VAN 68 in VALORANT: Vanguard lost its session

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

VAN 68 is a different code from VAL 68

VALORANT has two errors numbered 68. VAN 68, this one, comes from Vanguard and arrives in the usual reconnect popup. VAL 68 is a VALORANT client error about fetching what you own (skins, agents and so on), and Riot fixes it in a completely different way. Check the letters before the number. If yours says VAL, the VAL 68 page is the one you want.

What Riot adds for VAN 68

The list is mostly the standard Vanguard order, with one extra step near the end for laptops and boards with Killer network cards: switch off Killer's traffic prioritization, which Riot says can interfere with the connection. If your PC doesn't have Killer software, skip it.

Riot also suggests testing each fix somewhere safe, so a repeat error doesn't cost you a match or a penalty. In VALORANT that means a custom game or the Range, not a competitive queue.

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

   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

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 VALORANT errors

• VAL 68
• VAN -81
• VAN 185
• VAN 293

Source: Riot Games Player Support, Error VAN 68, updated July 16, 2026. Riot's steps are paraphrased here, not copied; checked October 8, 2026.