The most common cause of this issue is interference from third-party software, such as antivirus programs, that block the Steam client’s communication. Other potential causes include corrupted game files, outdated Steam versions, or administrative permission issues.
Method 1: Installing the Steam client (if applicable)
Before you try anything else, it’s important to make sure that you have the Steam client installed on your computer. The vast majority of PC games nowadays will require you to have Steam installed on your PC even if you install them from a disk. This occurs because most games use several services for authentication procedures and multiplayer components. Note: If you already have Steam installed on your computer, move down to the next method below.
Method 2: Updating the Steam client to the latest version
If Steam is installed on your computer, you might be encountering the error because the game you’re trying to launch requires a Steam version newer than the one you currently have installed. Several users struggling to resolve the same error message have reported that for them, the issue was resolved as soon as they updated Steam to the latest version available.
Method 3: Deleting foreign files (if applicable)
If you downloaded a game through Steam and then proceeded to modify the installation folder with custom content (mods, cheats, scripts, etc.), the error is likely occurring because the Steam client is blocking those foreign files from being used – which effectively brings the startup procedure of the game to a halt. This issue is quite common with multiplayer games that have a modding community such as PayDay 2, Fallout 4, and a few more. If you’re encountering this particular issue with a game with an altered installation folder, you will be able to resolve the “Steam must be running to play this game” error by removing the foreign files – most commonly, those foreign files being blocked are.dll and .lua files (Steam seems to have a problem with them). You can remove the troublesome files by navigating to the game’s installation folder and deleting the files manually or by doing a clean game reinstall.
Method 4: Verifying the game’s file integrity
Several users have reported that the “Steam must be running to play this game” error was resolved after they verified the game’s integrity through the Steam client. This scenario is known to occur when a game is incorrectly updated through Steam. This particular error will get thrown if the Steam client discovers that the game’s folder is missing some files. To remedy this issue, you’ll need to verify the integrity of the game’s files. If the scan reveals any inconsistencies, Steam will download the missing components.
Method 5: Logging out & launching the game from admin Steam
Several users struggling to resolve the “Steam must be running to play this game” error have managed to get the issue resolved after logging out of Steam, closing the client, reopening the client, and launching the game from Steam. This procedure was reported to be successful for a lot of users encountering the issue with Call of Duty: World War 2.
Method 6: Reinstalling Steam & game
As it turns out, the issue can also occur if your Steam installation is corrupt. If a number of Steam files are corrupted, the client will be unable to open the services required by the game. Several users struggling with the “Steam must be running to play this game” error have reported that the issue was resolved and the game was running normally after they reinstalled Steam along with the game that was throwing the error.
