ARC Raiders exit code 258: game won't start (fix)
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Last checked
October 8, 2026
ARC Raiders fails to launch and closes with "exit code 258", often several times in a row.
Also appears as: exit code 258, exitcode 258, arc raiders exit code 258, arc raiders denuvo error, arc raiders won't launch exit code, arc raiders denovo update process
Exit code 258 is a launch failure on your PC. Embark's crash article lists exit codes 0, 0x1 and 0x3 but not 258, so there is no official fix.
A July 13 r/ArcRaiders post (9 upvotes, 10 comments) says the game frequently would not start and DNS changes did not reliably help. One reply said to close the Denuvo update process in Task Manager, and another player said that worked for them. That is one thread, so treat it as a lead.
Fix it, step by step
Close the Denuvo update process in Task Manager (one reply, one confirmation)
Before launching, open Task Manager (
Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and end the Denuvo update process if it is running. A reply in the r/ArcRaiders thread said "You don't have to uninstall denovo. Just close the denovo update process in the task manager," and another user answered "Yes this worked for me thank you!" Only those two players are on record.Verify integrity of game files in Steam (some players)
In Steam, right-click ARC Raiders, select Properties, open Installed Files and select "Verify integrity of game files". Some players in the thread reported verifying files; it is unclear how many it fixed.
Restart your PC and relaunch (general advice)
Restart Windows, then start the game before opening other programs. Nobody in the thread listed this step, so it is general advice only.
- NoteUnconfirmed
The post's own workaround was to uninstall Denuvo Anti-Cheat, launch the game and accept the Easy Anti-Cheat popup, repeating that every launch. We don't recommend it: it has to be redone each time and it touches the game's protection. No confirmed fix yet.
Sorted. Glad that worked.
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What people are saying
Notes from players who've hit this one — no time limit, an answer from months ago is still an answer.
- Nothing reported here yet.
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