Valorant Not Working: What’s Going On and What to Do

Why Is Valorant Not Working?

Valorant only runs when several pieces line up: Windows, the Riot Client, the Riot Vanguard anti-cheat, your network, and Riot’s servers for your region. Vanguard is strict, so a pending Windows update, a disabled security setting, or a clashing background app can stop the game before it starts.

On the network side, Wi-Fi drops, firewall rules, and DNS trouble cause most connection errors. Start with these quick checks, then jump to the section that matches what you see.

Is Valorant Down, or Is It Just You?

Riot runs patches and maintenance, and servers sometimes fail without warning. During downtime you may see VAL 39 (unavailable server) or VAL 46 (platform downtime), and Riot’s own advice for both is to try logging in again later.

Riot’s service status page at status.riotgames.com lists incidents and maintenance for each region. If nothing is listed and friends on the same server can play, the fault is on your side.

Valorant Not Loading

Valorant stuck on the loading screen, a black screen when opening, or a map load that never finishes usually points to damaged game files, background software, or an outdated driver. Riot’s launch guide suggests clearing the game’s cached files and doing a clean boot before anything drastic.

Valorant Won’t Open

When Valorant won’t open, you might click Play and see nothing, or get “Failed to launch. Something unusual has happened while trying to launch VALORANT.” Riot links that message to system interference: a firewall blocking the client, an outdated graphics driver, a Windows registry setting called DevOverrideEnable, or a broken Vanguard install.

After a fresh Vanguard install, the game may also ask for a reboot (VAL 45) before it will launch.

Valorant Vanguard Error

Vanguard is Riot’s anti-cheat, and a VAN error means it wants something checked before you play. VAN 0 means it couldn’t confirm your PC is ready, VAN -81 means it’s struggling to start or stay connected, VAN 68 means it lost the session it needed, and VAN 1067 means it hit an unexpected issue while checking your system.

The fixes overlap, so a few steps clear most of them. For VAN 68 and VAN -81, check your Windows clock too, since secure connections fail when the time is off.

Valorant Secure Boot Error

Some VAN codes mean Windows security features are missing. VAN 9001 means Vanguard needs TPM 2.0 but can’t see it enabled, and VAN 9003 means Secure Boot is off. VAN: RESTRICTION means your PC needs a Windows update or a security change, such as TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, Memory Integrity, or IOMMU, before the game can launch.

Riot lists Windows build 19045 or newer as the baseline for most VAN: RESTRICTION cases. TPM and Secure Boot live in your PC’s BIOS or UEFI, so menu names depend on your motherboard.

Valorant Connection Error

“A connection error has occurred” or “VALORANT has encountered a connection error” usually comes with VAL 0, VAL 1, VAL 128, or VAN -81. Riot’s first answer is to restart Valorant and the Riot Client, then your PC.

If that doesn’t help, the cause is usually unstable internet, a stale DNS cache, a firewall block (VAL 29), or a VPN or proxy sitting between you and Riot’s servers.

Valorant Login Problems

Login trouble has its own codes. VAL 5 means your account is signed in somewhere else, VAL 7 means the client couldn’t reach the session service and can also signal a suspension, and VAL 59 points to a login queue problem. A wrong password or a banned account won’t respond to network fixes.

Valorant Keeps Crashing

If Valorant keeps crashing, freezing your PC, or closing mid-game, Riot’s crash guide starts with hardware. Check your PC against the specs at playvalorant.com/specs, then update your graphics driver, DirectX, and Windows.

Heat and graphics settings matter too, so Riot also suggests a high-performance power plan and a frame rate cap to keep temperatures down.

Valorant High Ping

High ping, packet loss, and rubber-banding almost always trace back to the path between you and Riot’s servers. Wi-Fi is the usual suspect, and Riot’s network guide recommends a wired connection for both speed and stability. Your ISP’s default DNS can also be a poor fit for gaming.

If ping stays high on the closest server while your internet seems fine, your ISP’s route may be the weak spot. A nearby VPN server is worth testing then, though it can add ping too, so compare both.

Valorant Not Working on Console

Valorant on console runs on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. It needs a Riot account linked to your console and in good standing, with no active bans or suspensions. Console play is also limited to NA, EU, JP, BR, and part of OCE (Australia and New Zealand).

Console players can’t queue with PC players, and ranked progress doesn’t carry over. If your skins are missing, you may have linked the wrong Riot account.

Common Valorant Errors

Valorant errors come in two families. VAL codes come from the game and the Riot Client, and VAN codes come from Vanguard. Riot notes that its VAL list is currently out of date, so use this table as a guide and open the matching support article if a code keeps coming back.

Error	What it means	What to do
VAL 0 / VAL 1	Connection error	Restart Valorant and the Riot Client.
VAL 5	Your account is logged in elsewhere	Sign out on all other devices.
VAL 7	Couldn’t connect to the session service	Check your email for a suspension notice and check server status.
VAL 29	A network issue, often a firewall block	Allow Valorant through your firewall.
VAL 39	Server unavailable	Try logging in again later.
VAL 43	A system has timed out	Restart the Riot Client.
VAL 46	Platform downtime	Wait for maintenance to end.
VAL 61	Banned from playing Valorant	Submit a ticket to Riot support.
VAL 138	The game is running in a virtual machine	Install and play on regular Windows.
VAN 0	Vanguard couldn’t verify your PC is ready	Update Windows and set vgc to Automatic.
VAN -81	Vanguard can’t start or stay connected	Restart, check your clock, and reinstall Vanguard.
VAN 68	Vanguard lost its connection or session	Restart, fix your clock, and disable Killer Network Service.
VAN 152	Hardware ID ban on this device	Troubleshooting won’t lift it. Contact Riot support.
VAN 1067	Vanguard hit an unexpected issue at startup	Update Windows, unplug extra USB devices, and reinstall Vanguard.
VAN 9001	TPM 2.0 isn’t enabled	Turn on TPM 2.0 in your BIOS or UEFI.
VAN 9003	Secure Boot isn’t enabled	Turn on Secure Boot.
VAN: RESTRICTION	A Windows update or security setting is required	Update Windows and enable the feature the error names.

Why Can’t I Access Valorant?

Sometimes Valorant works, but the network around you blocks it. School, office, and public Wi-Fi often filter gaming traffic, and some ISPs throttle it or filter DNS. For these network blocks, a VPN is the practical fix, because the network only sees encrypted VPN traffic instead of a game connection.

Your account works differently. Riot ties each account to a region, or shard, based on where it was created, and that shard decides which servers and players you get. A VPN doesn’t move it, and region transfers go through Riot with eligibility limits. Bans such as VAL 61 or a VAN 152 hardware ban won’t lift on a new network either.

When a VPN Can Help with Valorant

A VPN solves a specific set of Valorant problems. It can get you past school, work, or public Wi-Fi blocks, avoid ISP throttling and DNS filtering, and keep your Riot login private on shared networks. In some cases it also gives a cleaner route to Riot’s servers than your ISP’s default path.

It won’t fix a Riot outage, a banned account, a wrong password, VAN errors, missing Secure Boot, or crashes. Riot advises against routing games through a VPN unless support suggests it, so use one only for the cases above. Planet VPN includes low-ping gaming servers, and you’ll find more on the VPN for Valorant page.

Valorant Not Working With a VPN

Riot’s connection guide warns that VPNs and proxies can cause a range of connection issues. A crowded shared server, a far-away location, a protocol that handles game traffic poorly, or a DNS leak are the usual reasons Valorant drops or lags with the VPN on.

A VPN location also won’t change your account’s region, so a distant server only adds delay.

How to Prevent Valorant Problems in the Future

Keep Windows, your graphics driver, and the Riot Client updated, and reboot now and then so Vanguard starts clean. Leave TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot on, let Windows set the clock, and play on a wired connection. If your network tends to block games, set up a VPN before match night instead of during it.

Conclusion

When Valorant isn’t working, go from the outside in: check Riot’s status page, restart the Riot Client and your PC, then match your VAL or VAN code to the fixes above. Most problems come down to Vanguard, Windows security settings, drivers, or the network. If Valorant runs everywhere except one network, a local block is the likely cause, and that’s where Planet VPN can get you back into matches.