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How to fix update stuck on initializing in Destiny 2

Learn how to fix Destiny 2 when it gets stuck on initializing when trying to install an update or download a patch.

Sam Chandler

August 2, 2019 2:50 AM

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Sometimes, when you update Destiny 2, it will become stuck on initializing. This can be quite problematic, as the usual fixes don’t seem to work and it becomes impossible to actually launch the game. Thankfully, there are a few things you can do to help fix Destiny 2 when it’s stuck on initializing.

Destiny 2 stuck on initializing

Whenever Destiny 2 becomes stuck on initializing, there are a few solutions you can try to fix it. One of the first options is to restart your computer and your internet. This means completing shutting down your desktop and switching off your modem or router for at least a minute.

The second option is to try the Scan and Repair option in the Blizzard App. When on the Destiny 2 Games page, find the Options button above the marquee and select Scan and Repair. Choose Begin Scan and then wait to see if Blizzard finds any problems.

Another option is to run the Blizzard App as an Administrator:

1. Shutdown the Blizzard App and ensure it’s exited in the taskbar
2. Find the Blizzard App either in your Start menu or its launch folder
   1. If in the Start menu, right-click and select More, followed by Run as Administrator
   2. If in launch folder, right-click and select Run as Administrator
3. Confirm you want to run as an Administrator
4. Resume the download

In the event neither of the previous steps work, you can try the following. This process requires renaming the Destiny 2 folder, which tricks the Blizzard App into thinking it’s no longer installed. Once you go to install Destiny 2 again, change the folder back to its original name. Blizzard will download any files you are missing. While this method might take the most amount of time, it is a sure-fire way of fixing the Destiny 2 stuck on initializing problem:

1. To fix the stuck on initializing problem, first pause the download
2. Click the gear box and select settings
3. Find where Destiny 2 is installed (example: C:\Program Files (x86)\Destiny 2\)
4. Close the Blizzard App
5. Navigate to where Destiny 2 is installed
6. Rename the Destiny 2 folder to something different (example: Destiny 2 broken)
7. Relaunch Battle.net
8. Click Install on Destiny 2 but do not start the installation
9. Go back and rename the Destiny 2 folder back to Destiny 2
10. Start the installation on the Blizzard App
11. Wait for all the files to finish installing again

These steps should see Destiny 2 finish initializing, allowing you to boot the game back up. If none of these options solved the stuck on initializing problem, you may need to reinstall Destiny 2 completely. For more troubleshooting problems, check out the Destiny 2 complete strategy guide.

Sam Chandler

Guides Editor

Hailing from the land down under, Sam Chandler brings a bit of the southern hemisphere flair to his work. After bouncing round a few universities, securing a bachelor degree, and entering the video game industry, he's found his new family here at Shacknews as a Guides Editor. There's nothing he loves more than crafting a guide that will help someone. If you need help with a guide, or notice something not quite right, you can message him on X: @SamuelChandler