Originally posted by explodingstar:

I bought RDO on steam and when it was finally downloaded it had me download the Rockstar Game Launcher. Neither have let me play the game. Rockstar just says "failed to initialize"

Hi explodingstar, try to manually instruct Steam to launch directly.

From Steam library, right-click Red Dead Online, Properties. General, Launch Options. Copy & paste:

-steamAppId=1404210


1404210 should be the ID for most people. But you can also check the ID for your game in:

Red Dead Online, Properties, Updates, App ID.

If the numbers are different, just replace with your numbers. Please mark this "Answered," if it worked for you, so others with the same issue can find the solution faster.

Originally posted by CC:

Originally posted by explodingstar:

I bought RDO on steam and when it was finally downloaded it had me download the Rockstar Game Launcher. Neither have let me play the game. Rockstar just says "failed to initialize"

Hi explodingstar, try to manually instruct Steam to launch directly.

From Steam library, right-click Red Dead Online, Properties. General, Launch Options. Copy & paste:

-steamAppId=1404210


1404210 should be the ID for most people. But you can also check the ID for your game in:

Red Dead Online, Properties, Updates, App ID.

If the numbers are different, just replace with your numbers. Please mark this "Answered," if it worked for you, so others with the same issue can find the solution faster.

I did try that code and that didn’t work. I’ve tried doing the administrative box as well and nothing has seemed to work. A friend of mine who is really good with computers suggested to buy the game through rockstar but if I can’t get the game launcher to work I’m not sure what else to do.

Originally posted by explodingstar:

Originally posted by CC:

Hi explodingstar, try to manually instruct Steam to launch directly.

From Steam library, right-click Red Dead Online, Properties. General, Launch Options. Copy & paste:

-steamAppId=1404210


1404210 should be the ID for most people. But you can also check the ID for your game in:

Red Dead Online, Properties, Updates, App ID.

If the numbers are different, just replace with your numbers. Please mark this "Answered," if it worked for you, so others with the same issue can find the solution faster.

I did try that code and that didn’t work. I’ve tried doing the administrative box as well and nothing has seemed to work. A friend of mine who is really good with computers suggested to buy the game through rockstar but if I can’t get the game launcher to work I’m not sure what else to do.

That's a good suggestion and would remove possible issues caused between Steam and Rockstar. I would try buying the Rockstar version like he recommended, and if it works, just request a refund for your Steam RDO.

With the Steam version, even though it can be started from the Rockstar Launcher, it has to go back to Steam for verification. Eliminating that process with the RS version would remove 50% of possible issue.

Let us know how it turns out. We can help you with the next issue with cheaters and creating solo lobbies to play without disruption...it's an easy fix, just don't want to bombard you with info too soon 🤣😊

By the way, your computer meets the game's min requirements right? Just something sometimes overlooked but can be potato.

My computer does meet all of the mins required for both rockstar game launcher and rdo. I have gotten a refund from steam but I am still getting a message from rockstar saying “unable to initialize” and I don’t know how to fix that issue.

I have seen a few people that say creating a local account instead of using a Microsoft one has worked so I am trying that now. I will post an update if it works or not

Creating a local account and trying to run rockstar launcher with and without running as administrator did not work for me.

You should contact Rockstar Support team, so they can open a ticket and look into it further and log the issue. They'll be able to get all the necessary info from your PC there to figure out the cause of your specific case. The process can take some time, so it's a good idea to start that first.

So right now, you're trying to play using a copy of RDO bought from RockStar, correct?

Just to make sure your system is cleared from anything that can potentially cause issue, you can try the following below. After that, start your game. If it still doesn't work, uninstall/reinstall Rockstar Launcher and try again, to make sure it was installed from start to finish through Rockstar, instead of through Steam.


Log out of Steam and other apps.

REMOVING TEMPORARY FILES

Press Windows + R
Type: %temp%
Press: Enter
Delete everything in the Temp folder. Skip the ones you can't.

TEMP

Windows + R
Type: temp
Press: Enter
Delete everything in the Temp folder.

PREFETCH

Windows + R
Type: prefetch
Press: Enter
Delete everything in the prefetch folder.

Right click on red dead online in ur steam libary and then click properties, then installed files, and then click verify integrity of game files, when its done try playing it then

I have tried to go through rockstar support and they're absolutely useless. I cannot buy the game through rockstar because you can only buy the game through the game launcher and I have not been able to get that to open for me. So far I have found no solution to be able to open rockstar game launcher and I have given up trying to get ROD to work on a pc. I will be buying it on an xbox and playing it on there.

Originally posted by explodingstar:

I have tried to go through rockstar support and they're absolutely useless. I cannot buy the game through rockstar because you can only buy the game through the game launcher and I have not been able to get that to open for me. So far I have found no solution to be able to open rockstar game launcher and I have given up trying to get ROD to work on a pc. I will be buying it on an xbox and playing it on there.

You can also buy the game through Rockstar Social Club, but that is pointless if you can't start the launcher. That was the point I was trying to understand completely -- if you had bought from Steam, couldn't launch there, tried to launch from RS launcher with the steam copy of the game, couldn't launch there, then bought the game from RS but couldn't launch either. But I see you're stopped at RS launcher.

If you haven't given up:

Remove the launcher that automatically downloaded after buying the game on Steam. Download the launcher from Rockstar's site -- you can search for Rockstar Launcher on your browser.

Did you do any of clearing temporary files I mentioned above? That part is important. You never confirmed it, so it's why I'm asking. Repeat that part, then install RS launcher and start.

I did try deleting the temporary files. It just takes me through installing RS launcher, then it updating on its own, then to select what language I want. Then it goes through accepting what it will be installing and the terms and services. Then I allow it to be placed in the file it has automatically chosen. Then I press the close button and it repeats the whole process again but this time it says failed to initialize.

Originally posted by explodingstar:

I did try deleting the temporary files. It just takes me through installing RS launcher, then it updating on its own, then to select what language I want. Then it goes through accepting what it will be installing and the terms and services. Then I allow it to be placed in the file it has automatically chosen. Then I press the close button and it repeats the whole process again but this time it says failed to initialize.

You installed the launcher from Rockstar's site, correct?

What version of Windows are you using?

If Windows 10 or 11:

Check your RS Launcher to see if it isn't running in any compatibility modes. If it is, uncheck it.

From your desktop, right-click RS Launcher, Open file location.

Launcher.exe, right-click, Properties. Under Compatibility, uncheck "Run this program in compatibility mode" if it is checked.

Repeat that for: RockstarService.exe, LauncherPatcher.exe.

By the way, did you get any messages from Windows Security (that it had blocked anything)?

I didn’t get any messages from windows security but I also went through the process of manually putting RC launched in the exception