—and fails to find an active, authenticated Steam session. Common triggers include: Missing or Corrupted Files:
Note: Steam will automatically regenerate this folder when you open it again. 5. Check Antivirus Quarantines Open your antivirus software or Windows Defender. Check your protection history or quarantine vault. Tomb raider 2013 steam must be running to play this game
Sometimes, the error isn't about permissions but about a missing puzzle piece. The file responsible for the Steam integration is usually named steam_api.dll or similar. If this file has been accidentally deleted, corrupted by a hard drive error, or flagged and quarantined by an antivirus, the game cannot detect Steam. —and fails to find an active, authenticated Steam session
Are you playing a or a modified version of the game? How To Fix Steam Must Be Running To Play This Game Check Antivirus Quarantines Open your antivirus software or
The error often appears after Windows updates or installing other games that overwrite shared Visual C++ runtimes. Tomb Raider 2013 depends on specific versions.
This error is a notorious hurdle that has plagued the Tomb Raider community for over a decade. It strikes without warning, often after Windows updates, fresh installs, or seemingly at random. It locks players out of the game they own, leaving them staring at the desktop rather than exploring the island of Yamatai.
– Tomb Raider (2013) uses Steamworks DRM (Digital Rights Management). The game’s executable checks for a running steam.exe process and a valid steam_api.dll file. If either is missing, corrupted, or mismatched, the game thinks Steam is absent.