Updated November 3, 2026
If Enshrouded 1.0 keeps freezing every 20–30 seconds, dropping from smooth gameplay to almost zero FPS, or feeling choppy despite showing 60–100 FPS, there are several troubleshooting steps worth trying.
Some players experience brief freezes while exploring Embervale, fighting enemies, or building at their base. Others encounter complete 1–3-second stalls even on powerful PCs with fast SSDs.
Not every stutter has the same cause. Changing graphics settings may improve uneven frame pacing but do little for freezes associated with storage activity, overlays, or background processes.
This guide explains how to identify your problem, test the most relevant fixes, and determine what to do if Enshrouded continues freezing after the 1.0 update.
Quick Answer: How to Fix Enshrouded Freezing Every 20–30 Seconds
If Enshrouded started freezing after the 1.0 update, try these fixes in order:
- Disable Use Character Name: Open Settings → Game → User Interface and set Use Character Name to Off. This workaround has helped some players experiencing recurring freezes.
- Disable overlays: Temporarily turn off Discord, Steam, NVIDIA, and AMD in-game overlays.
- Test V-Sync: Turn off in-game V-Sync and check whether camera movement becomes smoother. If it is already off, test enabling it.
- Limit FPS: Try a stable 60 FPS cap or another value your PC can maintain consistently.
- Check your storage: If Enshrouded is installed on an HDD, consider moving it to an SSD using Steam's built-in storage management.
- Update and verify: Install available Enshrouded and GPU driver updates, then verify your game files through Steam.
Important: Change one setting at a time. Return to the same gameplay area and test for at least three to five minutes, or long enough to cover several expected freezes.
If your FPS counter remains high but movement feels choppy, start with overlays, V-Sync, and the FPS cap.
If the game completely stops for several seconds while audio or gameplay simulation continues, prioritize the character-name setting and storage checks.
📋 Table of Contents
- Identify Your Freezing or Stuttering Problem
- Fix 1: Disable Use Character Name
- Fix 2: Disable Steam, Discord, and GPU Overlays
- Fix 3: Adjust V-Sync and Limit FPS
- Fix 4: Check SSD and Autosave-Related Freezes
- Fix 5: Test Wi-Fi and Background Applications
- Fix 6: Update Graphics Drivers and Verify Files
- Why Enshrouded Still Freezes on an NVMe SSD
- Did Patch 1.0.1.0 Fix the Freezing?
- What to Do If Nothing Works
- Frequently Asked Questions
Identify Your Freezing or Stuttering Problem
Before changing settings, pay attention to what happens when Enshrouded stutters.
A brief frame-time spike is different from a complete game stall.
For example, your FPS counter might briefly drop from 90 to 30 while the game remains responsive. This suggests inconsistent frame delivery.
A more severe freeze may stop the image for several seconds while sounds continue or enemies keep moving.
Lowering shadows or resolution can improve graphics performance, but it will not necessarily resolve an interruption caused by another part of your system.
Start with the fix that matches your symptom instead of changing every setting at once.
Fix 1: Disable Use Character Name
One of the easiest workarounds for recurring freezes is disabling the Use Character Name option.
This setting is particularly worth testing if your game pauses at regular intervals, such as every 20–30 seconds.
How to disable Use Character Name
- Launch Enshrouded.
- Open Settings.
- Select Game.
- Find the User Interface section.
- Set Use Character Name to Off.
- Return to gameplay and test for several minutes.
The option may appear in a different position if the settings menu changes in a future update.
Why might this help?
The setting controls how character names are displayed. Disabling it has eliminated periodic freezes for some players, although the underlying reason has not been confirmed.
It is a simple, reversible workaround rather than a guaranteed solution.
Test the result: Play in the same area where freezing normally occurs. If the problem disappears, keep the setting disabled. If nothing changes, restore your preferred option and continue with the next fix.
Fix 2: Disable Steam, Discord, and GPU Overlays
Overlays can sometimes contribute to game stuttering, especially when they capture gameplay, display performance information, or interact with the graphics renderer.
If Enshrouded feels choppy despite showing high FPS, temporarily disabling overlays is worth trying.
Disable the Steam overlay
- Open Steam.
- Right-click Enshrouded in your Library.
- Select Properties.
- Open the General tab.
- Disable Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game.
- Restart Enshrouded.
Disable the Discord overlay
- Open Discord.
- Select User Settings.
- Open Game Overlay.
- Turn off the in-game overlay.
- Restart Enshrouded.
Disable NVIDIA or AMD overlays
For NVIDIA graphics cards, open the NVIDIA app and disable the in-game overlay in its settings.
For AMD graphics cards, open AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition and disable the in-game overlay.
You can also temporarily close unnecessary recording tools, performance monitors, and applications that display information over your game.
How to test whether an overlay is responsible
Return to the same location where the freezing usually occurs.
Move the camera, explore, and test combat if necessary.
If the game becomes smoother, re-enable overlays one at a time to identify which one may have contributed.
If there is no improvement, restore your preferred settings and move to the next solution.
Fix 3: Turn Off V-Sync and Set an FPS Cap
Some Enshrouded players experience a frustrating issue: the FPS counter shows 60, 80, or even 100 FPS, but camera movement still looks uneven.
This can happen when frames are not delivered at consistent intervals.
A high average FPS does not always mean smooth gameplay.
Step 1: Test V-Sync
- Open Enshrouded's graphics settings.
- Find V-Sync.
- Turn it off.
- Apply the change.
- Test camera movement and traversal.
If V-Sync was already disabled, briefly test enabling it instead.
V-Sync can reduce screen tearing, but the best configuration depends on your monitor, refresh rate, and graphics hardware.
An earlier Enshrouded hotfix improved V-Sync-related stuttering on AMD graphics cards. However, that improvement does not mean every frame-pacing issue has been eliminated.
Step 2: Limit your FPS
If Enshrouded frequently fluctuates between high and low frame rates, try limiting FPS to a value your PC can maintain consistently.
For NVIDIA graphics cards:
- Open NVIDIA Control Panel.
- Select Manage 3D settings.
- Open Program Settings.
- Select Enshrouded.
- Find Max Frame Rate.
- Set a limit such as 60 FPS.
- Apply the change.
For AMD graphics cards, check the available frame-rate limiting features in AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition.
A stable 60 FPS may feel smoother than gameplay that repeatedly fluctuates between 70 and 110 FPS.
Step 3: Test the display mode
If the game still feels uneven, try switching between the available fullscreen and windowed display modes.
Apply the change and test the same area.
Some display configurations may temporarily improve after switching modes, but this does not guarantee a permanent solution.
Important: V-Sync and FPS caps are primarily useful for uneven frame pacing. They may not resolve complete multi-second freezes associated with storage or other interruptions.
Fix 4: Check SSD, Steam Installation, and Autosave-Related Freezes
If Enshrouded completely stops for several seconds while audio or the game simulation continues, check where the game is installed.
Some players have experienced major improvements after moving Enshrouded from a mechanical hard drive to an SSD.
Others notice that freezes appear to coincide with loading assets or saving game data.
However, not every periodic freeze is caused by autosaving.
Check whether Enshrouded is installed on an HDD
- Open Steam.
- Right-click Enshrouded.
- Select Properties.
- Open Installed Files.
- Click Browse to locate the installation folder.
- Identify the drive containing the game.
On Windows, open Defragment and Optimize Drives to check whether the drive is listed as a hard disk drive or solid-state drive.
Move Enshrouded to an SSD
If the game is installed on an HDD and you have sufficient free SSD space:
- Open Steam.
- Go to Settings → Storage.
- Add an SSD-based Steam library if necessary.
- Select Enshrouded.
- Use Steam's Move option to transfer the installation.
- Wait for the transfer to finish.
- Restart Steam and launch the game.
Steam's interface may vary slightly between client versions.
Do not manually delete game folders or save files. Moving the installed game and moving the Steam client itself are separate operations.
What if Steam is installed on an HDD?
In some configurations, Steam itself may be installed on an HDD while Enshrouded is stored on an SSD.
If storage-related stutters persist, this configuration may be worth investigating.
However, moving Steam should not be your first troubleshooting step.
Before reinstalling or relocating the Steam client, confirm your installation paths and back up important game data.
Check disk activity during a freeze
You can use Windows Task Manager to look for storage-related interruptions.
- Launch Enshrouded.
- Open Task Manager.
- Select Performance.
- Monitor the drive containing Enshrouded.
- Check whether disk activity rises sharply during a freeze.
If possible, keep Task Manager visible on a second monitor.
A disk-activity spike may help identify a possible storage bottleneck, but it does not prove that autosaving is responsible.
Test the result: If moving Enshrouded to an SSD eliminates the complete stalls, you may not need further storage changes.
Fix 5: Test Wi-Fi and Background Applications
If Enshrouded remains choppy despite normal FPS and low graphics settings, background processes or network-related software may be worth investigating.
A Wi-Fi adapter can sometimes be associated with frame-time interruptions on a particular PC, although this is not a confirmed general cause of Enshrouded freezing.
Close unnecessary background applications
Before changing network settings:
- Close unnecessary browser tabs and applications.
- Pause large background downloads.
- Temporarily disable unnecessary recording software.
- Check whether Windows or another application is performing a demanding background task.
Restart Enshrouded and test again.
If the game becomes smoother, reopen applications individually to identify which one may be contributing.
Optional Wi-Fi diagnostic
If you play offline and can safely disconnect:
- Save your progress and exit the game.
- Temporarily disable or disconnect your Wi-Fi connection.
- Launch Enshrouded in a suitable offline session.
- Test whether the same stuttering occurs.
- Restore your normal network connection afterward.
Do not disable your connection during an active multiplayer session.
If disconnecting Wi-Fi changes the behavior, investigate your wireless adapter drivers and background network software.
There is no reason to leave Wi-Fi permanently disabled as a general performance fix.
Multiplayer rubber-banding is a different problem
If your character suddenly changes position, interactions are delayed, or other players appear to teleport, you may be experiencing network or server synchronization problems.
Compare performance in a local session and multiplayer before assuming that graphics settings are responsible.
Fix 6: Update Graphics Drivers and Verify Game Files
Outdated drivers, incomplete updates, or damaged game files can contribute to stability and performance problems.
These checks are particularly useful if Enshrouded started behaving differently after an update.
Update your graphics driver
Install the latest suitable driver for your graphics card through the official NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel software or support website.
Restart your PC after installation.
If the freezing started immediately after a driver update, check whether the GPU manufacturer has acknowledged problems with that particular driver version before considering a rollback.
Verify Enshrouded game files
- Open Steam.
- Right-click Enshrouded.
- Select Properties.
- Open Installed Files.
- Click Verify integrity of game files.
- Wait for Steam to complete the verification.
Steam will attempt to replace files that fail verification.
Restart Enshrouded and test again.
Reduce demanding graphics settings if necessary
If your problem is consistently low FPS rather than periodic freezing, try lowering demanding graphics options such as shadows and lighting.
You can also test an appropriate upscaling mode if your GPU supports it.
Change one setting at a time so you can identify what actually improves performance.
Why Does Enshrouded Still Freeze on an NVMe SSD?
Installing Enshrouded on a fast SSD does not guarantee that every stutter will disappear.
Periodic freezes can still occur on systems with powerful graphics cards, substantial RAM, and NVMe storage.
If your game is already installed on an NVMe SSD, avoid repeatedly moving files between drives unless you have identified a storage-related problem.
Instead, check whether the freezing happens:
- Only during combat or heavy visual effects.
- While exploring new areas.
- At regular intervals, even when standing still.
- Only near a particular base.
- In both single-player and multiplayer.
- After launching another application.
These details can help narrow down the problem.
Freezing near a large base
Large bases may introduce additional rendering and simulation demands, particularly in multiplayer.
If Enshrouded stutters near a heavily developed settlement, compare performance in a relatively empty area.
This can help determine whether the problem is associated with a particular location or world state.
If you're reorganizing your settlement or removing unused Flame Altars, see our guide on how to deactivate a Flame Altar without losing your base.
Do not dismantle a valuable base to troubleshoot stuttering. Removing a Flame Altar is not an established performance fix.
Did Enshrouded Patch 1.0.1.0 Fix the Freezing?
Keen Games has released several stability and performance improvements following Enshrouded's 1.0 launch.
An earlier hotfix improved stuttering associated with V-Sync on AMD graphics cards.
Patch 1.0.1.0 introduced additional AMD graphics settings, improved stability when hosting multiplayer worlds containing very large player bases, and fixed several crashes.
The patch also addressed flickering shadows in large bases and other technical issues.
However, the published changes do not explicitly confirm a universal fix for recurring freezes every 20–30 seconds.
What should you do after updating?
- Install the latest available Enshrouded update.
- Restart Steam and the game.
- Test gameplay before applying additional workarounds.
- If freezing continues, identify the symptom and use the relevant troubleshooting section above.
You can check the official Enshrouded patch notes for documented changes.
Avoid assuming that every stability update resolves every type of freezing.
What to Do If Enshrouded Still Freezes
If none of the troubleshooting steps helps, collect a few details before reporting the issue.
Record the following information:
- CPU and graphics card.
- Installed RAM.
- Whether Enshrouded is installed on an HDD, SATA SSD, or NVMe SSD.
- Windows version and graphics-driver version.
- Installed Enshrouded version.
- How often the freezes occur.
- Whether the problem happens in single-player, multiplayer, or both.
- Which troubleshooting steps you have already tested.
If possible, capture a short recording showing the freeze alongside an FPS or frame-time display.
Submit the information through Enshrouded Support.
Detailed reports make it easier to investigate whether the problem is associated with a particular system configuration, gameplay situation, or game update.
Avoid deleting save files, changing the Windows registry, or installing unverified third-party tools.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Enshrouded freeze every 20–30 seconds after the 1.0 update?
Periodic freezes can be caused by several factors, including certain UI settings, overlays, storage activity, or background processes. Start by disabling Use Character Name, then test overlays, V-Sync, and an FPS cap before moving on to storage checks.
Does disabling Use Character Name actually fix freezes?
It has helped some players experiencing recurring freezes at regular intervals. The underlying reason has not been confirmed, so treat it as a simple, reversible workaround rather than a guaranteed fix.
Why does Enshrouded stutter even though my FPS shows 60–100?
A high average FPS does not guarantee consistent frame delivery. Uneven frame times can make camera movement feel choppy. Testing V-Sync, an FPS cap, and disabling overlays can help identify the cause.
Will moving Enshrouded to an SSD stop the freezes?
If the game is installed on an HDD, moving it to an SSD can resolve complete multi-second stalls associated with asset loading or saving. However, it will not fix freezes caused by other factors such as overlays or software conflicts.
Why does Enshrouded still freeze on an NVMe SSD?
Storage speed is only one part of the equation. Freezes on NVMe systems can be associated with overlays, drivers, background processes, large base simulation, or other software activity. Use the symptom table to narrow down the most likely cause.
Did Patch 1.0.1.0 fix the stuttering?
Patch 1.0.1.0 introduced additional AMD graphics settings, improved stability in multiplayer worlds with very large bases, and fixed several crashes. The published changes do not explicitly confirm a universal fix for every type of freezing.
Can Wi-Fi cause Enshrouded stuttering?
A Wi-Fi adapter has been associated with frame-time interruptions on some systems, but this is not a confirmed general cause. If you play offline, a quick Wi-Fi disconnect test can help rule it out.
Should I lower my graphics settings to fix freezing?
Lowering demanding graphics options like shadows and lighting can improve consistently low FPS, but it may not resolve periodic freezes caused by storage, overlays, or software conflicts. Identify your symptom first.
What should I send Enshrouded Support if the game still freezes?
Include your CPU, GPU, RAM, storage type (HDD/SATA SSD/NVMe), Windows version, driver version, Enshrouded version, freeze frequency, whether it happens in single-player or multiplayer, and which troubleshooting steps you have already tried.
Final Verdict
Enshrouded's post-1.0 freezing issues can have several different causes, and no single fix works for everyone.
If your freezes happen at regular intervals, start with the Use Character Name workaround and disable overlays. If the game completely stalls for several seconds while audio continues, focus on storage and background activity. If FPS stays high but movement feels choppy, test V-Sync, an FPS cap, and the display mode.
Change one setting at a time, return to the same area, and test long enough to cover several expected freezes.
If nothing works, collect detailed system information and report the issue with a recording showing the freeze alongside an FPS or frame-time display. That gives support teams the best chance of identifying whether the problem is associated with your configuration, gameplay situation, or a future game update.
Comments
Post a Comment