FIX: Cyberpunk 2077 Corrupted or Missing Script Files Error

Cyberpunk 2077 may have been a complete mess when it launched back in 2020, but ever since the Phantom Liberty expansion rolled out in September 2023, there has been nothing but non-stop praise for CD Projekt Red‘s masterpiece. But even before the expansion, CDPR had expressed it apologies and made it clear that they would put in their maximum effort to fixing the game.

While the seemingly thousands of bugs and glitches that plagued the game seem to have been fixed, naturally, several others have taken their place. One of the most annoying issues that is encountered by those playing on PC, is the “corrupted/missing scripts file” error. We’ll be discussing wat this error is, how does it happen, and the possible solutions.

What is the “Corrupted/Missing Script Files” Error?

The “corrupted/missing script files” error occurs when trying to start up Cyberpunk 2077 through Steam. Although, it was quite frequent on the game version 1.6 and 1.61, it can still pop up from time to time unexpectedly. It does not allow the game to boot up and cites missing and corrupted files as the cause. Moreover, it is accompanied by a prompt to verify game files, in hopes of fixing the problem.

↪ Causes

There are several reasons why this error could occur. Here are all the possible causes for this issue:

• The bug occurred randomly without any legitimate cause.
• The game has corrupted or missing files.
• Mod files are interfering with the game process.
• Old mod files are conflicting with the new game date.

READ MORE: How to Fix Cyberpunk 2077 Not Launching or Opening on PC ➜

Solutions to Fix Script Error

Naturally, you’ll be looking to resolve this problem as soon as possible so that you can get back to living life in Night City. With that said, try out these fixes and you’ll be good to go.

Solution 1: Restart the game

If you’ve recently updated the game and tried booting it up, only to run into this error, try restarting the game. It is possible that the initialization process may have been rushed and failed to detect the newly installed files.

Solution 2: Verify the game files

Now, we’ll be performing the same process as suggested by the pop-up. To verify the integrity of game files, follow the steps below:

1. Open up Steam and navigate to your Library.
   

   

2. Now, right-click on Cyberpunk 2077 from the list. From the menu, click on Properties.
   

   

3. Now, click on the Installed Files section. Click on the Verify integrity of game files option to begin the process.
   

   

4. Wait patiently for the verification process to finish. It can take some time around 5-15 minutes, depending on where you’ve installed the game.
   

   

5. Once the verification is complete, launch Cyberpunk 2077 again to make sure that the issue is resolved.
   

   

READ MORE: How to Fix ‘Cyberpunk 2077 Has Flatlined’ Error on Windows ➜

Solution 3: Organizing and removing mods

It isn’t PC gaming without mods, and a game like Cyberpunk 2077 is ripe with potential for all kinds of mods. But since mods are unofficial additions to the game, they can sometimes cause issues, especially when you’ve added a large amount of them, or a few large-scale mods. These kinds of mods can cause conflicts with the game files itself leading to errors.

The mods which are often found to be the culprit in most cases are as follows:

1. Red4ext
2. Redscript
3. TweakXL
4. CyberEngineTweaks
5. ArchiveXL

Here’s how you can check which mod may be causing the issue:

1. Firstly, open up the File Explorer.
   

   

2. Navigate to the following directory. It should be where your mods are stored:

   (Drive Letter where CP2077 is installed):\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Cyberpunk 2077\archive\pc\mod

   

3. Right-click and create a New folder.
4. Now, place all the mods, except for one, in this folder. 
   

   

5. Run the game and check which mod is a part of the issue, one by one. Hopefully, you’ll find the cause of the problem.

READ MORE: (Solved) Cyberpunk 2077 Keeps Crashing on Windows PC ➜

Solution 4: Re-installing the game

In the unfortunate case where the game still refuses to boot up, you’ll need to uninstall Cyberpunk 2077 and reinstall it again. No need to worry about your saves, as they should be safe thanks to the Steam Cloud Sync. Still, better safe than sorry, so create a manual backup for the saves and all the mods too.

Here’s how to uninstall a game through Steam:

1. Open the Library in Steam.
   

   

2. Next, right-click on Cyberpunk 2077. Hover the cursor on the Manage option.
3. Click on Uninstall.
   

   

READ MORE: How To Play PC Games On Your Android Phone – Detailed Guide ➜

Conclusion

Cyberpunk 2077 still has its fair share of issues today, but that doesn’t take away the fact that it’s one of the best games in terms of graphics, narrative and gameplay. Although it’s been nearly 3 and a half years since it first came out, the constant updates have allowed it to become a benchmark of next-gen gaming. Anyway chooms, we hope that the issue is resolved and that you get back to raising havoc in Night City.