[2023] "Steam runtime communication error"

I have at least one other case just like this. I'm escalating to Paradox tonight.

@Deuterium Oxide  

Possibly a stupid question but have you tried closing Steam completely, rebooting your PC and then starting Steam as administrator? Basically the problem is that the launcher couldn't talk to Steam:

Steam reported an unknown error. Additional information: Couldn't get SteamId: Steam API is not initialized  

RTErk said: They worked ONCE and then it went back to normal, I could open the launcher normally a single time.

Thus showing it's a problem with, or at least triggered by, the current launcher version. @TinyWiking

@Deuterium Oxide is there anything you can add to this?  

lymond said: I'm getting this issue as well now. Please fix

Are you also getting this in the detailed launcher log?

2023-01-25T17:52:19.204Z (pid:9444) error [SteamService]: Failed to initialize Steam API: Error: Steam initialization failed. Steam is running,but steam_appid.txt is missing. Expected to find it in: ~\AppData\Local\Programs\Paradox Interactive\launcher-v2.2023.1.1\steam_appid.txt
at r.exports.d.init (~\AppData\Local\Programs\Paradox Interactive\launcher-v2.2023.1.1\resources\app.asar\dist\main\main.js:5:2304245)

Or something else?  

• Right click the game in question in Steam > Properties > Launch Options
• Paste in this: --pdxlDebug
• Run the game
• Once it fails to launch, locate the logs in the following place depending on your platform:

Logs are then in
%LocalAppData%\Paradox Interactive\launcher-v2\logs\
(example: C:\Users\{user}\AppData\Local\Paradox Interactive\launcher-v2\logs\)  

RTErk said: So... Any development on this issue? It's been a month.

I actually thought 2023.2.1 would help with this - is that what you are on now?

If so do you still get that SteamService error in the detailed log?  

Still this, I see:

2023-03-01T17:26:01.021Z (pid:12704) error [SteamService]: Failed to initialize Steam API: Error: Steam initialization failed. Steam is running,but steam_appid.txt is missing. Expected to find it in: ~\AppData\Local\Programs\Paradox Interactive\launcher-v2.2023.2.1\steam_appid.txt
at EventEmitter.r.exports.d.init (~\AppData\Local\Programs\Paradox Interactive\launcher-v2.2023.2.1\resources\app.asar\dist\main\main.js:5:2307469)
at ~\AppData\Local\Programs\Paradox Interactive\launcher-v2.2023.2.1\resources\app.asar\dist\main\main.js:5:2307188

I'll ping Paradox about this now.  

Only that I have seen no new reports since then, so I thought it had been fixed by a launcher or other update.

You ought to be on 2023.4.1 now, is that right?  

I don't know then. Let's try making this file:
~\AppData\Local\Programs\Paradox Interactive\launcher-v2.2023.4.1\steam_appid.txt
even though it should not actually need to be in that location.

Just make it in Notepad as a plain text file, and in it place the game's Steam ID:

236850