It happened again. You finally get past the shader compilation, the title screen music kicks in, and just as you're about to hunt a Doshaguma, the game vanishes. Back to the desktop. No error code. No apology. Just your wallpaper staring back at you. If you're a PC hunter, you probably already know the likely culprit: REFramework.
REFramework crashes Monster Hunter Wilds because the tool, while incredibly powerful, is essentially performing digital surgery on a game engine that is still being patched and poked by Capcom. It’s a script extender and modding framework created by praydog, and honestly, we’d be lost without it. It’s what gives us better performance, FOV sliders, and those crucial UI tweaks. But when it breaks? It breaks hard.
The RE Engine is a masterpiece of efficiency, but it's also notoriously picky about memory hooks. When Monster Hunter Wilds updates—even a tiny "stability" patch—the memory addresses REFramework relies on shift by a few millimeters. That’s all it takes. The framework tries to "hook" into a function that isn't there anymore, and the whole house of cards collapses.
The Reality of REFramework Crashes Monster Hunter Wilds
Stop looking for a magic "fix all" button for a second. We need to talk about why this is happening specifically with Wilds. This isn't Monster Hunter World. Wilds uses a significantly more advanced version of the RE Engine, similar to the one found in Dragon's Dogma 2. It handles object streaming and CPU threading differently than the older titles.
When REFramework crashes Monster Hunter Wilds, it’s usually because of a version mismatch. Most people download the "Release" version from GitHub or Nexus Mods and forget about it. However, during the early lifecycle of a massive game like Wilds, developers are pushing hotfixes constantly.
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Why the "Nightly" Build is Your Best Friend
If you are using the standard release of REFramework, you're likely behind. The developer, praydog, usually pushes fixes to the "Nightly" builds long before they hit the main download page on Nexus. These are automated builds that include the very latest code commits.
I’ve seen dozens of players complain about a crash on launch, only to realize they were using a build from three weeks ago. In "modding time," three weeks is an eternity. You need to head to the GitHub repository and look for the Actions tab or the specific Nightly link. It’s the bleeding edge. Is it riskier? Maybe. But it's usually the only way to stop the crashing after a game update.
The Script Conflict Nightmare
It isn't always the framework itself. REFramework is an orchestrator. It runs scripts—usually written in Lua—that do the actual heavy lifting, like skipping opening logos or adjusting the camera.
You might think the framework is crashing your game, but it's actually a single, outdated .lua script inside your reframework/autorun folder.
- Go to your game directory.
- Open the
reframeworkfolder. - Move everything out of the
autorunfolder to a temporary spot on your desktop. - Launch the game.
If the game runs fine, REFramework wasn't the problem. One of your mods was. You've got to be methodical. Put them back one by one. It’s tedious. It’s boring. It’s also the only way to find the "traitor" mod that’s killing your framerate or causing the crash.
Hardware, Overlays, and the "D3D12" Error
Sometimes the crash isn't even about the code. It's about how the code talks to your GPU. REFramework renders its own menu (the one you open with the Insert key) on top of the game. This requires a specific way of handling the DirectX 12 pipeline.
If you have Discord's overlay enabled, or Steam's overlay, or RivaTuner, or NVIDIA App’s overlay... you're asking for trouble. You have four or five different programs all fighting to be the "top" layer on your screen. Monster Hunter Wilds is already a heavy game. It’s hungry for VRAM. When REFramework tries to draw its menu and clashes with the Discord overlay, the GPU driver often just gives up.
Pro tip: Disable every single overlay except REFramework. Just try it once. You’ll be surprised how much "stability" you suddenly gain when your software stops fighting for dominance.
The Shader Cache Issue
Wilds is notorious for its shader compilation. If you install REFramework after the game has already compiled its shaders, or if you update your GPU drivers without clearing the old ones, you're going to see crashes.
I’ve found that deleting the shader.cache file (or the equivalent in the game folder) and letting the game re-compile from scratch with REFramework already installed can fix those weird, intermittent crashes that happen right as you load into the village. It takes ten minutes. Go grab a coffee. Let the progress bar finish.
What to do When Nothing Works
If you've updated to the nightly build, cleared your scripts, and turned off your overlays, and you’re still seeing REFramework crashes Monster Hunter Wilds, it’s time to look at the re2_framework_log.txt.
This file is located in your main game folder. It’s not just gibberish. Scroll to the bottom. Look for lines that say "[ERROR]" or "Access Violation." Often, it will name a specific DLL or a specific memory address.
If you see "Access Violation at 0x000000000," that usually means the framework tried to read memory it wasn't allowed to touch. This happens if your antivirus is blocking the injection. Yes, Windows Defender loves to flag REFramework as a "Trojan" because, technically, it behaves like one—it injects code into another running process. Add an exclusion for your Monster Hunter Wilds folder. It’s safe. We’ve been using praydog’s tools for years across Resident Evil, Devil May Cry, and Monster Hunter.
Actionable Steps for a Stable Hunt
Stop guessing and start fixing. Follow this sequence to get back into the game:
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- Purge the Old Files: Delete
dinput8.dlland thereframeworkfolder entirely. Verify your game files through Steam to make sure the base game is clean. Launch the game once without mods to ensure it actually works. - Get the Nightly Build: Don't rely on the "Main" download. Search for "REFramework Nightly" and get the version specifically updated for the latest Wilds patch.
- Isolate Your Mods: Do not dump 20 mods into the
autorunfolder at once. Add them back in blocks. If the game crashes, you know the culprit is in the last block you added. - Check VRAM Usage: Monster Hunter Wilds is a hog. If you're hitting your VRAM limit (especially on 8GB cards), REFramework’s overlay might push it over the edge. Lower your textures by one notch.
- Administrative Rights: Run Steam as an Administrator. It sounds like old-school advice from 2005, but it gives REFramework the permissions it needs to hook into the game process without being blocked by Windows' security layers.
The modding community is fast, but Capcom is faster with their patches. Always check the REFramework GitHub "Issues" section if a new game update just dropped. Usually, someone has already posted a temporary fix or a new build within hours. Stay patient, keep your folders clean, and you'll spend more time hunting monsters than hunting for crash logs.