How to fix VALORANT Error Code 5

VALORANT’s Error Code Five usually appears when the servers are overloaded or when they’re under maintenance. But sometimes, this isn’t the case. This is where learning how to fix VALORANT’s error code five is essential.

If you happen to be in a match or in the main lobby when maintenance kicks off, you’ll likely receive the error code. The error can also appear randomly due to inconsistency, however, so there are a few solution methods you can try out to see if you can get back into VALORANT.

The last thing you want as your night of gaming commences is an error blocking your path. I’ve experienced many errors throughout my career, and most have a similar solution. My absolute favorite fix is turning it off and on again.

Check if the VALORANT servers are up

The first item on your troubleshooting agenda should be checking whether VALORANT’s servers are up or not. If the servers are down for maintenance or an outage, you’ll have no choice but to wait for Riot Games to roll out a fix.

Related: How to check VALORANT’s server status

No troubleshooting method will get you back into VALORANT when the servers are down, meaning you could watch some high-end gameplay videos on YouTube to level up your gameplay until the servers are back online again.

You can use Riot’s dedicated server status website to check on VALORANT or follow the game’s official social media accounts since the developers often post status updates whenever there’s a large-scale outage.

Restart your router and system

Restarting your router will allow you to troubleshoot your home network. After restarting your router, the route between you and your internet service provider (ISP) may change, doing the same for VALORANT’s servers. With a new connection route, you may be able to get back into the game.

Doing the same for your system at the same time will be time-efficient. If the error appeared due to a software-related bug, a simple restart might fix it.

Reinstall Riot Vanguard

Vanguard can be the best and the worst thing in VALORANT. While it’s the number one solution to eliminating cheaters, it can be the catalyst for the many errors that appear in VALORANT. Reinstalling Vanguard is one of the go-to solutions for fixing any error in VALORANT.

To be rid of Riot Vanguard for a brief period of time, simply click the Start Button. Then type in “Control Panel”, choose “Programs and Features” and locate Riot Vanguard. Right-click it and then select “Uninstall” to wipe it from your computer.

The next step is to reopen VALORANT. Vanguard will automatically install before you get into your game, and if the errors disappear, you’ve found the issue.

Reinstall VALORANT

While no player wants to reinstall a game to fix an error, it may be your last chance if reinstalling Vanguard doesn’t work. A corrupted game file can cause the error code five to appear, and reinstalling the game will be your best defense against it.

Navigate the Program and Features section inside the Windows Control Panel and locate VALORANT. Right-click on it and choose Uninstall. Once it uninstalls, check out your installation folders and delete every trace of VALORANT that you can find. This will ensure a clean and fresh install when you start downloading VALORANT again.

Submit a support ticket to Riot

If you can’t seem to get back into VALORANT due to error code five after trying all the possible troubleshooting methods, then you may need to bring in the big guns.

Submit a support ticket to Riot and mention all the troubleshooting steps you’ve tried to fix this error. Including the screenshot of the error can also help, and you can include logs as well. A support associate should review your case and get back to you as soon as possible. This process usually doesn’t take more than a day or two, but your results may vary depending on how busy the support team is.

When you get a reply, the chances are you’ll receive more instructions on alternative solution methods that can fix the error for your system, or you may need to provide additional sources to help the support team further. If the error happened due to issues on Riot’s end, developers might even fix the error before contacting you. It might be a decent idea to continue trying to log into VALORANT while waiting for a reply to your support ticket.

Errors like this may reappear over time, and they may have a different solution method each time they show up since the underlying factors can also change. Visiting community hubs like Reddit will be especially helpful when an error you know reoccurs since many other players can share information to see how they can fix the error this time around.