Players who are playing Borderlands 4 on their PCs are encountering a major and frustrating issue. According to many reports, players are unable to join or invite Steam friends, which prevents them from enjoying co-op gameplay. The matchmaking process should be smooth, but players are seeing an error message while joining or inviting their friends on Steam. If you are also encountering the same issue, go through this guide and find the best solutions.
How to Fix Borderlands 4 Cannot Play with Steam Friend Issue
Like many other players, if you are also unable to team up with your friends on Steam, check out this guide and learn how to fix it.
1. Unlink Steam from SHiFT
This is one of the most reliable solutions to fix the issue. Many players say that the main issue is SHiFT linking with Steam. Once you unlink Steam, you should be able to invite your friends on Steam. Here is how to do it:
- Go to the SHiFT website and log in to your account
- Click on your profile >> Gaming Platforms
- Find Steam >> Unlink / Disconnect
- Restart Steam and relaunch Borderlands 4
- Ensure not to open SHiFT in-game afterward
- Now, use the in-game Social >> Friends >> Invite option to play with your friend.
Well, just in case, if you are unable to access the SHiFT account for whatever reason, here is what you need to do:
- Go to the 2K/Gearbox Support website
- Open a ticket: select Borderlands 4 >> Online Play / SHiFT Issues
- Include your Steam profile URL, SteamID, and details (e.g., “Please unlink Steam from old SHiFT account”)
- If possible, try SHiFT’s “Forgot Password” first
- Wait until the support team responds, and then try again to invite your friends.
2 Use In-Game Social Menu (Not Steam Overlay)
An invitation to your friends can sometimes fail if you are using Steam’s overlay “Invite to Game”. Many players report that the in-game Social menu is more reliable, so do that:
- Launch the game and go to Pause >> Social
- Click on Friends >> select your Steam friend
- Send an Invite through the Social menu
Now, you should be able to join your friends to enjoy the game.
3. Close Leftover Processes Fully
Just in case the game is not closed properly, you might not be able to invite your friends. So, try closing any leftover processes related to the Borderlands game and then try to send an invitation to your friends.
4. Update Drivers and Windows
An outdated version of your drivers or Windows can also cause this issue. Some players have managed to resolve the issue simply by updating drivers and Windows to the latest version. Here is how to do it:
To download the latest drivers, it is recommended to visit the official website of the manufacturer of your GPU model (NVIDIA, AMD, Intel). After updating the GPU drivers to the latest version, make sure to reboot your PC once and then relaunch the game.
To update Windows, go to your PC’s Settings, go to Windows Update, and then click on “Check for updates”. If you find any new updates, install them and then relaunch the game.
5. Repair Game Files on Steam
Any missing or corrupted game files can be the root cause of this issue, so try repairing such game files by following the steps below:
Go to Steam Library >> Right-click on the game >> Properties >> Install Files >> Verify integrity of game files.
Wait for a while until the process completes, and then relaunch the game.
6. Disable Overlays & Antivirus
Overlays installed on your PC, such as Steam, Discord, and GeForce Experience) And antivirus software sometimes blocks the invite/join feature. So, try disabling Overlays as well as the Antivirus program installed on your PC, and then try to invite your friends on Steam.
7. Avoid Right-Clicking Steam Invite
While inviting friends on Steam, many players report that they do not use right-click. Instead, always use invites via in-game Social >> Friends. In case the Steam invite crashes the game, close any leftover processes using Task Manager and then relaunch the game.
That’s it for this guide on how to fix the Borderlands 4 cannot play with Steam friend issue.
