Encountering bugs and errors in the shooter game Valorant is a troublesome experience. And one of these errors is the Valorant Error Code VAN -81. This guide will discuss the cause of the error and its possible fixes.
What is Valorant Error Code VAN -81?
According to Valorant's error codes list, Error VAN -81 denotes a connection error.
Most players receive this error after patches or updates in the game. The Error Code VAN -81 displays a message: "VALORANT has encountered connection error. Please relaunch the client to reconnect."
Connectivity issues can occur for a variety of reasons: Problems with the internet, with the Valorant servers, or even with the connection between the Valorant game and its services. But interestingly, one possible cause of Error Code VAN 81 is the faulty start of the Riot Client. This game client is what starts the game, so if it has connectivity issues with other parts of the game, you will encounter Error Code VAN 81.
Another reason for this connection error is that Vanguard did not start with the game. Since the anti-cheat software is required for the game, the game displays the aforementioned error code.
How to Fix Valorant Error Code VAN -81?
Here are some ways that you can try to fix the Valorant error VAN-81.
Solution 1: Relaunch the Riot Client
If you've encountered error code error VAN -81, Riot Games strongly recommends that you relaunch the client first.
Solution 2: Restart your PC
If relaunching the Riot Client didn't work, try to reboot your PC to make a fresh restart of the client and the game in general.
Solution 3: Modify the VGC startup type
Some Valorant players are able to fix the error code VAN 81 by enabling the VGC service to run automatically at Windows startup. Follow the step-by-step tutorial below:
1. Press the "Windows" button, search for the "Services" app and open it.
2. Scroll down until you see the "vgc" service, then open it.
3. Under the "General" tab, click the Startup type dropdown menu and select "Automatic."
4. Click Apply, then OK.
5. Restart your computer/laptop and try to launch the game.
Solution 4: Whitelist Riot Vanguard in your Anti-Virus and Firewall applications
In some cases, anti-virus and firewall services limit the access of Riot's anti-cheat software Vanguard, which can be the cause why you're encountering an error in your Valorant client. Add Riot Vanguard to the whitelist of your anti-virus software. Its default path location is C:\Program Files\Riot Vanguard. You can also include Riot's main folder C:\Riot Games\.
Solution 5: Reinstall Riot Vanguard and Vanguard
If the solutions above didn't resolve your issue, Riot Games suggests that you reinstall Vanguard and Valorant. Uninstall Riot Vanguard first, then Valorant. After the uninstallation process, go to the official Valorant site and reinstall the game.
Solution 6: Contact Riot Games Support
If the Error Code VAN 81 persists, you can submit a support ticket to Riot Games here.
Connection-related issues of this nature are undoubtedly problematic and can be extremely frustrating, so exercising patience with the process and the support team is strongly advised.
You can also check out how to fix other Valorant error codes:
What are your thoughts about the tutorial on how to fix the Valorant error code VAN 81? You can leave your comment below.