Battlefield 4 Won't Launch – EA App Loops "Preparing Game"

Hello everyone,

I’m reaching out after spending hours trying to get Battlefield 4 to work. I recently bought multiple Battlefield titles during the Steam sale. However, the excitement quickly turned into frustration as the game simply refuses to launch.

Initially, I ran into the "Running Install Script (PunkBuster Anti-Cheat)" issue. Solution: Minimize everything and check if you have the PunkBuster service setup running. For some reason, it doesn’t show up on the taskbar, and it can’t install without you accepting the license agreement.

Despite fixing that, the game still won’t launch. When I try to start it:

• The EA App launches and shows "Preparing Game."
• That message disappears, and for a moment, nothing happens.
• Then, the EA App reopens, but the game never starts.

What I've tried so far:

• Reinstalled and repaired the EA App and cleared the cache.
• Checked for missing files via Steam's "Verify Integrity" function.
• Tried launching as Admin (both the game and the EA App).
• Disabled firewall and antivirus temporarily.
• Tried running BF4.exe directly from the installation folder.
• Contacted EA Chat Support, but after multiple troubleshooting attempts, they asked me to post here.

I’ve scoured forums, Reddit, and YouTube for solutions, but nothing has worked so far. If anyone has encountered and resolved this issue, please share your fix.

Also, EA, if this is a known issue with Battlefield 4 on Steam + EA App, please acknowledge and provide a working solution. Many players are still buying and playing this game!

Thanks in advance for any help.

Attached: A video showing exactly what happens.