Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Reveal Trailer Appears at Xbox Showcase 2024
Image via Activision

How to Fix Black Ops 6 not Launching in Steam

The day a new multiplayer game like Call of Duty launches is massive for the community. So, if an issue is preventing Black Ops 6 from launching on Steam, obviously it’s a problem players want to resolve ASAP. Many players have reported issues with Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 not launching on Steam, as seen in discussions on Reddit and other forums.

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While the developers have not yet released a formal fix, the community has found some potential solutions. Here’s a rundown of the most popular methods.

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Image via Activision

Fixing Steam launch issues in Black Ops 6

  1. Managing randgrid.sys File: This issue seems to affect players with multiple drives. This issue has allegedly appeared in previous CoD titles as well. A Reddit user discovered that the error often stems from a missing randgrid.sys file. You can find more details in a log file named bootstrapper.log within the game’s installation folder. The game might be looking for this file on a different drive than where it’s installed. To resolve this, copy the randgrid.sys file from the installation directory to the location specified in the log file.
  2. Uninstalling Third-Party Anti-Cheat Software: Another potential solution is to uninstall third-party anti-cheat software, such as Faceit AntiCheat. The Ricochet Anti-Cheat system used by Black Ops 6 can be overly sensitive and might conflict with other software. Removing such programs has helped some players get the game running.
  3. Disabling Steam Cloud and Verifying Game Files: Some users have found success by going into Steam settings, navigating to Cloud, and disabling Steam Cloud. After doing this, verify the game files through Steam. This will identify and replace any missing or corrupted files, potentially resolving the launch issue.
  4. Reach Out for Support: If the above methods don’t resolve the issue, it may be time to reach out to the game’s support team or wait for an official patch. Sometimes, these problems are fixed in subsequent updates, so keeping an eye out for patches is recommended.

These solutions have proven effective for many players facing Black Ops 6 launch problems, making them worth trying if you’re encountering similar issues.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is currently available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC.


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Cory Dinkel
Cory Dinkel is a freelance writer for Siliconera since 2023. An award-winning digital journalist, he has worked for local and national news outlets for nearly a decade. His favorite genre is the JRPG and he will not be taking questions during his "There is Not a Love Triangle in Final Fantasy VII" speech.