In very rare cases, you may need to disable your Windows Defender firewall to allow Steam to connect you to your friends' game. To do so, follow these steps:

👉 In the Windows search bar at the bottom left of your screen, type firewall



👉 Select Windows Defender Firewall




👉 Click on Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off





👉Select Turn off Windows Defender Firewall for both network settings






👉 Confirm your choice — and you're all set

⚠️ WARNING: Disabling your firewall poses no risk to your system during your game session. However, I strongly recommend reactivating it immediately after your game by following the same steps above. The only difference is in the final step: this time, click Turn on Windows Defender Firewall for both network settings.