How to fix Vanguard Not Initialized (vgc service failure)
This means Riot's Vanguard service (vgc) is not running, so VALORANT will not start. Getting the service going resolves it. Jump to your situation below or work through the methods in order.
This means Riot's Vanguard service (vgc) is not running, so VALORANT will not start. Getting the service going resolves it. Jump to your situation below or work through the methods in order.
The Vanguard Not Initialized message, and the related codes VAN 44, 57, 128 and 1067, mean Riot's anti-cheat runs as a Windows service called vgc that is not running, so VALORANT refuses to launch. It is usually left in a broken state by a Windows update, a Fast Startup session that skipped a full shutdown, or another security tool blocking the service. The core fix is to set the vgc service to start Automatically and start it: open services.msc, find vgc, set Startup type to Automatic, and click Start. Disabling Fast Startup stops the service being carried over broken between sessions, a cold restart (full power off) re-reads it cleanly, and if it still refuses, reinstalling Vanguard replaces corrupted files. Once vgc is running, VALORANT initializes normally.
Riot Vanguard runs as a background Windows service named vgc. VALORANT checks that this service is active before it launches. These errors mean vgc is stopped or stuck, so the game reports that Vanguard is not initialized and will not open.
The service usually breaks after an update or a fast-boot that skipped a clean shutdown, or because another tool blocked it. Setting vgc to Automatic and starting it, disabling Fast Startup, and doing a cold restart gets it running again, with a reinstall as the fallback.
“Vanguard not initialized just means the vgc service is not running, and the game will not start without it. My go-to is services.msc, find vgc, set it to Automatic, and hit Start. Then I turn off Fast Startup, because a fast boot skips the full shutdown and carries vgc over in a broken state, which is why it so often breaks right after an update. A proper cold restart, not a sleep, re-reads everything. If it still will not start, I reinstall Vanguard.”
services.msc
Vanguard Not Initialized (VAN 44, 57, 128, 1067) means the vgc service is not running. Set vgc to Automatic and start it in services.msc, disable Fast Startup, and do a cold restart. If it still fails, reinstall Vanguard and check no security tool is blocking the service.
If vgc still will not start after a reinstall, a conflicting kernel-level anti-cheat (such as EasyAntiCheat or FACEIT) or an aggressive antivirus is the usual culprit; removing or excluding it and updating chipset drivers clears the conflict. You can also submit your error to us for a tailored fix.
