Dead by Daylight Initialization Error Explained & Possible Fixes

One error that has been bugging Dead by Daylight players on all platforms is the initialization error. This problem is caused by either corrupted cache files on consoles, corrupted Steam game files on PC, or server issues in general.

This guide will provide you with a possible initialization error fix for Dead by Daylight on all platforms. If this is the corrupted files or folder problem, then you can solve the issue right away, but if it has something to do with server outages, then you can only wait for them to go back up online.

Dead by Daylight Initialization Error Explained

If you’re playing the Steam version of Dead by Daylight and getting the initialization error, then the most likely reason is the corrupted game files. Here’s what the official statement from the developer says:

In certain instances, upon launch, Dead by Daylight may present an “Initialization Error,” which states that progress cannot be saved and the game requires a restart. A restart may or may not fix the issue. It is usually caused by the local save file for the game bugging out or corrupting somehow.

Possible Steam Fix: Delete Corrupted Files

Here’s what you need to do if you’re on PC/Steam and run into the initialization error:

1. Start Dead by Daylight game
2. Press Alt+Tab key combination to switch to Steam app window
3. Make sure that Dead by Daylight is running in the background
4. Right-click on Dead by Daylight in your Steam library
5. Select “Properties” option
6. Go to “Updates” tab
7. Uncheck “Enable Steam Cloud synchronization for Dead by Daylight“
8. Confirm by clicking “OK“
9. Now you can close Dead by Daylight in the background

After this short procedure, you can go and delete the corrupted folder by following these steps:

1. Go to “Steamuserdata[USER ID]381210” folder on your PC
2. Delete all the contents of the “381210” folder, leaving it empty
3. Right-click on Dead by Daylight in your Steam library
4. Select “Properties” option
5. Go to “Updates” tab
6. Check “Enable Steam Cloud synchronization for Dead by Daylight“
7. Confirm by clicking “OK“
8. Close Steam app and restart it
9. Launch Dead by Daylight to see if the problem is gone

Possible Fix for Consoles: Clear Your Cache

Download caches can cause some of Dead by Daylight files to get corrupted, and thus cause the initialization error on consoles. You can eliminate this problem by clearing your cache.

If you’re playing on PS4/PS5, then follow these steps:

1. Turn off your console by pressing and holding the power button
2. Unplug the cable once it’s off
3. Wait for about one minute
4. Plug the cable back in and turn on the console

If you’re playing on Xbox One/S/X, then follow these steps:

1. Press the Xbox button on your controller
2. Go to “Settings” menu
3. Select “Devices and Connections” feature
4. Go to “Blu-ray” tab
5. Select “Persistent Storage” option
6. Choose “Clear Persistent Storage” option

Check Dead by Daylight Server Status

In case the above-mentioned methods haven’t worked to fix the initialization error, then the issue could be caused by server outages. Please, make sure that servers on all platforms, as well as Dead by Daylight servers are live by following these links:

• Dead by Daylight servers status
• Steam servers status
• PlayStation servers status
• Xbox Live servers status

In case one of these servers is having problems, then it is possible that you will not be able to launch the game. For example, Steam has weekly network maintenance tests that take place on Tuesdays between 1 PM and 3 PM PDT. During these times all online games become unavailable and may show various error messages, including the initialization error.

Related guides

• Dead by Daylight: Possibly Fixes for Save Game Error
• Dead by Daylight Error Code 8012 Explained & Possible Fixes
• Dead by Daylight Error Code 107 Explained & Possible Fixes

That’s all you need to know on how to fix the initialization error in Dead by Daylight. Check out more related guides articles on our dedicated hub page.