The most common reason is old or damaged graphics drivers, but other things like broken game files, overclocked hardware, or unstable shaders can also cause this problem. Now that you understand some of the causes behind this error, let’s look at several methods you can try to fix the Call of Duty Vanguard 0x00001338 error for good:
1. Delete Some Activision Friends
The first thing you can try is to free up your Activision friend list by removing a few friends. While the technical reason isn’t fully explained, several players have stopped their game from crashing by following this tip. Note: This seems to be a bug that Activision hasn’t addressed yet and is most likely to affect those with over 100 friends on their account. You do not have to delete all your friends—just remove the inactive ones or those you no longer play with.
2. Disable Antivirus or Uninstall Firewall (if applicable)
This error can sometimes be caused by your antivirus or firewall blocking key game files. First, try disabling real-time protection from your antivirus—most allow you to do this via the icon in the system tray. If you use a third-party firewall, simply disabling real-time protection may not be enough, as background rules can still interfere. In this case, uninstalling the firewall completely is the safest bet.
3. Set VRAM Usage to 70%
Some users fixed the 0x00001338 error by adjusting their in-game VRAM usage. By default, the setting is at 90%, but lowering it to 70% often stabilizes performance. Note: Call of Duty: Vanguard is demanding on VRAM, and reducing this setting allows your PC to handle resources more efficiently.
4. Delete the ‘players’ Folder
Deleting the ‘players’ folder in your Call of Duty Vanguard directory may resolve corrupted settings that cause crashes. Note that you will need to reconfigure your in-game settings afterward, as they will return to default. Note: This method is especially effective if crashes started immediately after making changes to your graphics settings.
5. Unequip Daniel’s Second Operator Skin
Some players have experienced crashes linked to Daniel’s second operator skin. Unequipping this particular skin, or switching to a different operator altogether, has fixed the error for many users.
6. Install the Latest Visual C++ x86 and x64 Packages
Having the latest Visual C++ redistributables installed is essential for running modern games. Download and install both x86 and x64 versions from the official Microsoft site if you haven’t already.
7. Delete the Game Cache
Cache files are stored to help the game run smoother but they can become corrupted. Deleting the game’s cache files may fix your issue.
8. Turn Off GeForce Experience Overlay
Having a screen overlay like Nvidia GeForce Experience active while running the game can cause crashes or errors.
9. Disable Xbox Game Bar
The Xbox Game Bar is enabled by default on Windows and can cause issues with some games. Turning it off may help.
10. Revert GPU Overclock (if applicable)
If you’ve used MSI Afterburner or another tool to overclock your graphics card, this could be causing instability. Try reverting your GPU back to default settings by deleting any custom profiles. Note: Take a screenshot of your current settings or make a note, in case you want to use them again.
11. Set COD Vanguard Priority to High in Task Manager
Setting Vanguard’s process priority to “High” in Task Manager can sometimes boost its performance and solve errors. If setting the priority doesn’t help, try the final fix.
12. Reinstall Battle.net
If none of the above methods work, try reinstalling the Battle.net launcher. This ensures any corrupted files get replaced and lets the game start fresh.
