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VALORANT error

VAN 9003 in VALORANT: Secure Boot is off

Riot VanguardVALORANT

The message

VAN9003. This build of Vanguard requires secure boot to be enabled in order to play.

What it means

Secure Boot isn't turned on in this PC's firmware, and Vanguard won't let VALORANT run without it.

What to try first

Run msinfo32. If BIOS Mode says UEFI and Secure Boot State says Off, switch Secure Boot on in the BIOS.

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 9003 is a Vanguard code, so League can throw it too. The League version is here: VAN 9003 in League of Legends.

Check before you change anything

Riot's article for VAN 9003 just says Secure Boot isn't on and points to its Secure Boot guide. The guide covers several cases because the risk depends on how Windows was installed. msinfo32 tells you which case you're in, and the step below explains each.

The safe case is BIOS Mode UEFI with Secure Boot off. That's one switch in the firmware, and VALORANT should launch after the restart. The case to slow down for is BIOS Mode Legacy. Flip the firmware to UEFI before converting the Windows drive from MBR to GPT and Windows won't start, so do the conversion first.

Its two neighbours

Riot groups VAN 9003 with VAN 9001 and VAN 9090 under Windows 11 on its VALORANT support site. If you fix Secure Boot and VALORANT complains about TPM next, that's 9001, and it's another firmware setting in the same menus.

Riot's fix, in Riot's order

  1. Turn on Secure Boot

    Run msinfo32. You want BIOS Mode: UEFI and Secure Boot State: On. UEFI with Secure Boot off means flipping one switch in the BIOS.

    If BIOS Mode says Legacy, stop. Your Windows drive has to be converted from MBR to GPT before you switch the BIOS to UEFI, or Windows won't boot at all. Riot's Secure Boot guide covers the conversion and its requirements (64-bit Windows 10 1703 or newer, BitLocker off, no dual boot).

    Riot's guide: Turn on Secure Boot

Other wordings of the same error

  • VAN 9003 VALORANT
  • VALORANT VAN9003
  • VAN9003
  • This build of Vanguard requires secure boot to be enabled in order to play

Source: Riot Games Player Support, Error VAN 9003, updated May 11, 2026. Riot's steps are paraphrased here, not copied; checked October 8, 2026.