movies, plus the usual overlay and monitoring utilities desktop PC users run — creates multiple points of failure. Community reports consistently describe the same symptom: the game’s launcher spins, the play button briefly tries to start the game, then the launcher immediately returns without an error or shows a black screen, or the game returns to the launcher after the initial splash. Community troubleshooting threads and publisher guidance point to six straightforward actions that should be attempted in order, from least to most invasive.

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1. Verify game files (Steam / Epic / Launcher)​

Why this helps​

Corrupted or missing game files are a common cause of silent exits and failed renderer initialization. Verifying the integrity of the installed files forces the launcher to compare local files with the server copy and replace any damaged files. This is a low‑risk, fast test that eliminates file corruption as the cause.

How to do it​

• Steam: Right‑click the game in your Library → Properties → Local Files → Verify integrity of game files… and wait for the process to finish.
• Epic Games: Open Library → click the three dots next to the game → Manage → Verify.

When to stop and escalate​

If verification repeatedly fails or the launcher still returns to its initial state, collect the game logs and proceed to anti‑cheat repair steps before reinstalling the whole game — anti‑cheat drivers often explain repeated failures after verification. Community troubleshooting guides recommend verifying files as step one because it's quick and often resolves obvious corruption.

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2. Repair or reinstall the Anti‑Cheat (ACE / AntiCheatExpert)​

Why this helps​

Arena Breakout: Infinite uses a kernel‑level anti‑cheat. If the anti‑cheat service or driver is missing, damaged, or blocked by Windows security features, the game may abort silently during initialization. Repairing the anti‑cheat installation forces the driver and user‑mode services to reinstall and register correctly.

What ACE is and why it matters​

Anti‑Cheat Expert (ACE) runs kernel drivers and services (ACE‑BASE, ACE‑GAME and related services). Kernel drivers require signed, compatible installs and can be blocked by features such as Memory Integrity in Windows Security or by third‑party antivirus. ACE has been reported to cause conflicts with other kernel anti‑cheat systems when left installed or when drivers become inconsistent, so careful repair or reinstallation is the safer first step rather than forced removal.

How to repair/reinstall ACE (typical flow)​

• Open the Arena Breakout installation folder via Steam (Library → right‑click → Manage → Browse local files) or Epic (Library → three dots → Manage → Open install location).
• Locate ABInfinite (or game) → Binaries → Win64 → AntiCheatExpert → look for ACE‑Setup64.exe or a named setup/repair executable. Run it as Administrator. On many installs the onboard installer will offer a repair or uninstall option; choose uninstall then immediately relaunch the game to trigger a fresh ACE install.
• If the installer fails, check Windows Security → Device security → Core isolation details → Memory integrity and temporarily turn it off (reboot required). Re‑run the ACE installer. After successful installation and successful game launch, re‑enable Memory Integrity only if ACE documents compatibility — leaving Memory Integrity off is a potential system‑security risk.

Warnings and caveats​

• ACE operates at kernel level. Removing or disabling its drivers manually (sc delete, renaming .sys files) is a last‑resort community hack and can break functionality for other titles that rely on kernel anti‑cheat. Attempt the official repair/reinstall first.
• If ACE repeatedly fails to repair or you see a “Please close ACE‑BASE before starting the game” message, a clean reboot and then a fresh attempt to run the setup is often successful; if not, contact official support and include Event Viewer logs and the ACE installer output.

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3. Clear the game's Movies folder (fixes black screen / startup hangs)​

Why this helps​

Many Unreal Engine titles store startup or splash videos under Content/Movies. If a packaged or incompatible video file is corrupted, incorrectly encoded, or incompatible with the local codec stack, the engine can hang or black‑screen while trying to play the movie during startup. Users in other Unreal Engine titles have resolved black screens simply by removing or renaming the Movies assets so the engine skips them at launch.

How to do it safely​

• Browse to the game install folder (Steam → Manage → Browse local files or Epic → Manage → Open install location).
• Open ABInfinite → Content → Movies. Back up the folder to Desktop, then delete or move the movie files out of that folder.
• Launch the game; if the problem resolves, the startup movie was the culprit. Reimport a compatible movie only if needed.

Notes and risks​

• Back up before deletion. Removing movie files is reversible, but do not delete other Content folders.
• If a community or official patch later restores a movie that breaks your system, report the exact file and the engine logs to the developer so they can fix the packaged content.

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4. Close MSI Afterburner / RivaTuner / Any OSD or monitoring overlay​

Why this helps​

MSI Afterburner with RivaTuner Statistics Server (RTSS) injects an overlay and hooks into game rendering pipelines. That injection can conflict with kernel anti‑cheat drivers or the game’s renderer, causing crashes or instant exits at launch. Users have repeatedly restored launchability by terminating MSI Afterburner / RTSS or setting the application detection level to “None” for the affected executable. Similar conflicts occur with Discord Overlay and NVIDIA/GeForce overlays.

Steps​

• Open Task Manager → End task for MSI Afterburner and for RivaTuner Statistics Server (RTSS).
• Alternatively, open RTSS and add the Arena Breakout executable (ABInfinite.exe or ‑Shipping.exe) to the application list and set Application Detection Level to None for that entry. Restart the game.

Alternative: disable other overlays​

• Disable Discord overlay: User Settings → Overlay → Turn off.
• Disable GeForce/ NVIDIA overlay: GeForce Experience / NVIDIA app → General → toggle off In‑Game Overlay.
• Disable Steam overlay: Steam → Settings → In‑Game → uncheck Enable the Steam Overlay while in‑game.

Disabling overlays is low risk and a fast diagnostic. If turning overlays off restores the game, you can selectively re‑enable the overlays you need and exclude the game in question.

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5. Set the dedicated GPU (for dual‑GPU systems) and update GPU drivers​

Why this helps​

Laptops and systems with both integrated and discrete GPUs occasionally default to the onboard iGPU for a game or fail to initialize the discrete GPU correctly. Forcing the game to use the discrete card eliminates driver selection issues and can resolve access‑violation style exits. In Windows 10/11 you can set per‑app GPU preferences to High performance to force the discrete GPU.

How to set it in Windows​

• Open Settings → System → Display → Graphics settings (or search “Graphics settings”).
• Click Add desktop app / Browse and select Arena Breakout’s EXE.
• Select the game entry → Options → choose High performance → Save. Reboot if prompted and relaunch the game.

Update drivers and consider a clean driver reinstall​

• Update NVIDIA / AMD / Intel drivers from the vendor website; when problems persist, consider a clean reinstall using DDU (Display Driver Uninstaller) in Safe Mode, then install the latest certified driver. Driver mismatches are a common root cause of renderer failures and anti‑cheat driver conflicts.

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6. Other recommended steps (admin rights, antivirus exclusions, clean boot, reinstallation)​

Run as Administrator and set compatibility flags​

Some installs expect write access to protected folders during first launch. Right‑click the game EXE → Properties → Compatibility → Run this program as an administrator — test once. Don’t leave it permanently elevated unless necessary. This is a quick, reversible diagnostic.

Add the game folder to antivirus / Windows Security exclusions​

Real‑time scanners sometimes block installers (including anti‑cheat drivers) or the game’s runtime components. Temporarily disable the scanner to test; if the game launches, add the game folder and ACE components to your exclusions list and re‑enable protection. Always revert temporary security changes after testing.

Clean boot to isolate interfering services​

Perform a Microsoft clean boot (msconfig → Hide all Microsoft services → Disable all non‑Microsoft services; then use Task Manager → Startup to disable non‑essential startup items). Reboot and try launching. If the game starts, re‑enable groups of services to find the culprit. This is how you locate third‑party conflicts without removing software.

Reinstall the game​

If nothing else works, a full uninstall and reinstall can clear persistent configuration and installation issues. When reinstalling, run the ACE installer as Administrator and check Windows Security Core Isolation settings if driver installs fail. Collect and attach your game log and Event Viewer entries when submitting a support ticket — those logs accelerate publisher triage.

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Critical analysis: why these fixes work, what they don’t, and the risks​

Strengths of the six‑step checklist​

• The sequence moves from low‑risk fixes (file verification, overlay disable) to higher‑impact but still reversible actions (anti‑cheat reinstall, driver reinstall). That order protects user data and minimizes time lost.
• Each step targets a documented failure mode that the community and official channels identify: corrupt files, damaged anti‑cheat drivers, incompatible startup media, overlay conflicts, wrong GPU selection, and antivirus interference. Cross‑referenced vendor pages and community threads validate each remedy.

Known limitations and risks​

• Kernel anti‑cheat drivers (ACE) have raised privacy and stability concerns in other titles; removing or tampering with kernel drivers can break other games that rely on similar drivers and can leave your system less secure if you disable OS protections. Proceed carefully and use official repair flows before removing drivers manually.
• Disabling Memory integrity or other core isolation settings carries a security trade‑off. Only toggle these temporarily for driver repair and re‑enable them afterwards if your system and the game’s anti‑cheat are compatible.
• Clean‑boots and antivirus exclusions temporarily reduce protection; document any changes so you can restore them. Never leave protections disabled permanently.

When to escalate to official support​

If you have:

• Verified files, repaired ACE, disabled overlays, tried GPU selection and updated drivers, but the launcher still spins and returns to itself; and
• You collected the game log, Windows Event Viewer crash IDs, and a short video showing the symptom — then open a support ticket and attach the logs. Provide OS build, GPU model and driver version, steps already attempted, and the exact text of any ACE errors (e.g., “Please close ACE‑BASE before starting the game”). These details dramatically speed up developer triage.

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Quick checklist (ordered, copyable)​

• Restart PC, run the launcher once.
• Verify game files (Steam/Epic).
• Close overlays and monitoring tools (Discord, GeForce/NVIDIA overlay, MSI Afterburner / RTSS).
• Repair / reinstall Anti‑Cheat Expert (ACE) from the game folder; toggle off Memory Integrity temporarily if the installer is blocked.
• Clear the Content/Movies folder (backup first) and test.
• Set the EXE to High Performance GPU in Windows Graphics settings and update GPU drivers.
• If still broken: clean boot, test, then reinstall the game and attach logs to a support ticket.

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Final recommendations and safety notes​

• Always back up configuration files and the Content/Movies folder before making changes. Small, reversible steps save hours.
• Use the verification and repair tools provided by Steam and Epic first — they fix many common issues without further risk.
• Treat kernel anti‑cheat drivers with care. Repair and reinstall through the official setup file shipped with the game; removal or manual deletion of drivers should only be done after consulting developer support.
• If you must add firewall or antivirus exclusions, add them only to the specific game folder and anti‑cheat installer path, not to entire programs or system folders.

The six methods above reflect both publisher guidance and community‑tested recoveries; they resolve the majority of Arena Breakout: Infinite launch failures without needing a full reinstall or drastic system changes. When those steps don’t work, collect logs and escalate with the developer’s support team — high‑quality diagnostic data is the fastest path to a permanent fix.

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Source: KeenGamer 6 Ways to Fix Arena Breakout Infinite Not Launching on a Windows PC