The only minor frustration is that this is not an official patch from Square Enix or Crystal Dynamics. Users have to manually edit game files to fix a developer-level oversight. Additionally, if you verify game files later, Steam might delete your text file, requiring you to re-create it.
The error is not a bug in the game itself — it’s a between the game’s DRM/license check and the Steam client. Most commonly, it happens because the game is launched outside Steam’s expected environment. Following the steps above (especially #1, #2, and #7) resolves it in 99% of cases. shadow of the tomb raider failed to initialize steam fixed