Need Help!! POE2 not launching (Steam)

I haven't played POE2 since January (had 0 issues back then), decided to come back & try the latest update. Downloaded the 30+GB update, updated graphics drivers to the latest (ver. 581.29) & the game doesn't launch.

I click play, it says launching executable & then goes back to the green play button. I have done the following:
- uninstalled & re-installed
- Verified the game files
- Run as admin
- deleted config files from documents
- deleted cache files


There is nothing updated in the client log since January
After trying to launch the game, I do get an error in event viewer.


Log Name: Application
Source: Application Error
Date: 28/09/2025 20:47:46
Event ID: 1000
Task Category: Application Crashing Events
Level: Error
Keywords:
User: PXNDXHPC\Pxndxh
Computer: PxndxhPC
Description:
Faulting application name: PathOfExileSteam.exe, version: 0.0.0.0, time stamp: 0x68d1ca09
Faulting module name: PathOfExileSteam.exe, version: 0.0.0.0, time stamp: 0x68d1ca09
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x00000000000fdd27
Faulting process id: 0x4F58
Faulting application start time: 0x1DC30B0C2A8E939
Faulting application path: E:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Path of Exile 2\PathOfExileSteam.exe
Faulting module path: E:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Path of Exile 2\PathOfExileSteam.exe
Report Id: 80794243-7f6f-48d4-b790-37681ee957e5
Faulting package full name:
Faulting package-relative application ID:
Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
<System>
<Provider Name="Application Error" Guid="{a0e9b465-b939-57d7-b27d-95d8e925ff57}" />
<EventID>1000</EventID>
<Version>0</Version>
<Level>2</Level>
<Task>100</Task>
<Opcode>0</Opcode>
<Keywords>0x8000000000000000</Keywords>
<TimeCreated SystemTime="2025-09-28T19:47:46.1430483Z" />
<EventRecordID>23803</EventRecordID>
<Correlation />
<Execution ProcessID="2200" ThreadID="29564" />
<Channel>Application</Channel>
<Computer>PxndxhPC</Computer>
<Security UserID="S-1-5-21-1252032603-813412630-1288070541-1001" />
</System>
<EventData>
<Data Name="AppName">PathOfExileSteam.exe</Data>
<Data Name="AppVersion">0.0.0.0</Data>
<Data Name="AppTimeStamp">68d1ca09</Data>
<Data Name="ModuleName">PathOfExileSteam.exe</Data>
<Data Name="ModuleVersion">0.0.0.0</Data>
<Data Name="ModuleTimeStamp">68d1ca09</Data>
<Data Name="ExceptionCode">c0000005</Data>
<Data Name="FaultingOffset">00000000000fdd27</Data>
<Data Name="ProcessId">0x4f58</Data>
<Data Name="ProcessCreationTime">0x1dc30b0c2a8e939</Data>
<Data Name="AppPath">E:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Path of Exile 2\PathOfExileSteam.exe</Data>
<Data Name="ModulePath">E:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Path of Exile 2\PathOfExileSteam.exe</Data>
<Data Name="IntegratorReportId">80794243-7f6f-48d4-b790-37681ee957e5</Data>
<Data Name="PackageFullName">
</Data>
<Data Name="PackageRelativeAppId">
</Data>
</EventData>
</Event>

Nothing I have read online to fix crashes etc have worked.
Any help would be appreciated,
Thanks