Client Troubleshooting

Use this page when the ClashTale launcher or game client will not start, closes unexpectedly, or reports missing files. Most problems on a fresh or reinstalled Windows PC come from antivirus interference or missing system runtimes.

Quick links

• Game closes on launch or shows a missing .dll error → Install runtimes
• Files disappear after an update → Add a Windows Defender exclusion
• Launcher starts but the game will not open → Repair the client
• Still stuck → Contact support

If you have not installed the client yet, start on the ClashTale download page.

Try these first

1. Always start through the ClashTale launcher. Do not open the game client executable directly from the installation folder.
2. Restart the launcher and let the file check finish before pressing Play.
3. Use the launcher’s repair option if files are missing or the client was interrupted during an update. You can find repair tools in the launcher settings area.
4. Reboot Windows after installing runtimes or changing antivirus exclusions.

Add a Windows Defender exclusion

Windows Defender and some third-party antivirus programs can wrongly flag game client files and delete or quarantine them after an update. If files keep disappearing, add an exclusion for the entire ClashTale game folder.

1. Open the ClashTale launcher and go to the Settings tab.
2. Copy the game installation path shown there.
3. Open Settings → Privacy & security → Windows Security → Virus & threat protection.
4. Under Virus & threat protection settings, open Manage settings.
5. Scroll to Exclusions, choose Add or remove exclusions, then Add an exclusion → Folder.
6. Select the full game folder from step 2.

Exclude the whole folder, not individual files. That covers the launcher, game client, and update files in one step.

After adding the exclusion, run Repair in the launcher so any removed files are downloaded again.

Install required runtimes

The ClashTale client is 32-bit. Even on 64-bit Windows, the x86 Visual C++ package is required.

Install or repair these components, then reboot:

1. Windows Update - run it fully and restart. This installs common system libraries such as the Universal C Runtime.
2. Visual C++ Redistributable x86
   • required
3. Visual C++ Redistributable x64
   • recommended on 64-bit Windows

If either package is already installed, run the installer again and choose Repair.

For black screens or DirectX-related errors at startup, install the DirectX End-User Runtime.

Common error messages

What you see	What to do
VCRUNTIME140.dll, MSVCP140.dll, or similar VC++ errors	Install or repair the VC++ x86 and x64 redistributables, then reboot.
api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll missing	Run Windows Update fully and restart.
d3dx9_43.dll missing or black screen at startup	Install the DirectX End-User Runtime.
Game closes instantly with no message	Check Event Viewer → Windows Logs → Application for a recent error from the game client. The entry often names the missing file. Apply the matching fix above.
Files vanish after patching	Add the Windows Defender exclusion, then repair the client.

Repair the client

If the launcher reports missing files, crashes during updates, or the game will not start after antivirus interference:

1. Add the folder exclusion first if you have not already.
2. Open the launcher Settings tab and use the repair option.
3. Wait for the file check to finish completely.
4. Start the game again from the launcher.

Make sure the installation folder is writable and has enough free disk space. The download page lists the recommended storage requirements.

Launcher display problems

On laptops or high-DPI screens, the launcher window can appear too large and hide buttons such as Play.

• Use the launcher’s scale control if one is available in settings.
• If the window is too large to reach settings, check whether the launcher saved a scale value in the game folder and lower it, then restart the launcher.
• As a last resort, right-click the launcher executable → Properties → Compatibility → Change high DPI settings → enable Override high DPI scaling behavior and set scaling to Application.

Still need help?

Open a ticket in the official ClashTale Discord and include:

• your Windows version;
• the exact error message or a screenshot;
• launcher logs from the Settings tab;
• steps you already tried from this page.

Before playing, read the ClashTale game rules. New players can continue with the setup guide.