Your antivirus is blocking SOTTR.exe or steam_api64.dll .
The game requires a certain permission level to communicate with Steam. If your user account has standard permissions but Steam is running in restricted mode, the handshake fails. Running Steam as admin elevates its permissions to match what the game expects.
Are you running any specialized ? Share public link shadow of the tomb raider failed to initialize steam fixed
You stare at the message. You are running Steam. You can see your friends list. You just downloaded a 40GB update. Yet, the game refuses to acknowledge the platform it was built for.
Repeat these exact steps for the file located in your game's installation folder. Verify Integrity of Game Files Your antivirus is blocking SOTTR
Follow this comprehensive troubleshooting guide to resolve the initialization glitch permanently and jump back into Lara Croft’s adventure. Phase 1: Force Restart and Admin Permissions
Fix 3: Verify Integrity of Game Files (Most Likely Solution) Running Steam as admin elevates its permissions to
Right-click on and select Properties . Navigate to the Installed Files (or Local Files ) tab.
The "failed to initialize Steam" or "SteamAPI" error in Shadow of the Tomb Raider