This may seem obvious, but it’s the most common cause. Make sure the Steam client is actively running and that you are logged into your account. Sometimes, Steam may be running in the system tray (near the clock), but the game still can't detect it. Try fully exiting Steam (right-click the Steam icon in the system tray and select "Exit" or "Quit") and then relaunch it from your desktop or Start Menu. Once you've successfully logged in, try launching DmC: Devil May Cry again from your Steam Library.
Corrupted shared system download folders or a broken Steam directory link can cause launch blocks across your library. Open and click Steam in the top left corner. Go to Settings , then select the Storage tab. Dmc Devil May Cry Steam Must Be Running To Play This
If the error persists across multiple games, your Steam client installation might be corrupted. You can refresh Steam without losing your downloaded library. Exit Steam. This may seem obvious, but it’s the most common cause
The error "DmC: Devil May Cry – Steam must be running to play this" is infuriating precisely because it's tautological. Of course Steam is running—you downloaded the game from it. But behind the scenes, a fragile handshake between a 2013 DRM system and a 2026 Steam client has failed. Try fully exiting Steam (right-click the Steam icon