VAN -1 in VALORANT: Vanguard didn't start

Connection Error: VALORANT has encountered a connection error. Please relaunch the client to reconnect. Error Code: VAN -1

A short list for a basic failure

Most Vanguard codes in VALORANT come with six or seven steps. VAN -1 gets two. Riot reads it as Vanguard never getting properly started, or a service it relies on being absent, so the fix goes straight at Vanguard itself and skips the network and Windows Update steps you see elsewhere.

The order is the opposite of what you might expect. Riot puts the reinstall first and the vgc service check second. A fresh install puts Vanguard's files and service back, and the service step then makes sure Windows actually starts it at boot. If you've used Vanguard Pre-Check (the opt-in mode where Vanguard only runs while a game is open), leave the service alone, as the step below explains.

If it keeps coming back

When both steps are done and VALORANT still closes with -1, Riot's next move is a ticket with your logs attached. If the number changes on a later launch, look up the new one, since its list may be different.

Riot's fix, in Riot's order

1. 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

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

Related VALORANT errors

• VAN 0
• VAN -81
• VAN 293
• VAN 1067

Source: Riot Games Player Support, Error VAN -1, updated July 8, 2026. Riot's steps are paraphrased here, not copied; checked October 8, 2026.