4 Ways to Fix the Valorant VAN 81 Error on a Windows PC

The Valorant VAN 81 error is a connection issue many players have reported on troubleshooting forums and Reddit. The VAN 81 error message says: “VALORANT has encountered a connection error. Please relaunch the client to reconnect. Error Code: VAN -81.” Players who need to fix this issue see that error message when they start Valorant on Windows PCs. The game doesn’t start because of this error. This is how you can fix the Valorant VAN 81 error on Windows 11/10 PCs.

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Start or Restart VGC

The most widely confirmed way to resolve the Valorant VAN 81 error is to start or restart the VGC service. That’s a service required for the Riot Vanguard anti-cheat software, which is essential for playing Valorant. The VAN 81 error usually occurs either because that service isn’t running or needs restarting to address issues with it. This is how you can start or restart the VGC service.

1. First, make sure there aren’t any Riot-related processes running in the background by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc and clicking the Processes tab. Right-click all Riot or Vanguard services you see there to select End task.
2. Start Run by pressing both the Windows logo and R keys on your keyboard simultaneously.
3. Type in services.msc into Run and press Enter (or click OK).
4. Double-click on VGC within the Services apps.
   
   

   The Services window

5. Select the Automatic drop-down menu setting for vgc if any other option is selected.
   
   

   The vgc Properties window

6. Click on the Start in the VGC Properties window if the service isn’t running.
7. Select Apply to set the changed service settings.
8. Click on OK to close out of the VGC Properties window.

Should you find VGC is already running, try restarting the service. You can do this by clicking VGC in the Services window with the right mouse button and selecting Restart. Alternatively, select Stop and Start inside the vgc Properties window.

Add the VGC Service to the Windows Startup

This potential resolution is like the previous one because adding the VGC to the Windows 11/10 startup sets that service to start automatically. Doing that should ensure VGC starts straight after you log into Windows. You can enable the VGC service with MSConfig like this.

1. Bring up Run and type in a msconfig command into its Open box.
2. Click OK to start the MSConfig (otherwise System Configuration) tool.
3. Select Services to view a list of enabled and disabled services.
4. Next, click Hide all Microsoft services to exclude them from the tab.
   
   

   The Services tab

5. Select the checkbox for vgc if that service isn’t enabled.
6. Press Apply and click on OK within the System Configuration window.
7. Select Restart on the System Configuration prompt that appears.
   
   

   The Restart option

8. Try playing Valorant after the restart.

Add Riot Vanguard to Your Firewall’s Allowed List

Another possible cause of the VAN 81 error is that a firewall on your PC is blocking Riot Vanguard’s connectivity. This can happen if that game is not allowed through a firewall. So, try adding Riot Vanguard’s vgc file to Windows Defender Firewall’s allowed list by going through the steps on this Microsoft webpage. Doing that will add Vanguard user-mode service to the firewall, for which you must select the Private and Public checkboxes.

The allowed list for Windows Defender Firewall

Bear in mind that some third-party antivirus tools have firewalls that can block Riot Vanguard much the same. If you’ve got a third-party security app installed, open that software to check if it has a firewall. Add Riot Vanguard to the allowed list for your antivirus software’s firewall if it has one.

Reinstall Riot Vanguard and Valorant

Reinstalling Riot Vanguard and Valorant is Riot Games’ official resolution for the VAN 81 error. However, I recommend doing that only if the resolutions above don’t work for you. This is how you can reinstall Riot Vanguard and Valorant.

1. First, uninstall Riot Games with Settings, as instructed on this Microsoft support page for removing apps.
   
   

   The Uninstall app option

2. Next, open the Library tab in your Steam or Epic Games client software.
3. Right-click Valorant and select the Manage and Uninstall options in Steam. If you’re an Epic Games user, click the three-dots menu button for Valorant and select Uninstall twice.
   
   

   The Uninstall option in Epic Games

4. Next, reinstall Valorant by selecting that game in the Library tab in Steam or Epic Games and clicking Install. Doing this will automatically reinstall Riot Vanguard.

There aren’t many potential ways to fix the Valorant VAN 81 error, but players widely confirm the resolutions here to work. So, one will probably resolve the VAN 81 connection issue on your Windows PC so you can play Valorant again. If not, consider contacting the Riot Games help service by clicking Submit a Ticket on this support page.