Does the Windows Event Viewer say anything interesting?

Only thing I can think of is you've either:

1. Updated video drivers to the newest version unnecessarily.
2. Let software like "GeForce Experience" do that for you, which is always bad.

Assuming either is true:

1. If so, simply roll back to a known stable version at least 30 days or older. Use DDU/etc. to remove all tracers of previous drivers and install them properly. Be sure to also disconnect from the internet when you have the stable version, otherwise after uninstallation Windows will attempt to install some repository version and bork the whole process.

2. Uninstall GeFE (it's garbage), then follow the above.


The game hasn't had any major updates in the time you've been gone, so that clearly isn't the issue. What could have changed, and is the most likely thing to have changed, is something software-related on your end. I point to video drivers because a lot of people simply see a new version and update immediately, and worse yet let even nVidia's own software do this for them. (nVidia installers are dumb and don't completely wipe drivers even when selecting "Perform a clean installation" for future reference.)

Unless you like digging through temp files, installation directories, and the registry, using something like DDU to remove the bloat for you when updating/rolling back drivers is a necessity. Pretty sad to say that nVidia's own installers don't do this. Fortunately, this whole process only takes like 15 minutes.

GeFE itself is just garbage all around and has proven to be since its release. Allowing software to install your drivers for you is.. not a good idea. The only items you need from an nVidia installer is the Display and PhysX drivers; everything else is bloat, and has been proven countless times to cause system instability.

On an unrelated note, though, if you happen to be using an XBox Series controller, or even have one installed, try updating the firmware for it. There was an issue with an older version of the Series controllers' firmware that was causing system instability as a whole, let alone crashing in games. (Even if the controller wasn't actively being used.)

Havent had one, so what did -you- do to break the game.

Nothing. Same computer. Reinstalled the game, new character, new world.

Is it hot out?
Have you cleaned your computer?

Check graphics settings they may have changed/added something and default maxed it out.

Computer clean. temps good. Stable overall.