Valorant VAN 1 — Not Authorized to Play

What does Valorant VAN 1 mean?

Vanguard must be running at the kernel level before Valorant will launch a game session. VAN 1 is the authorization check failure — Valorant sees that its anti-cheat layer is absent or failed to start, so it refuses to let you queue.

Why it happens after Windows updates

Windows updates, particularly those that modify the kernel, can disable or break Vanguard's driver. After a major Windows update it is common for VAN 1 to appear until you restart, allow Vanguard to reload its driver, and relaunch Valorant.

Secure Boot and TPM 2.0

Vanguard requires Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 on most configurations. If your BIOS recently changed these settings, VAN 1 may appear even after a restart. Check BIOS to confirm Secure Boot is enabled and TPM 2.0 is present.

How to fix step by step

1. 1Restart your PC — do not just close and reopen Valorant. A full restart allows Vanguard to reload its kernel driver.
2. 2After restart, let Vanguard load before launching Valorant (look for the Vanguard tray icon).
3. 3If VAN 1 persists, right-click the Vanguard tray icon and choose Restart.
4. 4Open Device Manager and check for driver errors on the Vanguard Anti-Cheat entry.
5. 5Verify Secure Boot is enabled in your BIOS settings.
6. 6Uninstall and reinstall Vanguard from the Valorant launcher if the driver fails to load.
7. 7Check that Windows is fully updated — partially applied updates can leave Vanguard in a broken state.

How VAN-1 differs from related codes

• Error VAN-21: Valorant could not authorize your session. You may have launched Valorant directly instead of through the Riot Client, or Vanguard is not active. (user-side)
• Error VAN-39: Vanguard's kernel driver is not loaded, is outdated, or requires a system restart to activate after an update. (user-side)
• Error VAN-45: Vanguard's anti-cheat process failed to start or was terminated. Valorant cannot run without an active Vanguard session. (user-side)