Escape from Tarkov "restart through Steam is required" (fix)
Clicking Play in the BSG Launcher shows "An update is available, a restart through Steam is required. The application will be closed." even though Steam shows no update to download.
Also appears as: An update is available, a restart through Steam is required. The application will be closed., tarkov restart through steam required, tarkov update available no update on steam, BSG launcher tells me an update is required, tarkov launcher run the update in Steam
The BSG Launcher thinks it is out of date and tells you to restart through Steam, but Steam has nothing to download. We rate it your side because verifying files did not help one poster, but that is a judgement, not a confirmed cause.
Two Steam threads quote the same text: one from 28 September, before patch 1.2.0.0, and one from 6 October where the poster says they have tried for three days. During the 1.2.0.0 maintenance, other players saw a similar "run the update in Steam" message that cleared once the patch was out.
Battlestate has not replied and nobody posted a fix.
Fix it, step by step
Fully exit and restart Steam, then launch Tarkov again
Right-click the Steam tray icon, choose Exit, wait a few seconds, start Steam again and press Play from your library. This is the literal instruction in the dialog. No thread reports it working, so treat it as untested.
Check Steam Downloads for a pending update and verify files
Open Downloads in Steam to see whether an Escape from Tarkov update is queued, and let it finish. Then use Properties, Installed Files, Verify integrity of game files. The 28 September poster says they verified integrity and the loop stayed, so this may not help.
Wait if a patch is rolling out (maintenance window active)
If Battlestate has an install in progress, wait for it to end. During the 1.2.0.0 maintenance on 6 October (announced as 5 to 7 hours, "may be extended") one player saw the launcher tell them to run the update in Steam, and a reply said the update was not finished yet. Check the live status page.
- NoteUnconfirmed
No Steam reply or Battlestate post gives a fix. One suggested uninstalling, deleting leftover files and reinstalling, but the poster did not report back that it worked.
Sorted. Glad that worked.
Nothing worked. Here's what to do next.
You've ruled out every step on this page, which is useful. Send this to support or drop it in the community Discord so nobody makes you repeat yourself.
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What people are saying
Notes from players who've hit this one — no time limit, an answer from months ago is still an answer.
- Nothing reported here yet.
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