This error appears when Riot releases a patch and your game client has not yet updated. Valorant requires all players to be on the same version — queueing is blocked until you install the latest patch through Riot Client.
What does Valorant Client Update Required mean?
Riot pushes updates on a two-week patch cycle. When a new version goes live, older clients are locked out of matchmaking to prevent version mismatches between players. The update is mandatory and automatic via Riot Client — there is no way to play on an older version.
Why the update may not start automatically
Riot Client checks for updates on startup. If Riot Client was minimized or in a sleeping state, it may not have downloaded the patch yet. Restarting Riot Client usually triggers the download immediately.
Slow patch downloads
If the patch download stalls, check Riot Client settings for the download region — switching to a closer server can speed up downloads significantly. Also ensure your firewall is not blocking Riot's content delivery network.
How to fix step by step
- 1Close Valorant and restart Riot Client completely — the patch should begin downloading automatically.
- 2Wait for the patch to finish installing before launching Valorant.
- 3If the download stalls, pause and resume it from Riot Client settings.
- 4Change the download region in Riot Client settings to a closer server.
- 5Disable VPN temporarily — VPNs can reduce patch download speeds.
- 6Run Riot Client as administrator if the installer reports permission errors.
- 7Use the Repair option in Riot Client settings if the patch fails to apply after downloading.
How CLIENT-UPDATE differs from related codes
- Error VAN-9001: Valorant failed during startup while contacting Riot authentication or configuration services. (server or client)
- Error CONNECTION-TIMEOUT: Valorant could not establish a stable connection to game servers before timeout. (server or client)