[2022] Game crashes on startup + launcher error

Your antivirus app is getting in the way:

[23:44:24][virtualfilesystem_physfs.cpp:1193]: Could not open file: settings.txt, error: permission denied

What antivirus app do you use? You need to make sure all these apps are in its exceptions lists:

stellaris.exe and dowser.exe (in the Steam Stellaris folder)
C:/users//AppData/Local/Programs/Paradox Interactive/launcher-v2.2022.1/paradox launcher.exe
C:/users//AppData/Local/Programs/Paradox Interactive/bootstrapper-v2.exe

Good luck with that!