6 Ways to Fix the Valorant VAL 51 Error on a Windows 11/10 PC

Some players can’t play the Valorant Windows game because of the VAL 51 error. That’s an error that occurs for some players when they start Valorant. One Reddit post about the Valorant VAL 51 error said this, “Basically, so what happens is whenever I try and open Valorant it brings me into the starting screen then says there was ‘an error connecting to the platform please restart launcher,’ or something like that, and the error code is VAL 51.”

The Valorant VAL 51 error means the game can’t connect to the required servers. Are you trying to fix that gaming error as well? If you are, this is how you can fix the Valorant VAL 51 error on a Windows 11/10 PC.

Read also: 5 Ways to Fix the Valorant Timeout Error on a Windows PC

Check the Riot Games Service Status

First, I recommend checking the Riot Games service status before troubleshooting. VAL 51 is an error that can sometimes occur because of a server-side issue. So, check if there’s a more general server-side issue by opening this Riot Games Service Status page. If that page says there’s a server-side issue, all you can do is wait for that to be sorted.

The Riot Games service status page

Troubleshoot Your Internet Connection

As the Valorant VAL 51 error is a network-related issue, the Internet Connection troubleshooter might help some players resolve it. Try running the Windows Internet Connection troubleshooter like this.

1. Press the Windows key + R hotkey, and input Control Panel inside the Run app that the keyboard shortcut launches.
2. Click OK to view the Control Panel window.
3. Select the Troubleshooting applet. If you can’t see it, select Large icons on the View by menu.
   
   

   The Control Panel

4. Click View all to bring up a list of all troubleshooter.
5. Select the Internet Connections troubleshooter to access it.
   
   

   The Internet Connections troubleshooter

6. Click Next and then Troubleshoot my connection to the internet option.

Clear Valorant’s Webcache and Logs and Start the Vgc Service

The most widely confirmed fix for the VAL 51 error code is to start or restart the vgc service. However, it’s also recommended to clear Valorant’s webcache and log data before starting/restarting that service. You can apply this potential resolution for the Valorant VAL51 error as follows.

1. Launch Run (right-click the Start menu button to select that app) and enter %localappdata%.
2. Select OK to access the Local folder within File Explorer.
3. Open the VALORANT subfolder in the Local directory.
4. Next, double-click the Saved subfolder.
5. Open the Logs folder and select everything in it by pressing Ctrl + A.
   
   

   The Logs subfolder

6. Right-click your mouse to select a Delete context menu option.
7. Return to the Saved folder and open the webcache subfolder from there.
8. Then delete all data files in the webcache folder.
9. Exit Explorer and reopen the Run dialog.
10. Type services.msc inside the Open text box.
11. Click OK to access Services.
12. Double-click vgc inside the Services app window.
13. Click on the Startup type drop-down menu to open it.
14. Select Automatic if the service is set to Manual or Disabled.
    
    

    The vgs Properties window

15. Click on Start inside the vgc Properties window to run the service. If the vgc service is already running, select Stop and then Start to restart it.
16. Select Apply > OK to set the new configuration settings for the vgc service.

Disable Microsoft Defender Firewall

It’s not uncommon for firewalls to cause startup issues for games that need to connect to the internet. In this case, Microsoft Defender Firewall could be blocking Valorant from connecting with the server if the game isn’t allowed through it. Try disabling Microsoft Defender Firewall before playing Valorant like this:

1. To find Windows firewall settings, open the search tool by clicking on the magnifying glass or taskbar Search box. Enter a firewall search phrase and select to open Windows Defender Firewall from there.
2. Click Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off inside the Control Panel.
   
   

   The Windows Defender Firewall applet

3. Select Turn off Windows Defender Firewall for the public and private network settings.
4. Click OK to set the options and exit the Customize Setting window.
   
   

   The Turn off Windows Defender Firewall option

5. Run Valorant to see if the game starts ok with the firewall off.

Some third-party security (antivirus) apps also have firewall components. So, check if any antivirus software you’ve installed on your PC has a firewall and disable it. You can probably find instructions for disabling your antivirus software’s firewall on the publisher’s website.

Change Your DNS Settings to Google DNS

1. Open Run, input ncpa.cpl, and press OK to view the Network Connections Control Panel applet.
2. Right-click the internet connection for your PC and select Properties.
3. Next, select Internet Protocol Version 4 on the Networking tab.
4. Click Properties to access DNS server settings.
5. Select the circle for the Use the following DNS server addresses option. 
6. Enter the value 8.8.8.8 for the Preferred DNS server option.
   
   

   The Use the following DNS server addresses radio button

7. Input an 8.8.4.4 value inside the Alternate DNS server box.
8. Click OK on the two windows to save the modified DNS server settings.

Reinstall the Valorant Game

Reinstalling Valorant with likely resolve installation issues that could be causing the VAL 51 error. This is how you can reinstall Valorant when installed with the Riot Client app.

1. Open Settings by clicking a cog button or pinned shortcut on the Start menu in Windows.
2. Click on an Apps tab or category inside Settings to access a tool for uninstalling software.
3. Next, click on the three-dot menu button for Valorant to select an Uninstall option for it. In Windows 10, you can select Valorant and click Uninstall.
   
   

   The Uninstall option

4. Restart your PC before reinstalling Valorant.
5. Open the Riot Client app.
6. Click Valorant within the Riot software to reinstall the game.

If you’ve installed Valorant via Epic Games Launcher, you’ll need to uninstall and reinstall the game within that client software. Select the Library tab within Epic Games Launcher. Then click the menu button for Valorant to select Uninstall. You can reinstall the game by clicking on it in the Library tab and selecting Install.

I can’t promise those potential fixes for the Valorant VAL 51 error will resolve that issue for everyone. However, some have worked for many players who’ve needed to fix that issue. If you need more potential VAL 51 error solutions, consider submitting a support ticket request from this Riot Games help page.