You’ve got your red coat on, your swords sharpened, and you’re ready to slash through some demons. You double-click the DmC: Devil May Cry icon, the splash screen appears... and then nothing. Or worse, a frustrating pop-up halts your progress:
Run as Administrator: Right-click the Steam shortcut and select Run as Administrator. Do the same for the DMC-DevilMayCry.exe in the game's installation folder. Dmc Devil May Cry Steam Must Be Running To Play This
: Fully close Steam. Right-click the Steam shortcut and select Run as administrator Fixing the "Steam Must Be Running" Error in
it often points to a communication breakdown between the game and the Steam client, even if Steam is already open Common Fixes for "Steam Must Be Running" Delete the ClientRegistry.blob File : This is a classic fix for this specific error. Close Steam completely. Navigate to your Steam installation folder (usually C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam Find and delete the file named ClientRegistry.blob Restart Steam and try launching the game again. Run as Administrator Right-click DmC-DevilMayCry
Hope this helps someone still slaying demons in 2025+!
By systematically working through the fixes in this guide—starting with admin permissions and file verification, moving to registry repairs, and finally resorting to clean reinstalls—you will almost certainly resolve the issue. For the 1% of users still stuck, remember that a full OS reinstall is never worth it for a single game; instead, consider using Steam’s Remote Play Together feature to stream from another PC or simply request a refund if the game is unplayable.
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\DmC Devil May CryDmC-DevilMayCry.exe → Properties → Compatibility → Check Run this program as an administrator → OK.Verdict on this requirement:
It’s the mildest form of DRM. Unlike always-online DRM, it doesn’t hinder gameplay once set up. However, if you buy a key from a third-party site that says “Steam must be running,” they’re just reminding you that it’s not a DRM-free copy (like GOG). For most Steam users, this is standard and unnoticeable.