Fixing "Helldivers 2 Not Launching" Error on Steam

Eager to embark on intense new missions in Arrowhead Game Studio's Helldivers 2, but met with endless loading screens or crashes instead? This frustration unfortunately plagues portions of the Steam playerbase at launch. Luckily, reliable fixes exist to circumvent the pesky not launching errors. Let us take a look at how to fix the "Helldivers 2 not launching on Steam error"

Why Helldivers 2 Fails to Launch on Steam

While PlayStation 5 versions launch smoothly, an anomaly strictly affecting Helldivers 2 on Steam sabotages countless players' attempts to boot the game. Symptoms span launch crashes, indefinite load times, and abrupt closing without indicating any discernible cause.

How to fix the "Helldivers 2 not launching on Steam error"?

Helldivers 2's bustling online community swiftly rallied to investigate workarounds. User testimonies reveal updating the Visual C++ Redistributable runtime tops the list of effective remedies:

1. Download the latest C++ update straight from Microsoft as an admin.
2. Run the installer as administrator to update the runtime.
3. Locate Helldivers2.exe in local Steam files.
4. Launch the EXE file itself as an admin.

This restores the corrupted GameGuard anti-cheat integration responsible for blocking entry. Multiple users additionally fixed stubborn loading by adding both the game and Steam to antivirus exclusions.

Alternative Troubleshooting Steps

For players still stuck at Helldivers 2's main menu, rebooting both Steam and their PCs may force the errors to desist. Reinstalling the game also proves occasionally successful as a last resort.

Arrowhead Studios remains fully invested in rectifying ongoing technical quirks affecting Helldivers 2's Steam launch. Further patches should wholly eliminate the most disruptive login roadblocks. Until official improvements emerge, the above community solutions offer the greatest chance for players to bypass the issues and experience everything Helldivers 2's explosive sequel offers.