All fixes / Red Dead Redemption 2, RedM

"Red Dead Redemption 2 exited unexpectedly" / Rockstar Games Launcher exited unexpectedly

Fixable on your PC

exited unexpectedly

The game or launcher closed without saying why. The most common cause is an outdated graphics driver, followed by permissions and antivirus blocking the game.

Why it happens

This message only means the game stopped running. It doesn't name a cause. Rockstar points to out-of-date graphics drivers first. Missing permissions, Windows fullscreen optimizations, and antivirus blocking RDR2.exe are the other usual culprits.

How to fix it

Update your graphics driver from NVIDIA or AMD's site and restart your PC.
Run the game as administrator with fullscreen optimization off: in the Rockstar Games Launcher go to Settings > Red Dead Redemption 2 (under My Installed Games) > View installation folder > Open. Right-click RDR2.exe > Properties > Compatibility, tick 'Run this program as an administrator' and 'Disable fullscreen optimizations', then click OK. (On Steam: right-click the game > Manage > Browse local files.)
Add RDR2.exe and the Red Dead Redemption 2 install folder to your antivirus exclusions, and check its quarantine for any game files.
Close leftover Rockstar processes in Task Manager, then launch again from your launcher.
Verify the game files in your launcher.

Still broken?

If the launcher itself won't stay open, do a clean reinstall of the Rockstar Games Launcher (see the related fix below).

Related fixes

GTA V · Red Dead Redemption 2

"Rockstar Games Launcher failed to initialize" (GTA V / RDR2)

The Rockstar Games Launcher itself is broken, so no Rockstar game can start. A clean reinstall of the launcher fixes this almost every time.

Fixable on your PC Red Dead Redemption 2 · GTA V

Rockstar Games Launcher: "Unable to launch game, please verify your game data"

The launcher found something wrong with the game files, or couldn't access them. Verifying the files usually fixes it. If not, it's typically permissions, antivirus, or a broken settings folder.