Or, worse, a tiny, smug error dialog box pops up that reads:
Copy and paste it into the Black Ops II main installation directory (e.g., C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Call of Duty Black Ops II ). How to solve steam-api.dll missing problem : r/PiratedGames
When launching Call of Duty: Black Ops II, the game fails with an error indicating it "cannot create steam-api.dll" (or that steam_api.dll is missing), preventing the game from starting.