diff --git a/packages/engine/src/services/browserManager.ts b/packages/engine/src/services/browserManager.ts
index 9e60bbe20..2f4ebac0d 100644
--- a/packages/engine/src/services/browserManager.ts
+++ b/packages/engine/src/services/browserManager.ts
@@ -580,6 +580,12 @@ export function buildChromeArgs(
     ...getLowMemoryFlags(),
     // Disable features that add overhead
     "--disable-features=AudioServiceOutOfProcess,IsolateOrigins,site-per-process,Translate,BackForwardCache,IntensiveWakeUpThrottling",
+    // Allow AudioContext to start without a user gesture in headless Chrome.
+    // Without this flag, any code path that constructs an AudioContext
+    // (including GSAP tweening an <audio> element's volume) triggers the
+    // autoplay policy and causes the AudioContext to stay suspended. The
+    // frame-capture loop then blocks waiting for it, deadlocking the render.
+    "--autoplay-policy=no-user-gesture-required",
   ];
 
   if (browserGpuMode !== "software") {
diff --git a/packages/engine/src/services/hdrCapture.ts b/packages/engine/src/services/hdrCapture.ts
index 2d2975780..93ac78f23 100644
--- a/packages/engine/src/services/hdrCapture.ts
+++ b/packages/engine/src/services/hdrCapture.ts
@@ -310,5 +310,6 @@ export function buildHdrChromeArgs(width: number, height: number): string[] {
     "--disable-sync",
     "--no-zygote",
     "--force-gpu-mem-available-mb=4096",
+    "--autoplay-policy=no-user-gesture-required",
   ];
 }