VALORANT is a 5v5 character-based tactical FPS free-to-play first-person hero shooter where precise gunplay meets unique agent abilities – developed and published by Riot Games, for the Windows PC. In this post we take a look at the solutions to VALORANT connection error codes VAN 135, 68, 81 that PC gamers may encounter on their Windows 11 or Windows 10 gaming PC.
For VALORANT, there are several types of error codes that you might encounter, but the ones labeled VAN typically only relate to connection issues. Most of these errors don’t have specific listings on the Riot Games support page and only basic details about what the problem might be is available.
We will discuss these three VALORANT error codes VAN 135, 68, 81 in separate subheadings below, each with it’s potential causes as well as their respective solutions.
How to fix VALORANT connection error code VAN 135?
When you encounter this issue, you’ll receive the following full error message;
CONNECTION ERROR
VALORANT has encountered a connection error.
Please relaunch the client to reconnect.
Error Code: VAN 135
Solutions
- Restart both PC and Internet device
- Run Network Connection Troubleshooter
- Check the VALORANT server status
- Make sure you have a stable internet connection
- Uninstall VPN client or remove Proxy server (if applicable)
- General fix for WiFi issues
- Reset TCP/IP, Winsock and flush DNS
- Use Wired (ethernet) Connection
- Check VALORANT game client access via Firewall
- Uninstall and reinstall VALORANT and Riot Vanguard
Let’s see the solutions in detail.
Note: As far as VALORANT connection issues goes, the solutions applies to all VAN error codes highlighted in this post and any other not listed here.
1] Restart both PC and Internet device
The first thing you can try to resolve the VALORANT error code VAN 135 is to restart your Windows10/11 device – restarting the PC will reboot the game and at the same time refresh the VALORANT game client and any associated temporary files/data. You should also restart your internet device (router/modem) and see if that helps.
2] Run Network Connection Troubleshooter
This solution requires you to run the inbuilt Internet Connections Troubleshooter for Windows 10/11. The wizard can help diagnose and fix Wi-Fi problems on your device.
3] Check the VALORANT server status
Here you need to make sure that the VALORANT game server is up and running by visiting status.riotgames.com – if the server is down, then you will have no other choice but to wait for the server to get back online.
If this is not the case for you, try the next solution.
4] Make sure you have a stable internet connection
This solution requires you to run an internet speed test to check your internet connection. Make a note of the ping, download, and upload results. Based on the internet speed test result, if the ping is too high (more than 100ms) or if the download speed is too low (less than 1Mbps) then this could be the culprit to the issue. To fix this, try disconnecting other devices from your network and stop any downloads in progress. If the issue persists then you should contact your ISP or try the next solution.
5] Uninstall VPN client or remove Proxy server (if applicable)
This is a known fix for most connection issues on Windows PC – it requires that you try to uninstall your VPN software or remove any proxy server from your computer. If this didn’t resolve the issue at hand, you cantry the next solution.
6] General fix for WiFi issues
As most connection to gaming platforms by PC gamers is WiFi-based, this guide will show you how you can troubleshoot WiFi problems on your Windows 10/11 PC.
7] Reset TCP/IP, Winsock and flush DNS
This solution requires you to reset TCP/IP, Winsock and DNS settings on your Windows gaming PC and see if the issue at hand is resolved.
8] Use Wired (ethernet) Connection
This is more of a workaround than a solution. Here, you can simply use a wired (ethernet) connection or if for some reason you’re currently connected via ethernet and experiencing this issue, you can use the WiFi interface instead.
9] Check VALORANT game client access via Firewall
This solution requires you to make sure the VALORANT game client has access via Windows Firewall. If you have third-party security software installed on your Windows 10/11 PC, refer to the manual on how to allow apps via the firewall.
10] Uninstall and reinstall VALORANT and Riot Vanguard
If nothing has worked so far, you can uninstall both Riot Vanguard and VALORANT completely (preferably, use third-party software uninstaller), and then download and reinstall the latest version of VALORANT app on your Windows 10/11 PC.
How to fix VALORANT connection error code VAN 68?
When you encounter this issue, you’ll receive the following full error message;
CONNECTION ERROR
VALORANT has encountered a connection error.
Please relaunch the client to reconnect.
Error Code: VAN 68
The most likely culprits to this issue includes;
- Incorrect Network Configuration.
- Vanguard not working.
- IPv6 Conflict.
- Firewall Issue.
Solutions
The following are additional solutions you can try to resolve this issue;
- Change to Google Public DNS
- Disable IPv6 Protocol
- Connect via Mobile Hotspot
- Check if Vanguard (VGC) service is running
- Set Proxy settings to Automatic
Let’s see the solutions in detail.
1] Change to Google Public DNS
This solution simply requires you to change to Google Public DNS. If the VALORANT error code VAN 68 issue persists, you can try the next solution.
2] Disable IPv6 Protocol
This solution requires you to disable IPv6 protocol on your Windows gaming PC and see if that helps.
3] Connect via Mobile Hotspot
Apart from connecting to VALORANT game server via WiFi or ethernet, this solution requires you to connect via mobile hotspot on your Windows PC.
4] Check if Vanguard (VGC) service is running
Do the following:
- Press Windows key + R to invoke the Run dialog.
- In the Run dialog box, type services.msc and hit Enter to open Services.
- In the Services window, scroll and locate the VGC service.
- Double-click on the entry to edit its properties.
- In the properties window, click the drop-down on the Startup type and select Automatic.
- Next, make sure the service is started.
- Click Apply > OK to save changes.
- Restart PC.
On boot, do the following:
Open command prompt in admin mode.
In the CMD prompt window, run the command below:
sc query vgc
If the output says the service is not available, you will need to uninstall and reinstall VALORANT and Vanguard. However, if the output returns service with the name vgc, you need to start Vanguard manually by running the command below:
net start vgc
Once the command executes, check if the issue at hand is resolved. If not, try the next solution.
5] Set Proxy settings to Automatic
This solution requires you to set proxy settings to automatic by configuring Global Proxy Server Settings for your Windows PC.
How to fix VALORANT connection error code VAN 81?
When you encounter this issue, you’ll receive the following full error message;
CONNECTION ERROR
VALORANT has encountered a connection error.
Please relaunch the client to reconnect.
Error Code: VAN 68
Solutions
The following are additional solutions you can try to resolve this issue;
Do the following:
- Press Windows key + R to invoke the Run dialog.
- In the Run dialog box, type msconfig and hit Enter to open System Configuration window.
- In the msconfig window, click the Services tab.
- Scroll and locate the VGC service.
- Check the box of the VGC service if it’s unchecked.
- Click Apply > OK.
- Click Restart on the prompt.
On boot, the issue should be resolved. If not, then you’re best solution is to open a ticket with Riot Games Support – the support team may have better luck resolving the error code(s).
Hope you find this our guide on how to fix VALORANT connection error codes VAN 135, 68, 81 on Windows 11/10 helpful!
