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VALORANT error

VAN 302 in VALORANT: antivirus or another program is blocking Vanguard

Riot VanguardVALORANT

The message

Connection Error: VALORANT has encountered a connection error. Please relaunch the client to reconnect. Error Code: VAN 302

What it means

Vanguard spotted a program interfering with it or with the game. Riot names antivirus as one likely culprit.

What to try first

Disable any antivirus you've added on top of Windows Security, restart and test. If 302 stays, uninstall it for the test.

Is it you or Riot? If a lot of players got the same code at once, it's likely the servers. Check Riot's service status page for VALORANT before you start reinstalling things.

Seeing it in League instead? VAN 302 is a Vanguard code, so League can throw it too. The League version is here: VAN 302 in League of Legends.

Two steps, antivirus first

VAN 302 has one of Riot's shortest Vanguard fix lists. Riot says Vanguard has detected software interfering with how it runs, with antivirus as a named suspect, and the cure is to take that software out of the way. Disable your extra antivirus, restart and launch. If 302 is still there, uninstall the antivirus for the test (Windows Security keeps you covered meanwhile). Then close any other program that modifies or hooks into games.

VAN 302 versus VAN 289

The two codes describe almost the same problem, software getting in Vanguard's way. VAN 289's list is longer and includes a clean boot to find the program. If you've done both steps here and 302 hasn't gone, a clean boot from the 289 page is a sensible next move before you open a ticket. If you're adding VALORANT to an antivirus allow list instead of removing the antivirus, the file paths are on our VAL 29 page.

Riot's fix, in Riot's order

  1. Take third-party antivirus out of the picture

    If you've added an antivirus beyond the one built into Windows, disable it and restart. If the error stays, uninstall it for the test, since some of these keep running when they claim to be off. Windows Security covers you in the meantime.

    Riot's guide: Take third-party antivirus out of the picture

  2. Close overlays, capture tools and anything newly installed

    Fully exit overlays, screen recorders and anything that hooks into games, and anything you installed around the time the error started. Check the tray and Task Manager, because a closed window doesn't mean a closed program.

Other wordings of the same error

  • VAN 302 VALORANT
  • VALORANT VAN302
  • Error Code: VAN 302

Source: Riot Games Player Support, Error VAN 302, updated August 13, 2026. Riot's steps are paraphrased here, not copied; checked October 8, 2026.