Crash on Windows when running Unreal Engine build with Sentry plugin from a long path

[tim3dsource]

When using the official Sentry plugin for Unreal Engine, the built Windows build crashes immediately on launch if the executable is located in a deep (long) file path.

Reproduction steps:

1. Integrate the official Sentry Unreal Engine plugin into the project.

2. Package (build) the project for Windows.

3. Place the built application under a long path, for example:
   Q:\twin_apps\applications\qa\d82f49c8-42fe-4e64-b962-09965c408faa\f92d3ddd-10ca-4f73-a9e1-6f551cde3ed8\00e4764d-67cb-4f5e-8562-814a4cf2ddd2\333e32d1-7de2-47b0-82af-7724af5ba27a\bin\App.exe

4. Launch the executable.

   Actual result:
   The application immediately crashes on startup.
   Expected result:
   The application should start normally, and Sentry should initialize successfully.
   Environment:
   • Unreal Engine version: [ 5.3]
   • Sentry Unreal SDK version: [0.21.1

]
• Platform: Windows
• Build type: Packaged (Development)

Additional information:
	•   If the same build is placed in a shorter path (e.g. under C:\TestBuild\App.exe), the crash does not occur.
	•	It seems the issue is related to Windows path length limitations or how the plugin resolves paths internally.

Log snippet:

[2025.10.09-17.11.08:597][  0]LogSentrySdk: using database path "D:\twin_apps\applications\qa\d82f49c8-42fe-4e64-b962-09965c408faa\f92d3ddd-10ca-4f73-a9e1-6f551cde3ed8\00e4764d-67cb-4f5e-8562-814a4cf2ddd2\333e32d1-7de2-47b0-82af-7724af5ba27a\bin\App\.sentry-native"

[2025.10.09-17.11.08:600][ 0]LogSentrySdk: Verbose: starting transport
[2025.10.09-17.11.08:613][ 0]LogSentrySdk: Verbose: starting background worker thread
[2025.10.09-17.11.08:614][ 0]LogSentrySdk: Verbose: starting backend
[2025.10.09-17.15.56:723][ 0]LogSentrySdk: Verbose: background worker thread started
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:701][ 0]LogRHI: Error: Breadcrumbs 'RHIThread'

[2025.10.09-17.16.13:701][ 0]LogWindows: Could not start crash report client using ../../../Engine/Binaries/Win64/CrashReportClient-Win64-Debug.exe
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:701][ 0]LogMemory: Platform Memory Stats for Windows
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:701][ 0]LogMemory: Process Physical Memory: 1043.82 MB used, 1048.73 MB peak
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:701][ 0]LogMemory: Process Virtual Memory: 1286.79 MB used, 1288.24 MB peak
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:701][ 0]LogMemory: Physical Memory: 41178.31 MB used, 24015.78 MB free, 65194.09 MB total
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:701][ 0]LogMemory: Virtual Memory: 75269.77 MB used, 399652.31 MB free, 474922.09 MB total
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:701][ 0]Message dialog closed, result: Ok, title: The UE-App Game has crashed and will close, text: Fatal error: [File:C:\Data\UE53\Engine\Source\Runtime\Launch\Private\Windows\LaunchWindows.cpp] [Line: 72]
SECURE CRT: Invalid parameter detected.
Expression: Unknown Function: Unknown. File: Unknown Line: 0

[2025.10.09-17.16.13:701][ 0]LogWindows: Error: === Critical error: ===
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:701][ 0]LogWindows: Error:
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:701][ 0]LogWindows: Error: Fatal error: [File:C:\Data\UE53\Engine\Source\Runtime\Launch\Private\Windows\LaunchWindows.cpp] [Line: 72]
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:701][ 0]LogWindows: Error: SECURE CRT: Invalid parameter detected.
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:701][ 0]LogWindows: Error: Expression: Unknown Function: Unknown. File: Unknown Line: 0
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:701][ 0]LogWindows: Error:
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:701][ 0]LogWindows: Error:
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:701][ 0]LogWindows: Error:
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:701][ 0]LogWindows: Error: Unhandled Exception: 0x80000003
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:701][ 0]LogWindows: Error:
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:701][ 0]LogWindows: Error: [Callstack] 0x00007ff74625d2d2 App.exe!UE::Logging::Private::BasicFatalLog() [C:\Data\UE53\Engine\Source\Runtime\Core\Private\Logging\StructuredLog.cpp:1090]
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:701][ 0]LogWindows: Error: [Callstack] 0x00007ff74d401f99 App.exe!InvalidParameterHandler() [C:\Data\UE53\Engine\Source\Runtime\Launch\Private\Windows\LaunchWindows.cpp:77]
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:702][ 0]LogWindows: Error: [Callstack] 0x00007ff84d802438 ucrtbase.dll!UnknownFunction []
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:702][ 0]LogWindows: Error: [Callstack] 0x00007ff84d802379 ucrtbase.dll!UnknownFunction []
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:702][ 0]LogWindows: Error: [Callstack] 0x00007ff84d82ef4c ucrtbase.dll!UnknownFunction []
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:702][ 0]LogWindows: Error: [Callstack] 0x00007ff75251ade5 App.exe!swprintf_s() []
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:702][ 0]LogWindows: Error: [Callstack] 0x00007ff75251a4a1 App.exe!google_breakpad::ExceptionHandler::UpdateNextID() []
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:702][ 0]LogWindows: Error: [Callstack] 0x00007ff75251a05b App.exe!google_breakpad::ExceptionHandler::Initialize() []
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:702][ 0]LogWindows: Error: [Callstack] 0x00007ff752519090 App.exe!google_breakpad::ExceptionHandler::ExceptionHandler() []
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:702][ 0]LogWindows: Error: [Callstack] 0x00007ff7525157d4 App.exe!sentry__backend_free() []
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:702][ 0]LogWindows: Error: [Callstack] 0x00007ff7525047aa App.exe!sentry_init() []
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:702][ 0]LogWindows: Error: [Callstack] 0x00007ff74de2a6a5 App.exe!SentrySubsystemDesktop::InitWithSettings() [D:\BuildAgent\work\f3f5847853072003\Plugins\Sentry_5.3\Source\Sentry\Private\Desktop\SentrySubsystemDesktop.cpp:280]
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:702][ 0]LogWindows: Error: [Callstack] 0x00007ff74de47d45 App.exe!USentrySubsystem::Initialize() [D:\BuildAgent\work\f3f5847853072003\Plugins\Sentry_5.3\Source\Sentry\Private\SentrySubsystem.cpp:118]
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:702][ 0]LogWindows: Error: [Callstack] 0x00007ff74e004f71 App.exe!UErrorReporterFunctionLibrary::InitializeErrorReporter() [D:\BuildAgent\work\f3f5847853072003\Source\App\ErrorReporter\ErrorReporterFunctionLibrary.cpp:65]
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:702][ 0]LogWindows: Error: [Callstack] 0x00007ff74e004002 App.exe!UAppGameInstance::Init() [D:\BuildAgent\work\f3f5847853072003\Source\App\Game\AppGameInstance.cpp:40]
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:702][ 0]LogWindows: Error: [Callstack] 0x00007ff74bdf0394 App.exe!UGameEngine::Init() [C:\Data\UE53\Engine\Source\Runtime\Engine\Private\GameEngine.cpp:1141]
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:702][ 0]LogWindows: Error: [Callstack] 0x00007ff74d3e4b68 App.exe!FEngineLoop::Init() [C:\Data\UE53\Engine\Source\Runtime\Launch\Private\LaunchEngineLoop.cpp:4810]
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:702][ 0]LogWindows: Error: [Callstack] 0x00007ff74d401986 App.exe!GuardedMain() [C:\Data\UE53\Engine\Source\Runtime\Launch\Private\Launch.cpp:168]
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:702][ 0]LogWindows: Error: [Callstack] 0x00007ff74d401b7a App.exe!GuardedMainWrapper() [C:\Data\UE53\Engine\Source\Runtime\Launch\Private\Windows\LaunchWindows.cpp:118]
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:702][ 0]LogWindows: Error: [Callstack] 0x00007ff74d404a26 App.exe!LaunchWindowsStartup() [C:\Data\UE53\Engine\Source\Runtime\Launch\Private\Windows\LaunchWindows.cpp:258]
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:702][ 0]LogWindows: Error: [Callstack] 0x00007ff74d414624 App.exe!WinMain() [C:\Data\UE53\Engine\Source\Runtime\Launch\Private\Windows\LaunchWindows.cpp:299]
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:702][ 0]LogWindows: Error: [Callstack] 0x00007ff75255d1ea App.exe!__scrt_common_main_seh() [D:\a_work\1\s\src\vctools\crt\vcstartup\src\startup\exe_common.inl:288]
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:702][ 0]LogWindows: Error: [Callstack] 0x00007ff84daf7374 KERNEL32.DLL!UnknownFunction []
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:702][ 0]LogWindows: Error:
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:706][ 0]LogExit: Executing StaticShutdownAfterError
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:710][ 0]LogWindows: FPlatformMisc::RequestExit(1, LaunchWindowsStartup.ExceptionHandler)
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:710][ 0]LogWindows: FPlatformMisc::RequestExitWithStatus(1, 3, LaunchWindowsStartup.ExceptionHandler)
[2025.10.09-17.16.13:710][ 0]LogCore: Engine exit requested (reason: Win RequestExit)

App 3.log

[linear]

UNREAL-98

[tustanivsky]

@tim3dsource This crash is likely caused by an existing limitation in sentry-native which Unreal plugin uses internally on Windows. I’ve opened a separate issue in the corresponding repo to track it - getsentry/sentry-native#1410

Note: I was able to reproduce the exact same error on my end with 0.21.1 using the marketplace package version however the github one can handle long paths as expected. The key difference between the two is the crash capturing backend - the former uses Breakpad while the latter relies on Crashpad. We no longer support Breakpad on Windows and starting from SDK version 1.0.0 only a single package variant is available on GitHub releases page.

Upgrading to the latest plugin version should help to resolve this problem (see the migration guide). However, if you prefer to stay on version 0.21.1 you can consider switching to the github package version instead.