: For users on Steam Deck or Linux, forcing "Proton Experimental" in Steam properties is a standard fix for launch failures. Integrity Check : Use the "Verify Integrity of Game Files" feature on Epic Games Store to repair a corrupted executable. Developer Tools

**Malware or Virus: ** In some cases, executable files with random or generic names could be malware or viruses. If you're not expecting "GoW.exe" to be on your system, or if you're unsure of its origin, it's a good idea to have your antivirus software scan it.

: Some players on Reddit suggested that adding an underscore to the filename (changing it to GoW_.exe ) helped mitigate memory leaks and crashes, though results vary [4].