diff --git a/changelog.d/20261020-client-elevation.md b/changelog.d/20261020-client-elevation.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1e84aab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/20261020-client-elevation.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+area: manager
+type: fixed
+audience: players
+title: Play can launch Windows clients that require administrator approval
+---
+Windows now shows its normal permission prompt when the game requires elevation. Other launch errors retain their original details.
diff --git a/crates/coa-core/Cargo.toml b/crates/coa-core/Cargo.toml
index 113c946..8603104 100644
--- a/crates/coa-core/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/coa-core/Cargo.toml
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ rand_core = { version = "0.6", features = ["getrandom"] }
 ed25519-dalek = { version = "2", features = ["rand_core"] }
 
 [target.'cfg(windows)'.dependencies]
-windows-sys = { version = "0.60", features = ["Win32_Foundation", "Win32_Storage_FileSystem", "Win32_System_Threading", "Win32_System_SystemInformation", "Win32_System_Diagnostics_ToolHelp", "Win32_NetworkManagement_IpHelper", "Win32_Networking_WinSock"] }
+windows-sys = { version = "0.60", features = ["Win32_Foundation", "Win32_Storage_FileSystem", "Win32_System_Threading", "Win32_System_SystemInformation", "Win32_System_Diagnostics_ToolHelp", "Win32_NetworkManagement_IpHelper", "Win32_Networking_WinSock", "Win32_UI_Shell", "Win32_System_Registry", "Win32_UI_WindowsAndMessaging"] }
 
 [features]
 testkit = []
diff --git a/crates/coa-core/src/client.rs b/crates/coa-core/src/client.rs
index 855e5ae..820a22e 100644
--- a/crates/coa-core/src/client.rs
+++ b/crates/coa-core/src/client.rs
@@ -313,14 +313,71 @@ pub fn launch(client: &Path) -> Result<u32> {
     if crate::platform::flavor() == crate::platform::Flavor::Docker {
         return crate::wine::launch(client, exe);
     }
-    let child = Command::new(client.join(exe)).current_dir(client).spawn()?;
-    Ok(child.id())
+    let executable = client.join(exe);
+    let spawn = || Command::new(&executable).current_dir(client).spawn().map(|child| child.id());
+    #[cfg(windows)]
+    { launch_with_elevation_fallback(spawn, || launch_elevated(&executable, client)).map_err(Into::into) }
+    #[cfg(not(windows))]
+    { spawn().map_err(Into::into) }
+}
+
+/// Start normally first; ask Windows for elevation only when the client requires it (ERROR_ELEVATION_REQUIRED, 740).
+/// Any other error, including the player declining the prompt (1223), is returned unchanged.
+#[cfg(windows)]
+fn launch_with_elevation_fallback(
+    spawn: impl FnOnce() -> std::io::Result<u32>,
+    elevate: impl FnOnce() -> std::io::Result<u32>,
+) -> std::io::Result<u32> {
+    match spawn() {
+        Err(error) if error.raw_os_error() == Some(740) => elevate(),
+        result => result,
+    }
+}
+
+/// Start only the game with the normal Windows permission prompt; the Manager itself stays unelevated.
+#[cfg(windows)]
+fn launch_elevated(executable: &Path, directory: &Path) -> std::io::Result<u32> {
+    use std::os::windows::ffi::OsStrExt;
+    use windows_sys::Win32::Foundation::CloseHandle;
+    use windows_sys::Win32::System::Threading::GetProcessId;
+    use windows_sys::Win32::UI::Shell::{ShellExecuteExW, SHELLEXECUTEINFOW, SEE_MASK_NOCLOSEPROCESS, SEE_MASK_NOASYNC};
+    use windows_sys::Win32::UI::WindowsAndMessaging::SW_SHOWNORMAL;
+    let file: Vec<u16> = executable.as_os_str().encode_wide().chain(Some(0)).collect();
+    let cwd: Vec<u16> = directory.as_os_str().encode_wide().chain(Some(0)).collect();
+    let verb: Vec<u16> = "runas".encode_utf16().chain(Some(0)).collect();
+    let mut info = SHELLEXECUTEINFOW {
+        cbSize: std::mem::size_of::<SHELLEXECUTEINFOW>() as u32,
+        fMask: SEE_MASK_NOCLOSEPROCESS | SEE_MASK_NOASYNC,
+        lpVerb: verb.as_ptr(),
+        lpFile: file.as_ptr(),
+        lpDirectory: cwd.as_ptr(),
+        nShow: SW_SHOWNORMAL,
+        ..Default::default()
+    };
+    if unsafe { ShellExecuteExW(&mut info) } == 0 { return Err(std::io::Error::last_os_error()); }
+    if info.hProcess.is_null() { return Err(std::io::Error::other("Windows did not return the game process handle.")); }
+    let pid = unsafe { GetProcessId(info.hProcess) };
+    let error = std::io::Error::last_os_error();
+    unsafe { CloseHandle(info.hProcess); }
+    if pid == 0 { return Err(error); }
+    Ok(pid)
 }
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
 
+    #[cfg(windows)]
+    #[test]
+    fn elevation_is_requested_only_when_windows_requires_it() {
+        assert_eq!(launch_with_elevation_fallback(|| Ok(17), || panic!("unneeded elevation")).unwrap(), 17);
+        assert_eq!(launch_with_elevation_fallback(|| Err(std::io::Error::from_raw_os_error(740)), || Ok(23)).unwrap(), 23);
+        let error = launch_with_elevation_fallback(|| Err(std::io::Error::from_raw_os_error(2)), || panic!("wrong error elevated")).unwrap_err();
+        assert_eq!(error.raw_os_error(), Some(2));
+        let cancelled = launch_with_elevation_fallback(|| Err(std::io::Error::from_raw_os_error(740)), || Err(std::io::Error::from_raw_os_error(1223))).unwrap_err();
+        assert_eq!(cancelled.raw_os_error(), Some(1223));
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn realm_selection_preserves_other_settings_bytes_and_line_endings() {
         let old = b"\xef\xbb\xbfSET realmName \"Wildcard\"\r\nSET accountName \"\xff\"\r\nset REALMNAME \"old\"\r\nSET realmList \"127.0.0.1\"";