Valorant Error van-33 means the Vanguard service did not start successfully. This can happen if Vanguard's driver was corrupted, if a recent Windows update changed kernel security policies, or if a third-party application is blocking Vanguard from initializing.
Usually client-sideLast verified: 2026-08-19
Restart Vanguard
Find the Vanguard icon in the system tray (bottom-right of the taskbar). Right-click it and select Restart Vanguard. Then restart Valorant.
Reinstall Vanguard
If restarting does not help, uninstall Vanguard through Add/Remove Programs in Windows Settings. Reinstall it by launching Valorant — the Riot Client will reinstall Vanguard automatically.
How to fix step by step
- 1Restart Vanguard from the system tray icon (right-click > Restart Vanguard)
- 2If Vanguard is not in the tray, open Task Manager and end any RiotVanguard.exe processes, then relaunch Valorant
- 3Uninstall Riot Vanguard from Windows Settings > Apps, then relaunch Valorant (it will reinstall automatically)
- 4After reinstalling, perform a full PC restart before launching Valorant again
How VAN-33 differs from related codes
- Error VAN-81: Valorant lost connection to Riot services during login or queue. (server or client)
- Error VAN-1: Vanguard, Valorant's anti-cheat system, is not running or failed to initialize, so your client is not authorized to launch a match. (user-side)
- Error VAN-51: Riot Vanguard detected a conflicting application or driver that interferes with its kernel-level anti-cheat protection. Vanguard blocked Valorant's launch as a result. (usually client-side)