Borderlands 4 Won't Launch on Steam? How to Fix It

What to know

• Borderlands 4 debuted on September 12, 2025, breaking Steam records with over 200,000 peak players, but technical glitches have left many unable to even start the game.
• Issues like silent crashes, black screens, and "unable to launch" errors often stem from corrupted files, overlays, or antivirus interference.
• Gearbox released a hotfix on launch day addressing some launch failures, with more updates promised for performance and stability.
• To fix, start by verifying game files and disabling Steam Overlay—simple steps that resolve the problem for most players.

You hit play on Borderlands 4, ready to dive into that chaotic vault-hunting world, only for Steam to tease you with a loading spinner that goes nowhere. Frustrating, right? Since its September 12, 2025 release, thousands of PC players have reported the game refusing to launch, contributing to its initial "mostly negative" Steam reviews that have since nudged up to "mixed." To showcase their frustration, Steam users stuck with Borderlands 4 not launching on the platform swirled with questions, comments, and some even provided answers.

This Guide can help you in troubleshooting those issues. Here's what you need to know and do to get back in the action.

Borderlands 4 Won't Launch on Steam issue: How to fix

Don't sweat it—you've got straightforward options to try, starting with the basics Gearbox recommends. Work through these in order, testing a launch after each one. Most players see success by step 3 or 4.

Fix 1: Verify integrity of files

Step 1:

Restart Steam and check for updates. Close Steam completely (right-click the icon in your system tray and select "Exit").

Step 2:

Relaunch the Steam app on your PC. Go to Library.

Step 3:

Now, right-click on Borderlands 4 game in your library and select Properties.

Step 4:

Click "Installed files" and then click "Verify integrity of game files".

Fix 2: Disable Steam overlay

If you want to disable the overlay for a single game instead of globally, go to your Library, right-click on the game, and select Properties. Under the General tab, uncheck Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game.

However, if you want to disable the Steam Overlay feature for all games in Steam, you can disable it using the guide below.

Step 1:

Open Steam and click on the Steam option in the top-left corner. From the dropdown menu, select Settings.

Step 2:

In the Settings window, go to the In-Game section. Uncheck the box that says Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game. After that, click OK to save the changes.

Fix 3: Clear Steam's download cache

Step 1:

Open Steam and click on the Steam option in the top-left corner. From the dropdown, select Settings to access the main menu.

Step 2:

In the Settings window, go to the Downloads section. Scroll down and click on "Clear cache".

Optimize your settings

Even if it launches, performance hiccups like stuttering or low frames can mimic launch fails. Gearbox shared expected benchmarks based on official specs—use this table to gauge if tweaks are needed post-fix.

Pro tip: After any graphics tweak, play for at least 15 minutes to let shaders recompile fully—Gearbox notes this is key for stable performance.

Borderlands 4 Won't Launch on Steam? Here's Why

Launch days for big titles like this Unreal Engine 5-powered looter-shooter often bring surprises, and Borderlands 4's PC version—available on Steam and Epic Games Store—has been no exception. The game hit a record 207,479 concurrent players on Steam shortly after going live, surpassing Borderlands 3's peak.

But alongside the hype, players encountered silent failures where the game process starts for a few seconds then vanishes, black screens on startup, or errors like "Application Hang Detected" during loading. These aren't universal, but they're widespread enough that Gearbox quickly posted a dedicated PC troubleshooting page and rolled out a day-one patch to tackle file corruption and startup crashes.

The root causes? Often a mix of software conflicts and the game's demanding nature. For instance, third-party overlays (think Steam's own) or antivirus tools like Comodo can block the executable, while corrupted downloads from the rushed launch amplify the issue.

Intel 13th/14th-gen CPU users might see extra instability due to known hardware bugs, leading to spikes that halt launches. If you're on borderline specs, the shader compilation on first run can exacerbate things, making it feel like the game's just giving up.

Borderlands 4's rocky Steam start doesn't define the whole adventure; with these fixes, you'll be looting and shooting in no time, joining those record-breaking player numbers. Gearbox is on it with patches, so hang tight if issues linger—your epic tale on Kairos awaits.