Popular Riot Games tactical shooter Valorant is once again plagued by the "VAN 84" error code, preventing players from even launching the game. Thankfully, the developers are currently working on a fix.
Valorant players aren't alone, as League of Legends players have also reported encountering the VAN 84 error. Both communities suspect that Vanguard, Riot's anti-cheat system, might be the main culprit.
Valorant Players Locked Out By "VAN 84" Error
Valorant players are facing a resurgence of the frustrating VAN 84 error code! This error typically pops up after logging in and attempting to launch the game, displaying a message that reads: "Connection error. VALORANT has encountered a connection error. Please relaunch the client to reconnect." Unfortunately, restarting the client doesn't solve the problem.
The near-unprecedented nature of this issue has left many Valorant players across the globe unable to play the game. This unexpected outage is particularly inconvenient for those seeking their usual dose of competitive action.
Adding to the frustration, the official server status page hasn't been updated to reflect this widespread problem. However, Riot Games has acknowledged the issue with a statement on X: "We are aware of the login problems and error VAN 84/68 - our engineers are working on the problem. Thank you for your patience."
One leading theory behind the error points to a potential issue with Vanguard, Riot Games’ anti-cheat software. In the online gaming world, cheating is a constant concern, and developers like Riot Games are always seeking effective solutions. While numerous anti-cheat systems exist, few have garnered the attention and scrutiny of Riot Vanguard.
Launched alongside the FPS game Valorant, Riot Vanguard has earned both praise for its effectiveness and criticism for its deep system access. While Riot emphasizes its commitment to data privacy, the level of access can be unsettling. Past controversies and reports of system performance issues haven't helped alleviate these anxieties, and the VAN 84 error only fuels the feeling of unease towards Vanguard.
This isn't the first rodeo for the pesky VAN 84 error. If you are looking for some potential solutions, check out our guide on VAN 84 error fixes and workarounds!
For more on Valorant, check out our homepage, where we've covered how to register for the console beta, the best agents on Abyss, how to double rank up, and much more.