The game refused to connect at launch, and unlike most connection errors this one is almost always on your PC, which is good news, you can fix it. Work the ladder below top to bottom, it is ordered by how often each fix wins.
By Neeraj Singh ~9 min Updated Jul 2026 84% found this helpful
Error message
VALORANT has encountered a connection error. Please relaunch the client to reconnect. Error Code: VAN-79
Quick fix
Seeing “VALORANT has encountered a connection error” with VAN 79? Breathe, it is not a ban and your account is untouched. The game could not start its secure connection, and the single most common reason is Vanguard's Windows service, vgc, sitting stopped or set to Manual. Open services.msc, set vgc to Automatic, click Start and relaunch. Method 1 walks you through it.
Started right after a game update, or after moving VALORANT to another drive? Known trigger, the game files and Vanguard fall out of step. Check vgc first, launch the Riot Client as administrator, then reinstall Vanguard if it persists. Methods 2 and 6 cover it.
vgc is running but VAN 79 will not go? Then something is blocking the path: allow VALORANT and Riot Vanguard through the firewall for both Private and Public, and refresh the network stack. Methods 3 and 4 clear it.
Wondering if it is Riot's side? Rarely for this code, but thirty seconds on the Riot Games Service Status page rules it out before you touch anything.
Why a connection code so often has a service fix
VAN 79 reads like an internet problem, but the game authenticates through Vanguard, so the secure connection cannot even begin until Vanguard is up. When the vgc service is stopped, set to Manual or failed to initialize, the client has nothing to connect through and reports VAN 79. That is why the ladder below starts at the service, not the router: the reported cases are overwhelmingly client-side, with the stopped service in first place, the firewall second and a damaged network configuration third. Riot-side incidents are the rare exception for this code, unlike its sibling VAN 84, where Riot-side waves are common.
Figure 1: the VAN 79 fix ladder, ordered by how often each rung wins
✓ How to fix it
Work top to bottom, the ladder is ordered by hit rate so most people never reach the bottom rungs. Each method tells you what success looks like.
Method 1
Start the vgc service and set it to Automatic
1Press Win+R, type services.msc and press Enter, then find vgc in the list.
2Open its Properties, set Startup type to Automatic, click Apply, then click Start. A vgc flipped to Manual is the single most common VAN 79 cause, and Windows updates occasionally flip it back.
3Relaunch VALORANT. Logging in cleanly is your success sign. If vgc refuses to start at all, that is its own problem, the vgc not initialized guide handles it properly.
Figure 2: the forty second vgc fix, exactly what you will click
Method 2
Run the Riot Client as administrator
1Restricted permissions block the client from talking to Vanguard, a classic after a game update or after moving the installation to another drive, both known VAN 79 triggers.
2Right-click the Riot Client or VALORANT shortcut and choose Run as administrator. If that fixes it, set it permanently: Properties > Compatibility > tick Run this program as an administrator.
3A clean launch under admin rights confirms a permissions problem, and the permanent tick stops it recurring.
Method 3
Allow the game and Vanguard through the firewall
1Open Windows Security > Firewall & network protection > Allow an app through the firewall, find VALORANT and Riot Vanguard and tick both Private and Public for each. Not listed? Add them with Allow another app.
2Third-party antivirus? Add the same pair as exceptions there too, security software silently blocking Vanguard's traffic produces exactly this code.
3Relaunch. Connecting straight through to the login screen means the block is cleared.
Method 4
Reset the network stack, restart the router, drop the VPN
1A damaged network configuration throws VAN 79 no matter how healthy the service is. Open Command Prompt as administrator and run netsh winsock reset and ipconfig /flushdns, then restart the PC.
2Power the router off for thirty seconds and back on, and turn off any VPN while you test, VPN routing interferes with the secure handshake. Still blocked? Point your connection's DNS at a public resolver such as 8.8.8.8 or 1.1.1.1.
3Relaunch on the refreshed connection. A clean login here confirms the network stack or route was the wall.
Method 5
Update Windows and the network drivers
1Install pending updates via Settings > Windows Update, service and security fixes land here and stale components are a quiet VAN 79 source.
2Update the network adapter driver from your PC or motherboard maker's support page, an outdated driver corrupts exactly the connections this code complains about.
3Restart and relaunch. And re-check vgc after a big Windows update, updates are known to flip its startup type back to Manual.
Method 6
Reinstall Vanguard
1If the game and Vanguard fell out of step, an interrupted update or a moved install does this, replace Vanguard cleanly. Uninstall Riot Vanguard from Settings > Apps and restart the PC.
2Launch VALORANT, it downloads and installs a fresh Vanguard automatically, then asks for one more restart so the driver loads at boot.
3Logging in after that restart is your success sign, the pair are matched again.
Method 7
Reinstall VALORANT as the last resort
1Only after every rung above: uninstall VALORANT and Riot Vanguard, restart, then reinstall from the official site.
2Restart once more after installing so Vanguard initialises before your first launch.
3A clean first login closes the case. Still failing on a fresh install? Contact Riot Support with the exact code and when it appears, at that point it is worth their eyes.
The dialog says relaunch the client, and sometimes that really is enough, so try it once before the ladder. Just do not loop on it: if two relaunches have not fixed it, the cause is one of the rungs, and relaunching a tenth time will not change that.
Common causes of VAN 79
The vgc service stopped or set to Manual, the most common cause, sometimes flipped by a Windows update.
Restricted permissions after a game update or after moving the install to another drive.
A firewall or antivirus blocking VALORANT or Riot Vanguard from the internet.
A corrupted Winsock or DNS configuration, or VPN routing in the way.
Outdated Windows components or network drivers corrupting the connection.
Game files and Vanguard out of step after an interrupted update, the rarest case and the reason reinstalls come last.
Expert insight
“VAN 79 fools people because it talks like an internet error, so they spend the evening on the router while the real fix is a forty second visit to services.msc. The game cannot connect without Vanguard standing up first, so I always check vgc before anything else, and after every big Windows update too, because updates love flipping it back to Manual. My second stop is admin rights if the error arrived with a patch or a moved install. Only when both of those are clean do I go anywhere near the network, and I honestly cannot remember the last time I reached the reinstall rung.”
Manager, Tech Support & Operations · 19+ years fixing Windows and system errors
Make sure this is the error you have
The connection family has siblings with their own pages. VAN 84 is the drop-and-outage error, mid-match disconnects and Riot-side waves live in the VAN 84 guide. VAN -81 names the Vanguard service failing outright, see the VAN -81 guide, and a plain Vanguard not initialized message belongs to the vgc guide. VAN 9001 is the Windows 11 Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 requirement, covered in the VAN 9001 guide. This page is only for VAN 79, the launch-time connection failure.
Frequently asked questions
What does VALORANT error code VAN 79 mean?
It means VALORANT could not establish its secure connection to Riot's services at launch, and in the overwhelming majority of cases the cause is on your PC: the Vanguard service, vgc, not running, a firewall block or a broken network configuration. That is good news, because every one of those is fixable in minutes.
Is VAN 79 a ban?
No. VAN 79 is a connection and service error with no relationship to your account. A ban shows its own clearly worded message from Riot. Once Vanguard starts and the connection forms, you log in as normal.
Is VAN 79 my PC or Riot's servers?
Almost always your PC. Unlike outage-wave errors, VAN 79 is a launch failure that is client-side in the vast majority of reports. Spend thirty seconds on the Riot Games Service Status page to rule out the rare exception, then work through the local fixes with confidence.
Why did VAN 79 start after an update or after moving the game?
Game updates and moving the installation to another drive are known triggers, they can leave the game files and Vanguard out of step with each other or reset permissions. Check the vgc service first, run the client as administrator, then reinstall Vanguard if it persists so the pair are matched again.
How do I fix the vgc service for VAN 79?
Press Win+R, type services.msc and press Enter. Find vgc, open its Properties, set Startup type to Automatic, click Apply and then Start. A vgc set to Manual is the single most common cause of VAN 79, and Windows updates occasionally flip it back, so re-check after big updates.
Why does a stopped service break the connection?
The game authenticates through Vanguard, so the secure connection cannot even begin until Vanguard is up. When vgc is stopped or fails to initialize, the client reports it as a connection error, which is why a network-sounding code so often has a service fix.
Will VAN 79 cost me rank or MMR?
Failing to launch costs you nothing but the games you could not queue for, there is no rating penalty for an error at startup. Leaving a match you already started is a different matter, so if the error ever hits mid-session, get back in quickly, and see the VAN 84 guide for the disconnect side.
How do I stop VAN 79 coming back?
Keep the vgc service on Automatic and re-check it after major Windows updates. Let Vanguard run rather than force-quitting it, and keep Windows and your network drivers current. Most repeat cases trace back to one of those three habits.
Still not working?
If a fresh install still throws VAN 79, test whether Windows itself is blocking driver loading: security policies and Secure Boot configurations can stop Vanguard's driver from starting, in which case the symptoms overlap with the VAN 9001 Secure Boot guide, worth a read even without that code on screen. Browse the full set of Riot Vanguard error guides for anything adjacent, or submit your error to us for a tailored fix.
