Play on Desktop
How to install the Windows game, what the launcher does, how updates arrive and when to use DirectX 12 or DirectX 9.
Updated 2026-11-10desktoplauncherinstallupdatesdirectx
The desktop game is the Windows version of FusionFall Forever. It has the best graphics of the three platforms and a few features that the browser game does not have. You start it through the launcher, which installs the game, keeps it up to date and repairs it when a file is missing.
What you need
- A PC with 64-bit Windows.
- An internet connection. Your account, characters and items are kept online, and the game loads parts of the world as you play.
- For the default DirectX 12 renderer: Windows 10 version 2004 or later and a graphics card that supports DirectX 12. Older PCs can use the DirectX 9 compatibility mode instead (see below).
- A game account. If you do not have one yet, make it on fusionfall.org first (see Getting Started).
You do not need administrator rights and you do not need to install any extra runtime yourself. The launcher brings everything the game needs.
Install
- Download the installer from fusionfall.org.
- Run it. Windows may ask you to confirm that you want to run it.
- The launcher opens on its Home page. Under Game location it shows the folder it will use. Press Change... if you want another folder.
- Leave Put a shortcut on the desktop ticked if you want one.
- Press Play. The launcher installs the game and its required parts, then starts it.
On the same page there are two optional downloads:
- Install Pixelmon is ticked for a new install. Untick it if you do not want Pixelmon on desktop. You can change your mind later: the launcher adds or removes it the next time you press Play.
- Install Everblock (big extra download) is not ticked for a new install. Leave it off unless you want that extra content.
Sign in
The top right corner of the launcher shows Not signed in with a Sign in button.
- If you sign in there, the launcher remembers you on this PC and the game starts already logged in. Log out is in the same place.
- If you skip it ("or play once"), the game shows its own login screen and you type your user name and password there.
Either way you use your game account, the same one as on web and mobile.
Updates
You never download a new installer for a new release. Every time you press Play, the launcher does three things, shown as steps on the page:
- Check the game files.
- Get updates from fusionfall.org.
- Start FusionFall.
Only files that changed are downloaded. If your connection drops during an update, the launcher retries and carries on from where it stopped. If it cannot reach the site at all, it tells you and starts the version you already have.
If the launcher itself has a new version, it updates itself first and reopens.
DirectX 12 and DirectX 9
Since October 2026 the desktop game runs on a new engine that draws with DirectX 12. The old DirectX 9 renderer is still included as a compatibility mode.
The Renderer button on the Home page cycles through three choices:
| Choice | What it does |
|---|---|
| Automatic | Uses DirectX 12 when your PC supports it and DirectX 9 when it does not. This is the default. |
| DirectX 12 | Always uses the new renderer. |
| DirectX 9 | Always uses the compatibility renderer. |
When DirectX 9 is in use, the launcher shows Compatibility mode (DirectX 9) next to the button.
The fallback is automatic in two cases:
- Your PC cannot run DirectX 12 at all. Automatic picks DirectX 9 by itself.
- The game closes during startup twice in a row on DirectX 12. The launcher tells you that your next Play uses DirectX 9. You can switch back under Renderer whenever you like.
If the launcher says DirectX 12 needs a newer Windows, update Windows or choose DirectX 9. If it says your graphics driver is too old, install the latest driver from the maker of your graphics card.
Repair
Press Repair files on the Home page if the game will not start or the launcher reports that something needs fixing. Repair checks every game file and downloads the ones that are missing or damaged. It keeps your settings.
The Checks and logs line at the bottom of the page opens a short list of what the launcher did. It is useful when you ask for help.
Graphics
New and existing installs start on Best Quality. You can lower or raise each option in the game's settings; every setting takes effect when you press Apply. See Graphics Options for the list, including Toon Outline and the Halloween sky switch.
The world loads around you as you explore, so you never need to log out and in again to see a new area.
What only desktop has
Most features work on every platform. A few are desktop only:
- Frostfall Basin.
- SoulSilver and the Ultra Game Boy.
- The portal to The Commons in Wizard101 Crossover.
Desktop, Web and Mobile Differences has the full comparison.
Controls
Desktop uses the same default keys as the browser game with one difference: Tab targets the nearest enemy and G switches weapons, while on web Tab switches weapons. During the tutorial, ~ offers to skip it (outside cutscenes). You can rebind keys in the settings. See Controls.
Uninstall
Delete the game folder shown under Game location and the desktop shortcut. Nothing is lost: your characters and items are not stored on your PC.
Common problems
| Problem | What to do |
|---|---|
| "DirectX 12 needs Windows 10 version 2004 or later" | Update Windows, or set Renderer to DirectX 9 |
| The game closes while starting | Press Play again; after two failed starts the launcher switches to DirectX 9 by itself. Update your graphics driver. |
| "Some game files need repair" | Press Repair files |
| A message that the game program is missing | Your antivirus may have moved it. Allow the game folder, then press Repair files |
| The update cannot be installed right now | Check your connection and press Play again. Your installed game is not changed by a failed update |
| "FusionFall is being installed or updated by another launcher" | Wait for the other launcher window to finish, or close it |
