VALORANT may have hit the digital shelves after an exciting beta period, but that doesn’t mean Riot Games is done fixing all the bugs that affect the game’s player base.
Though VALORANT is in a decent shape when it comes to in-game mechanics and a thriving player base, small hiccups have been preventing a portion of the community from fully enjoying the newest member of the first-person-shooter (FPS) genre.
One error that’s been stopping players from logging into VALORANT is Error Code: VAN 6. While it’s one of the rarer errors in the game, it still makes it impossible to join a match. Some of the solution methods indicate that the issue may be caused by a Vanguard instability, which will require Riot’s attention for a complete fix.
Not all players will have the time to wait, however, and some home-remedy solutions may even help you get rid of this problem. Note that the following fixes aren’t guaranteed to work for everyone, but they have a track record of fixing Error Code VAN 6 for a decent chunk of the player base.
Here’s everything you can do to get rid of VALORANT Error Code VAN 6.
How to fix VALORANT Error Code VAN 6?
Error Code VAN 6 initially looked like a server-side Vanguard error that prevented players from logging into the game. While it was true for the time being since the issue first resurfaced during a busy period for the servers, the fact that it consistently came back for some of the player base indicated that Error Code VAN 6 could have deeper roots.
Changing Vanguard properties through Msconfig
VALORANT’s anti-cheat system has been an okay attempt to solve the issue of hacking, but it also shipped with its own fair share of problems. It looks like Vanguard is starting to run by itself as soon as you start your PC, which may be one reason you’re prompted with Error Code VAN 6.
Here’s how you can prevent Vanguard (VGC) from starting.
- Open the Windows Start menu and type “msconfig.”
- System Configuration should appear and you’ll need to click on it.
- A new window will appear. Click on the Services tab from the top panel.
- You’ll need to find the VGC service from the crowd, which you can easily do by sorting the list by Manufacturer and looking for any services connected to Riot Games.
This is only the first half of disabling VGC from running automatically. You’ll also need to apply the following steps to make sure Vanguard runs after you launch VALORANT for the first time.
- Open the Start panel again and search for “Run.”
- Type “services.msc” and press OK.
- Search for VGC in the Services tab that’ll open.
- Right-click on it and open its Properties.
- Change its startup type to Automatic and click on Apply, then OK.
- Close the services interface and restart your PC before trying to log into VALORANT.
Exclude VALORANT from Windows’ firewall configuration
A second reason why you may be getting the Error Code VAN 6 is because of Windows’ firewall trying to confiscate an important in-game file as you’re trying to launch it. Firewalls and antivirus software can sometimes make the mistake of detecting in-game files as false-positives, and you can simply fix it by setting them as exclusions.
You can alternatively disable your firewall or antivirus software, but excluding VALORANT’s in-game files will also be as effective.
- Open the Start panel and search for VALORANT.
- Right click on it and press on “Open File Location” to head over to VALORANT’s installation folder.
- Copy the location of VALORANT’s installation folder and search for Windows Defender Firewall through the Start menu.
- Once you’re inside the Firewall settings, you’ll need to click on “Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall,” which will be located around the top of the right panel.
- Click on the “Change settings” button that’ll have a little shield icon next to it.
- Doing so will unlock the “Allow another app” button that’s located toward the bottom of the panel. Click on it and then click on Browse.
- A file browser will open, and you’ll need to paste VALORANT’s file location and select RiotClientServices.exe before pressing Open.
- You’ll need to follow the same procedure for adding VALORANT.exe to the list, and the file browser should resume from where you left off.
- To add VALORANT.exe you’ll need to navigate to the Riot Games folder in the file browser. Once you’re there, enter the VALORANT folder and then open “live.”
- VALORANT.exe will be located inside the live folder you just entered, and you’ll need to add it as an exception just like RiotGamesServices.
- You’ll need to apply the same process for “VALORANT-Win64-Shipping.exe” which will be at “live/ShooterGame/Binaries/Win64” inside the VALORANT folder.
After adding all three executable files to the list, make sure to check the two boxes that’ll be next to them on the list before clicking OK. Restart your PC before trying to launch VALORANT to let the changes settle in.
If you’re running a secondary antivirus program, make sure to add all the executable files mentioned above to its exceptions list. This process will be different for each antivirus program, so you should perform a quick Google search if you haven’t done it before.
Try changing your DNS
It may sound silly, but there have been users reporting that a simple DNS change could fix the issue for them, even if it was for a temporary period. While it’s hard to believe that this issue could have something to do with your connection, it’s possible that a faulty server may be causing Vanguard services to act up.
If you’re already using a DNS, we recommend switching back to the default one to try this method, and any of the reputable DNS service providers should do the trick.
- Go to the Control Panel.
- Click Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center > Change adapter settings.
- Select the connection for which you want to configure its DNS values.
- To change the settings for an Ethernet connection, right-click the Ethernet interface and select Properties.
- To change the settings for a wireless connection, right-click the Wi-Fi interface and select Properties.
- If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
- Select the Networking tab. Under this connection uses the following items, select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) or Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) and then click Properties.
- Click Advanced and select the DNS tab. If there are any DNS server IP addresses listed there, write them down for future reference, and remove them from this window.
- Click OK.
- Select Use the following DNS server addresses. If there are any IP addresses listed in the Preferred DNS server or Alternate DNS server, write them down for future reference.
- Once you clear the fields, you’ll be able to enter any DNS values you see fit.
- After you’re done entering your DNS values, we recommend restarting your router as well just to establish a new connection with your new configuration from scratch.
Try uninstalling and installing Vanguard
A corrupted file inside Vanguard can be more than enough to cause the Error Code VAN 6. Vanguard anti-cheat software automatically gets installed on your computer, but it’s listed separately as an app, which makes uninstalling it easier.
- Go to the Windows Start menu and click on the cog icon to open Settings.
- Enter the Apps section of settings and look for Riot Vanguard.
- Left-click on Vanguard and use the Uninstall button to remove it from your system.
Vanguard doesn’t have a separate installer you can download, so you’ll need to launch VALORANT to let it initiate the downloading process. VALORANT will prompt you with a warning saying that you don’t have Vanguard on your PC and will handle the rest.
Try reinstalling VALORANT
If the issue still persists, reinstalling VALORANT will be your last bet to fix this problem by yourself. A fresh install will ensure that you don’t have any corrupted game files that are messing with your system.
This will also mean that you’ll need some professional help from Riot to pinpoint the source of the error for your case. If a reinstall still doesn’t fix the error, we recommend contacting the support team of VALORANT.
Let them know all the troubleshooting steps you’ve tried out so far and provide as much information as possible to help them get to the bottom of this issue.
