VAN 0 in VALORANT: Vanguard couldn't verify your PC

Connection Error: VALORANT has encountered a connection error. Please relaunch the client to reconnect. Error Code: VAN 0

Start with a full client restart

Riot's VALORANT code table lists 0 as a plain connection error and gives it one line of advice: restart VALORANT and the Riot Client. Close the game, then exit the client from the system tray so it actually shuts down, and launch again. It's a quick test, and plenty of VAN 0 popups don't survive it.

The table puts code 1 in the same row with the same advice, so if you saw a 1 instead, that restart is the place to begin too.

When the restart doesn't hold

Riot's Vanguard article for VAN 0 picks up from there, and that's the list below. It opens with Windows Update, which is unusual for a Vanguard code. Riot's reasoning is that Windows updates carry security and service changes Vanguard depends on, so a PC that's months behind can fail Vanguard's readiness check. After that come the vgc service, a Vanguard reinstall, a clean boot, a VALORANT reinstall and, last, the network.

VAN 6, 84, 133 and 135 get exactly the same list, linked under the steps.

Riot's fix, in Riot's order

1. Install every pending Windows update

   Open Settings, then Windows Update, and keep installing and restarting until it says you're up to date. Vanguard's checks lean on security components that ship in those updates, and optional driver updates are worth a look while you're there.

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. Reinstall the game

   Close the Riot Client first, then uninstall VALORANT from Windows' Installed apps list. For a clean reinstall, Riot's guide has you remove the VALORANT and Riot Client folders inside C:\Riot Games, empty the Recycle Bin, then delete the Riot Games and VALORANT folders under %localappdata%. Restart, then download the installer again from Riot's site.

   Riot's guide: Reinstall the game

6. 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 VALORANT errors

• VAN 6
• VAN 84
• VAN 133
• VAN 135
• VAN -1

Source: Riot Games Player Support, Error VAN 0, updated July 17, 2026, and Riot's VALORANT code table, Error Codes and Solutions in VALORANT. Riot's steps are paraphrased here, not copied; checked October 8, 2026.