To fix the "Steam must be running to play this game" DmC: Devil May Cry
Just bought the Definitive Edition or trying to replay the classic, but stuck on the launch screen? ❌ To fix the "Steam must be running to
Believe it or not, your antivirus might be the "bad guy" here. Some antivirus software flags steam_api.dll as a false positive (thinking it's a virus) and quarantines it, causing the game to lose connection with Steam. It’s a frustratingly common issue for PC gamers,
It’s a frustratingly common issue for PC gamers, especially those playing the older DmC: Devil May Cry (2013) or the Definitive Edition via Steam. The good news? You don’t need to be a tech wizard to fix it. Run as Administrator : Right-click the Steam app
Run as Administrator: Right-click the Steam app and select Run as administrator. If the error persists, do the same for the game's executable (DMC-DevilMayCry.exe) found in the local files.
Corrupted files can cause the game to fail its "Steam check". Open your Steam Library. Right-click DmC: Devil May Cry and select Properties.