Here's how to fix the most common Valorant errors

M Alzamora Published 23/11/2020

Valorant’s mix of Overwatch’s abilites and CSGO’s precise gunplay has proven to be a hit among players, but constant errors have the community frustrated.

Despite the game’s overwhelmingly positive reception, Riot’s updates have made the shooter more and more unstable over time. Frustrated fans and players have flooded the game’s subreddit and forums with complaints while begging for help. So what are are some of Valorant’s common errors and how do you fix them? WIN.gg has a complete list below! Simply find the error number on the list below and follow the steps corresponding to the code. While these won’t always work thanks to the fact that all PCs are different, they give players a starting point to work out a fix.

Complete list of Valorant errors and how to fix them

Honestly, there are a ton of Valorant errors that can happen while playing. Below is a list of most of the game’s error codes.

How to fix Valorant error code 4:

What it means: Your display name is invalid. Something’s up with the player’s Riot ID.

This one is pretty simple. Riot’s transition to a global ID means that players that haven’t logged into the developer’s game launcher have to transition their accounts. Find out more information on Riot’s global policy here before reading the tutorial on how to change display name in Valorant.

How to fix Valorant Error code 5:

What it means: The account being used to log in is already logged in somewhere else.

This error code can appear when players are logged in on more than one computer, or already have an instance of Valorant running. Logging out of all other launchers and platforms and a quick restart should fix the issue. If not, it’s possible that a player’s account has been compromised and is being used by another person. If someone suspects their account has been stolen, players should contact Riot Games immediately.

How to fix Valorant error code 7:

What it means: This is commonly caused by an account suspension, but it might also be a server issue. Since error code 7 has mutliple causes, players should first check their registered Riot email for any suspension emails. If that doesn’t turn up anything, players can check out Valorant’s official Twitter and Server status page for more information.

What are Valorant error codes 8 through 21?

What they mean: Any Valorant error code between 8 and 21 is caused by the Riot client, according to the developer. Close out of Valorant, make sure the launcher is fully exited, and then attempt to launch and sign in again.

How to fix Valorant error code 29:

What it means: Error 29 is caused by a networking issue. Riot offers this link, but players should make sure that Valorant isn’t impacted by any firewalls before they try any of the other fixes. Here’s how to do that:

Open Firewall Settings in Windows Settings. Select the option that says “Allow an app through Windows Firewall.”
If “Valorant” cannot be found on the list, click “Allow another app” at the bottom of the screen.

Find RiotClientServices.exe, Valorant.exe, and Vanguard.exe, and add them to the firewall’s allow list. If that doesn’t work, players are advised to completely reinstall Valorant. Players can follow this guide from Riot Games if they’re unclear.

Valorant error codes 31, 33, 43, and 45 fixes:

What they mean: All of these error codes come from either the Riot launcher or Vanguard. A quick reboot should clear things right up.

How to fix Valorant error code 46:

What it means: This is probably the best error any Valorant player will ever see. There actually isn’t anything wrong when players see this code, at least on their end. Valorant Error code 46 means that Valorant servers are down for maintenence or are locked down for the implementation of a new patch. Players just need to wait until they come back up and they can get back to playing.

What are the easiest ways to fix Valorant’s errors?

Anti-cheat engine Vanguard is usually to blame for Valorant errors that prevent players from launching the game. These are almost always corrected by performing a full computer restart.

Since Vanguard turns on when the computer is booted, this also resets Vanguard and allows the game to launch. Any other errors, especially ones in-game, are developement issues. There’s little players can do to fix these but wait them out and report them to Riot. The more players complain, the quicker things are fixed.

Hopefully these tips can help users have a smoother Valorant experience. So if you’re ready to boot up and hit some headshots, players might want to warm up in a different game entirely with Counter-Strike. Check out our YPRAC Aim Map guides and WIN.gg’s best Reflex Maps before you hit Icebox. Don’t forget to convert your sensitivity!

Why does Valorant have so many errors?

Valorant’s summer release actually went pretty smoothly. But since then, the game’s stability has gotten worse. It’s easy to blame the game’s hiccups and problems on Vanguard, Riot Game’s controversial anti-cheat engine, but the reality is that the longer time goes on, the more issues Valorant is having. Unfortunately, this will continue for the forseeable future. After taking a look inside Valorant, the shooters base mechanics seem unfinished.

Common folders, files and commands that allow players to change common values have only recently been added. During Valorant’s unstable 1.11 release, Riot was forced to roll back some great features such as a left-handed viewmodel because of the patch’s many bugs. Even the reversal was a problem, as those who had switched to left-handed mode couldn’t switch back, but the recoil animations stayed in effect. That meant what while a player’s gun may have been mirrored, its animations were not, instead moving in the exact opposite direction.

The bottom line is that Valorant is still very much a work in progress, no matter how much the game’s skin lines cost.

M Alzamora

About M Alzamora

There are few things that writer M Alzamora loves more in life than Pokemon. And there are even fewer things that she loves more than her favorite Pokemon, Eevee. But M’s appreciation for gaming isn’t just limited to Nintendo’s famous pocket monsters. She’s interested in every type of game across every genre of gaming, and she has the credentials to prove it. M’s work has also been seen on Working Classicists and gaming sites.

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