Fix: PUBG Failed to Initialize Steam Error

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Are you a PUBG player who loves to play the game on PC? To play the PUBG on your PC, you need to install the game via Steam.

However, many gamers have recently reported they were getting an error ‘failed to initialize steam’ when playing the PUBG on PC.

In this article, we have covered all the possible solutions to fix the PUBG failed to initialize STEAM error.

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Table of Contents

How to Fix PUBG Failed to Initialize Steam Error?

Most of the time, the PUBG failed to initialize Steam error pops up when the game is not correctly installed through Steam.

However, the reason for this error is not just restricted to the game installation. It also includes faults in Steam, outdated graphics, corrupted game files, etc.

To fix the issue, here are some possible solutions:

Verify the Integrity of the Game

Check if any files are missing in the PUBG game. It is difficult to find the missing game files in a general scenario.

However, Steam allows its users to scan and find the missing game files. Here is how you can find the missing files on Steam:

Firstly, open Steam and go to the library section.
Now, from the list of games you have downloaded, locate PUBG and right-click on the game.
Select ‘Properties’ from the list of the options.
Now, go to the local files tab and click on the ‘Verify integrity of the game files’.
If the files are more, it takes time to scan the entire game and come up with a list of missing files and fix it.
Once the fix is done, restart the game and play.

Restart Steam

Steam is usually set to startup, which means that the app runs in the background, even if you actively use it or not.

In case you are facing the ‘failed to initialize Steam’ error, follow the steps mentioned below to restart the Steam application:

Firstly, go to the system tray and then right-click on the Steam application.
Now, click on the ‘Exit’ option.
Go back to the Steam application from your Windows startup menu.
Run the PUBG game now and see if the error still exists or not.

Update the Drivers

Another reason for the Steam throwing up the ‘failed to initialize’ error is because of the outdated drivers. Check if you have any system updates or driver updates for the graphic card.

To check for the driver updates, you can follow the below mentioned process:

Firstly, press Windows + R to run the command prompt.
Now, type ‘devmgmt.msc’ and open the ‘Device Manager’.
Now, double click on the ‘Display Adapters’ option and click on ‘Update Drivers’.
After selecting the above option, you will get a popup window. You need to select ‘Search automatically for updated driver software’ and let Windows install the latest available drivers.

Disable the Firewall or Antivirus

Sometimes, an antivirus application or firewall can block your system from running the PUBG game smoothly. To check if there is an error with your antivirus or not, try to disable it temporarily and run the Steam application.

To disable the antivirus on your Windows system, follow the steps mentioned below:

Firstly, open the start menu.
Now, type the name of the antivirus installed in your system.
From the list of the options, select ‘Virus and Threat Protection’.
Now, turn off the ‘real-time protection’ and see if you can run the Steam application or not.

Run PUBG as an Administrator

If you are constantly facing the ‘failed to initialize Steam’ error, you can run the game as an administrator and check. Most of the time, running the application as an administrator will clear the issues with permissions.

To run the game as an administrator, follow the steps mentioned below:

Firstly, open the file explorer.
Now, navigate to the file location where the PUBG game is installed.
Right-click on the .exe file of the PUBG game and select the option ‘Run as an Administrator.’

Alternatively, to fix this issue, you can also run the Steam application as an administrator. This will clear the bugs and permission issues associated with the user roles.

Disable Fullscreen Optimizations for the Game

Full-screen optimizations are one of the best features introduced in Windows 10 to boost the performance of the game. However, some games have stability issues in running on a full-screen mode.

To disable the fullscreen mode on Windows, follow the steps mentioned below:

Press the ‘Windows + E’ shortcut to open the file explorer.
Go to the folder where the Steam application is installed. By default, the application will be installed in the C: drive.
Now, go to the address: steamapps\common\TslGame\Binaries\Win64\.
Right-click on the game application (.exe file) and select properties.
Now, go to the compatibility tab and click on the ‘Disable fullscreen optimization.’
Click on ‘Apply’ to save the changes.

Delete and Re-install the Steam Application

If you have followed all the steps mentioned above and yet the Steam application issue is not fixed, then try to delete the Steam application and re-install it. This is highly likely to work, as it removes all the bugs associated with the Steam application when you uninstall it.

To uninstall and re-install the Steam application, follow the process given below:

Firstly, open the ‘Run’ box by pressing the ‘Win + R’ shortcut.
Now, type appwiz.cpl and hit enter.
After the application manager opens, search for the Steam application.
Now, right-click on the Steam application and select uninstall option.

Wait till the Steam application uninstalls completely and restarts your system.
After the restart is done, it is recommended to install the Steam from the Microsoft Store.

Conclusion

Now that you know the list of possible solutions to fix the ‘failed to initialize Steam’ issue, do give it a try and let us know which of the above methods worked for you in the comment section below.