Mortal Shell 2 Troubleshooting — PC Fixes

Overview

Mortal Shell 2 shipped on Aug 20, 2026; its most common PC problems are well documented: an input crash when rebinding keys, startup crashes, UE5 stutter, and save confusion. Fixes below come from post-launch coverage (XMODhub, LagoFast, 2UpSkill, PixelNitro); the table at the bottom summarizes each problem, fix, and confidence.

Keybinding Crash — the 5-Step Input.ini Fix

The most reported PC issue (advance-access, ~20,000 players) is a crash to desktop when rebinding keys in the settings menu — especially side mouse buttons or third-party keyboard hooks. The root cause is a UE5 access violation; the fix edits the config file instead of the menu:

1. In File Explorer's address bar, enter %LOCALAPPDATA%\MortalShell2\Saved\Config\WindowsNoEditor. No Input.ini? Launch the game once to generate it.
2. Right-click Input.ini → open in Notepad.
3. Scroll to the bottom and add your mapping under the [/Script/Engine.InputSettings] section, e.g. ActionMappings=(ActionName="HeavyAttack",Key=ThumbMouseButton,bShift=False,bCtrl=False,bAlt=False,bCmd=False). Action names must have no spaces and syntax must be exact — one error ignores the whole file.
4. Save, then right-click → Properties → tick Read-only. The client resets non-standard binds on startup; read-only stops overwrites.
5. Back up Input.ini first so a syntax slip is instantly reversible.

For controllers, remap via Steam Input instead of the menu. RGB keyboard software (Razer Chroma, Corsair iCUE) also collides with UE input — close it before playing.

Launch & Performance Fixes

• Startup crash / EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION: verify files in Steam, enlarge the pagefile (Initial 16384 / Max 32768 MB on 16 GB RAM, on the SSD), and update or DDU-reinstall the Game Ready driver.
• Black screen / no menu: add -windowed or -dx11 to the Steam launch options.
• UE5 shader stutter: Shader Cache Size Unlimited (NVIDIA; reset on AMD), and run from an SSD.
• Low FPS / micro-stutter: disable vsync, cap FPS, shadows and volumetric fog to Medium, DLSS/FSR Balanced, motion blur and depth of field off.
• Overlay conflicts: close Steam, Discord, NVIDIA, and MSI Afterburner overlays one at a time.
• "Out of Video Memory": textures Ultra→High, Discord hardware acceleration off. For "D3D device lost", revert GPU overclocks and DDU the driver. Long-session flash-crashes: a static pagefile helps.
• Control Flow Guard: disable CFG for this game's .exe only in Windows Exploit Protection (not globally).
• High-polling-rate mouse: no MS2-specific report exists yet; drop polling to ≤1000 Hz and disable USB selective suspend — general UE advice, unverified.

Save Files & Backup

Saves live at %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\MortalShell2\Saved\SaveGames (i.e. C:\Users<you>\AppData\Local\MortalShell2\Saved\SaveGames), inside a numbered Steam-ID folder holding the .sav files. The game autosaves only — no manual slots (a three-slot claim is unverified). Back up by copying the whole SaveGames folder, keeping multiple versions. To restore: quit the game, disable Steam Cloud sync, replace files, re-enable sync. Beta saves do not carry over — forcing beta .sav triggers a Serialization Error or crash and can corrupt cloud saves. Because the game is full of permanently-missable content, stage backups before major story beats.

Trophy-Safety Fixes

• No, You Still Can't Win — take the prologue tutorial boss Tar Golem (Disciple's Grotto) to minimal health during the scripted loss; the trophy pops when the cutscene triggers. Win or lose, the same "Shell destroyed" scene plays and NG+ cannot replay the prologue. PC retry: Alt+F4 at the loss cutscene (before the autosave), relaunch, Continue, re-enter via the bone gate; or jump off the arena edge as your Shell is about to break. PS5: disable PS+ autosync, upload a backup, restore on failure; Xbox is riskier and not recommended. Fight tips: block the double slam to build Stagger into a Riposte; jump-slams and dashes are unblockable; around half HP a fire phase applies burn DoT.
• Slayer Seal — carrying or using it locks achievements and trophies; keep it unequipped for 100% runs.

Known Issues — Quick Reference