Valorant Failed to Launch? Here Are the 9 Fixes That Work in 2026

Valorant failed to launch is a common error that prevents Riot Games' VALORANT from starting. The cause varies — it could be lingering processes from a previous session, Riot Vanguard anti-cheat failing to load, antivirus interference, or Windows 11 security requirements (Secure Boot / TPM 2.0). This guide covers every scenario.

Part 1. VAN Error Codes — Quick Reference

If Valorant shows a specific error code, use this table to identify the cause directly:

💡 Tip: Check the exact error message and note whether it shows a VAN code number. Each VAN code has a different fix — VAN9001/9003 are BIOS-level settings changes, while VAN -81 and "something unusual happened" are software fixes that take under 5 minutes.

Part 2. Fix 1 — Kill All Riot and Vanguard Processes

The most common cause of Valorant failing to launch is a previous game session that did not close completely. Residual Riot processes block the new launch attempt.

Steps:

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager
2. End all of these processes if they appear (right-click → End task):
   • VALORANT
   • RiotClient
   • RiotClientServices
   • vgc (Vanguard service)
   • vgk (Vanguard kernel driver)
3. Wait 10 seconds
4. Launch VALORANT through the Riot Client

Part 3. Fix 2 — Restart as Administrator

Vanguard requires elevated permissions to load its kernel-mode components. Running the Riot Client as administrator ensures it has the necessary access.

1. Close all Riot-related processes (see Fix 1)
2. Right-click the Riot Client shortcut on your desktop → Run as administrator
3. Launch VALORANT from within the Riot Client

Part 4. Fix 3 — Enable Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 (Windows 11)

Windows 11 VALORANT requires Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 to be enabled. If either is disabled, you will see VAN9001 (no TPM 2.0) or VAN9003 (Secure Boot disabled).

Check TPM status:

1. Press Win + R → type tpm.msc → press Enter
2. If TPM is available and enabled, you'll see "TPM is ready for use" with specification version 2.0
3. If not, enter BIOS (restart → press F2, F10, or Delete at startup) and enable TPM/fTPM/PTT

Enable Secure Boot:

1. Restart → enter BIOS/UEFI
2. Find Secure Boot setting (usually under Boot or Security menu)
3. Set to Enabled
4. Save and exit BIOS → retest Valorant

⚠️ Important: Enabling Secure Boot on a system that previously ran without it may require you to clear the Secure Boot keys and enroll them fresh. If your PC shows errors after enabling Secure Boot, access BIOS again and select Restore Factory Keys under Secure Boot settings before proceeding.

Part 5. Fix 4 — Clear Valorant Config and Cache Files

Corrupted configuration or log files can prevent Valorant from launching or cause it to hang.

1. Press Win + R → type %localappdata%\VALORANT\Saved → press Enter
2. Delete all files and folders inside the Config folder
3. Delete all files and folders inside the Logs folder
4. Restart your PC
5. Launch Valorant — it will recreate the config files on first run

Part 6. Fix 5 — Disable Antivirus Temporarily

Third-party antivirus software can quarantine or block Vanguard components, preventing the game from launching.

1. Temporarily disable your antivirus's real-time protection
2. Launch Valorant
3. If it launches successfully, add the Valorant and Riot Games folders to your antivirus exclusion list:
   • C:\Riot Games\
   • C:\Program Files\Riot Vanguard\
4. Re-enable antivirus protection

💡 Tip: Instead of disabling your antivirus entirely, add the Riot Games directory to the exclusions list first. Many antivirus programs allow per-folder exclusions that are more secure than a full real-time protection disable.

Part 7. Fix 6 — Reinstall Riot Vanguard

Vanguard corruption is a common cause of launch failure. Reinstalling it forces a clean driver installation.

1. Open Control Panel → Programs and Features
2. Find Riot Vanguard → click Uninstall
3. Restart your PC
4. Launch VALORANT — it will automatically download and reinstall Vanguard
5. Restart again when prompted by Vanguard

Part 8. Fix 7 — Fix the DevOverrideEnable Registry Entry

An enabled DevOverrideEnable registry key interferes with Vanguard's system integrity checks.

1. Press Win + R → type regedit → press Enter
2. Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment
3. Look for DevOverrideEnable
4. If it exists and is set to 1, double-click it and change the value to 0
5. Click OK → restart your PC

Part 9. Fix 8 — Perform a Clean Boot

Third-party background applications sometimes conflict with Vanguard's security checks.

1. Press Win + R → type msconfig → press Enter
2. Go to the Services tab → check Hide all Microsoft services → click Disable all
3. Go to the Startup tab → open Task Manager → disable all startup items
4. Restart the PC and try launching Valorant
5. If it works, re-enable services in batches to identify the conflict

Part 10. Fix 9 — Full Reinstall (Last Resort)

If no fix works, a complete reinstall removes all corrupted files and registry entries.

💡 Tip: Before doing the full reinstall, screenshot or note your keybind settings, crosshair code, and settings profile — a reinstall resets these to default. Export your settings in-game first if you're on an account that has custom binds.

1. Uninstall Riot Vanguard and Riot Client via Control Panel

2. Open Command Prompt as Administrator and run:

   sc delete vgc
   sc delete vgk
   

3. Restart your PC
4. Download and install the Valorant installer from the official site
5. Let Vanguard install fresh when prompted

🗣️ r/VALORANT user: "VAN9003 kept appearing on my Windows 11 PC. Enabled Secure Boot in BIOS (took 5 minutes to find the setting), restarted, and Valorant launched perfectly. BIOS settings are the answer for VAN90xx errors, not reinstalling the game."

🗣️ r/ValorantTechSupport user: "The fix that worked for me: kill all Riot processes in Task Manager including vgc and vgk, restart the PC, then launch Riot Client as administrator. Most 'failed to launch' errors are from old processes not cleaning up properly."

Part 11. Recover Game Files Lost During Reinstall with Ritridata

If important files stored on your gaming drive were accidentally deleted during a reinstall or cleanup, Ritridata can recover them from your Windows drive, SSD, or external storage — including documents, screenshots, clips, and other personal files.

Step 1 — Select the drive where your files were stored

Step 2 — Run a safe scan to find recoverable files

Step 3 — Preview and recover to a different drive

FAQ

Q: Why does Valorant say "failed to launch"? The most common causes are: residual Vanguard or Riot Client processes from a previous session, corrupted Vanguard installation, antivirus blocking game files, or missing Windows 11 security features (Secure Boot/TPM 2.0 for VAN9001/9003).

Q: What is the VAN9001 and VAN9003 error in Valorant? VAN9001 means TPM 2.0 is not enabled or detected. VAN9003 means Secure Boot is not enabled. Both are Windows 11 requirements for Valorant. Enable them in BIOS — look for TPM/PTT/fTPM settings and Secure Boot in the BIOS security or boot menu.

Q: How do I fix Valorant "something unusual happened"? Open Task Manager and end all processes related to Valorant, Riot Client, and Vanguard (including vgc and vgk). Then restart your PC and relaunch Valorant through the Riot Client, ideally as an administrator.

Q: Does reinstalling Valorant delete my game progress? No. Your Valorant account progress, rank, skins, and unlocks are stored on Riot's servers. Uninstalling and reinstalling the game only removes local files — your account data is unaffected.

Q: Can antivirus cause Valorant to fail to launch? Yes. Antivirus tools that quarantine or block Vanguard's kernel driver (vgk.sys) prevent the game from starting. Add the Riot Games installation directory (C:\Riot Games\) to your antivirus exclusion list.

Q: Why does Valorant work on Windows 10 but not Windows 11? Valorant requires Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 on Windows 11 — features that were not required on Windows 10. If you recently upgraded from Windows 10 to Windows 11 and Valorant stopped working, enable Secure Boot and verify TPM 2.0 in BIOS.

References

• Riot Games Valorant Support — Troubleshooting Game Launching Errors
• Riot Games — Error: Failed to Launch Something Unusual Happened
• Driver Easy — How to Fix Valorant Not Launching on PC
• The Spike — Valorant Won't Open Error Fix 2026