VAN 68: Vanguard lost its session mid-launch or mid-game

Connection Error: VALORANT has encountered a connection error. Please relaunch the client to reconnect. Error Code: VAN 68

A dropped session, as opposed to a failed start

With VAN 57, Vanguard never got going. Riot describes VAN 68 as something else: Vanguard losing the connection or session it relies on, during launch or during a game. That explains why Riot's list opens gently. A restart comes first, then the clock, because a wrong date, time or time zone can make secure connections fail before the game has even finished loading.

The error line Riot shows is the VALORANT one. League players get the same number because the code comes from Vanguard, which both games share.

The Killer step belongs to this code alone

No other VAN article tells you to switch off Killer Network Service. Riot's guide explains that Killer's networking software, which you may know by its app name Killer Intelligence Center, decides which apps get network priority, and games can lose out. Riot's League article on the "unexpected error with the login session" message names the same program as a cause of disconnects. Riot puts this step seventh. If you don't have Killer installed, skip it; if you do, nothing stops you trying it before the reinstalls, since it's a settings change and a restart.

Take Killer out and VAN 68's list is the exact one Riot gives VAN -81, VAN -102 and five other negative codes, step for step.

Test where a crash won't cost you

Riot adds one piece of advice to this article that most VAN pages leave out. After each fix, check it in Practice Tool or a custom game instead of queueing up. If VAN 68 hits again, you haven't abandoned a matchmade game or picked up a leaver penalty for it.

Riot's fix, in Riot's order

1. Restart your PC

   A full restart, not a sign-out. Vanguard's driver loads when Windows boots, so a restart is the only thing that gives it a clean start.

2. Check the date, time and time zone

   A clock that's off breaks the secure connections Vanguard makes on launch. In Settings, under Time & language, turn on Set time automatically and Set time zone automatically, then hit Sync now.

3. Set the vgc service to Automatic

   Vanguard has two parts: a driver that loads at boot and a Windows service called vgc. If the service isn't running when you press Play, the game closes.

   1. Press Win+R, type services.msc and press Enter.
   2. Find vgc in the list and double-click it.
   3. Set Startup type to Automatic. If the status says Stopped, click Start.
   4. Apply, OK, then restart the PC.

   The exception is Vanguard Pre-Check, Riot's opt-in mode where Vanguard only runs while a game is open. It needs Windows 11 25H2 or newer plus Secure Boot, TPM 2.0, IOMMU, VBS and HVCI, and if you're on it you shouldn't force the service to Automatic.

   Riot's guide: Set the vgc service to Automatic

4. Uninstall Vanguard, restart, and let the game reinstall it

   1. Close the game and exit the Riot Client from the system tray.
   2. Right-click the red Vanguard icon in the tray, choose Advanced, then Uninstall Vanguard. If the icon isn't there, search Windows for Add or remove programs and uninstall Riot Vanguard from the list.
   3. Restart the PC. Vanguard is gone if its tray icon doesn't come back.
   4. Open the Riot Client and launch the game. It reinstalls Vanguard and will ask for one more restart before Play unlocks.

   Riot's guide: Uninstall Vanguard, restart, and let the game reinstall it

5. Do a clean boot

   This switches off every non-Microsoft service for one boot, so you can tell whether something in the background is the problem.

   1. Press Win+R, type msconfig and press Enter.
   2. On the Services tab, tick Hide all Microsoft services first (skip it and you'll switch off parts of Windows).
   3. Click Disable all, then tick vgc again so Vanguard still starts.
   4. Apply, OK, restart, and test.

   Some programs ignore a clean boot anyway, third-party antivirus and networking tools most of all. If the error goes away, turn services back on a few at a time until it returns, and you've found it.

   Riot's guide: Do a clean boot

6. Reinstall the game

   Uninstall from Windows' Installed apps list with the Riot Client closed. For a clean reinstall of League, Riot also has you delete the Riot Client folder under C:\Riot Games, the Riot Games folders under %localappdata% and %programdata%, and the League of Legends folder in Documents. That last one holds your replays, so copy them out first if you want them.

   Riot's guide: Reinstall the game

7. Switch off Killer's traffic prioritization

   Laptops with Killer network cards ship software that decides which apps get bandwidth first, and it doesn't always pick the game. If you have Killer Intelligence Center, open its settings and turn off the Killer Prioritization Engine (older versions call it Advanced Stream Detect). Otherwise open services.msc, find Killer Network Service or Rivet Bandwidth Control, set it to Disabled and restart.

   Riot's guide: Switch off Killer's traffic prioritization

8. Work through Riot's connection checklist

   Last on Riot's list for a reason: only get here once the Vanguard steps above have failed. Riot's PC connection guide covers the usual suspects: a wired connection instead of Wi-Fi, restarting the router, switching to a public DNS, firewall exceptions for the Riot Client and game, and turning off VPNs.

   Riot's guide: Work through Riot's connection checklist

Related errors

• VAN -81
• VAN -102
• VAN 57
• Login session error

Source: Riot Games Player Support, Error VAN 68, updated July 16, 2026. Riot's steps are paraphrased here, not copied; checked September 25, 2026.