Look for the , Virus Chest , or Protection History section.
Then the game crashed.
Locate a healthy steamapi64.dll from another Steam game (most 64-bit Steam games use the same file). Copy and paste it into the Dark Souls II\Game directory. 💡 Key Safety Tip
If you use Windows Defender or a third-party antivirus, the file may have been moved to quarantine. Open your . Look for the Quarantine or Protection History section. If you see steamapi64.dll listed, select Restore .
If you find it there, restore the file and add an exclusion for the game's installation folder to prevent this from happening again. To do this in Windows Security: steamapi64dll dark souls 2
Go to the Dark Souls 2 installation folder (usually Steam\steamapps\common\Dark Souls II ). Right-click the DarkSoulsII.exe file and select . Switch to the Compatibility tab. Check the box for Run this program as an administrator . Click Apply and then OK . A Warning Against Third-Party DLL Download Sites
: Make sure your version of Dark Souls 2 is up to date. The game might have patches that fix issues related to steam_api64.dll .
steam_api64.dll file is a critical library that allows Dark Souls II
Sudden crashes, interrupted downloads, or hard drive errors can corrupt the file. Look for the , Virus Chest , or Protection History section
: Managing online invasions and co-op play. Common Reasons for the Error
An interrupted game update or a partial download can leave the file missing.
Here are a few proactive tips to avoid this error from recurring:
The safest and most effective way to restore a missing or corrupted steamapi64.dll file is to let Steam redownload it directly from official servers. Launch the . Navigate to your Library . Copy and paste it into the Dark Souls II\Game directory
Right-click on (or Scholar of the First Sin ) and select Properties .
Avoid downloading .dll files from random "DLL fixer" websites. These files are often outdated or bundled with malware. Always use Steam's verification tool to get the official file.
Right-click on and select Properties . Navigate to the Installed Files (or Local Files ) tab.
Look for the , Quarantine , or Chest section.