Black Screen - StarCraft II

Updated: 2 years ago
Article ID: 23871
Product:

Common Problems

I want to play SC2 but only get a black screen. The game seems to crash, but music is still playing.

If you encounter a black screen at startup or during gameplay, follow the steps below to solve the problem.

  1. Update your drivers and operating system to resolve any compatibility issues.
  2. If you are receiving a Windows error that mentions the "NV4DSP.DLL" file even after updating your drivers, try reverting your drivers to an older version. Visit NVIDIA®'s Downloading Drivers page for more information.
  3. Start the game in windowed mode.
    1. Click the Battle.net icon on the Battle.net desktop app.
    2. Select Settings from the dropdown menu.
    3. Click Game Settings and check the Additional command line arguments box under StarCraft® II.
    4. Type -Displaymode 0 in the box and click Done.
Advanced Troubleshooting
  1. Check your network configuration to find any issues with your firewall, router, or port settings.
  2. Run the Battle.net repair tool to repair any damaged game files.

Tried everything here?

If you have tried these steps and still require assistance, please visit our Technical Support Forums or contact us.