Vanguard Error Codes Explained: VAN 185, VAN 1067, VAN 135, VAL 5 and More

Riot's Vanguard error index separates VAN errors from VAL errors. A message beginning VAN belongs to the Vanguard code family; a message beginning VAL belongs to the Valorant client error family. The number alone is not enough. VAN 59 and VAL 59, for example, are different lookups in Riot's index, and a missing minus sign can change which entry you reach. Copy the full code exactly as displayed before searching.

The Vanguard index groups codes by negative numbers, VAN 0-99, VAN 100-8999 and VAN 9000 or higher. Its purpose is to send a player to the dedicated page for the displayed error. The article here combines several high-interest codes so readers can see what kind of issue Riot describes and where a more specific guide begins. It does not replace the publisher's live instructions. The Valorant game comparison covers provider-reported listings for that game; a comparison page cannot diagnose a Riot Client session or account state.

Sources: [1][2]

Riot's VAN 185 page says the code usually points to a session or connection issue between the game, Riot Client and Riot Vanguard. “Usually” matters: the code identifies Riot's support branch, not which component failed on one PC. Riot's page lists the messages it covers, including a connection error during Valorant and an unexpected Vanguard error. Both point to the same code-specific article.

Riot starts its support sequence with baseline game requirements and the Riot Client session, then moves through device, connection and reinstall checks. This guide does not compress that sequence into a universal fix or tell a reader to change security settings. Open Riot's VAN 185 page and follow its current order. If the code persists, Riot asks for a Player Support ticket with logs. The Riot Vanguard system profile describes the anti-cheat and its operating modes; that background is separate from resolving VAN 185.

Sources: [3]

Riot's VAN 1067 page says Vanguard usually encountered an unexpected issue while starting or checking in with the system. That differs from VAN 185's usual session or connection description. The VAN 1067 article includes Windows, Riot Client, service, software and connection checks; their presence does not prove any one of those caused a particular error. Use the exact code-specific page for the current sequence.

The service advice has an important condition. Riot says users who do not use Vanguard Pre-Check for on-demand operation need its vgc service set to Automatic. That is not an instruction for every Vanguard installation. Riot's June 2026 on-demand announcement describes optional driver operation for qualifying PCs, and its VAN 1067 support page preserves that distinction. If a player has chosen Pre-Check, blindly applying the standard startup step would ignore the mode they selected. Riot directs persistent cases to a ticket with logs.

Sources: [4][6]

Riot's VAN 135 page says Vanguard usually could not verify that the PC was ready to run the game or encountered an issue while initializing. Riot does not say that this code alone identifies a broken TPM, a cheating sanction or a single Windows setting. The dedicated page presents its own order of Windows, Vanguard and connection checks and asks for logs if the error continues.

VAN 135's service step carries the same on-demand qualification as VAN 1067: Riot says to set vgc to Automatic if the user does not use Vanguard Pre-Check to run on demand. Read that condition before treating the service setting as a default instruction. A code that mentions readiness is a prompt to read Riot's specific diagnostic route, not evidence that every security feature listed elsewhere is required on every PC. If the on-screen code changes between launches, preserve both exact strings when describing the problem to Riot.

Sources: [5]

Riot's Valorant error list explicitly says it is currently out of date and that a recent issue can cause Valorant errors to display incorrectly. Although the table historically associates code 5 with an account logged in elsewhere, the warning prevents a firm current diagnosis from that row. Seeing VAL 5 should lead to Riot's current support route, not to an assertion that someone else accessed the account.

The prefix matters here too: VAL 5 is listed on Riot's Valorant client page, not in the Vanguard VAN index. The same caution applies to VAL 7 and the other rows under the warning. Riot recommends submitting a ticket while the display issue is unresolved. Include the exact text and code shown, because a stale mapping and an incorrectly displayed error are different uncertainties. The broader games directory contains comparisons for covered games; it is not a Riot status page or an account recovery tool.

Sources: [1][2]

Riot's Vanguard index lists other code strings that should be read exactly, including a negative VAN -81, VAN 128, VAN 68, VAN 152, VAN 9001 and VAN 9003. The matrix below is a route map, not a repair checklist. Where Riot's dedicated page was not verified for a meaning, the row makes no causal claim.

The assigned search phrase van 81 omits a character Riot prints in VAN -81. The table does not assume a positive VAN 81 has the same meaning. VAN 152 is a restriction, not a connection repair problem. VAN 9001 and VAN 9003 each have their own official meaning and are covered in the Valorant Secure Boot/TPM guide. Keep those routes separate from the VAN 185, 1067 and 135 answers above.

Sources: [1][7][8][9][10][11]

Riot's Vanguard index directs players whose exact VAN code is absent from the list to submit a Player Support ticket with logs. Its dedicated VAN 185, 1067 and 135 pages give the same route when their listed steps do not resolve the error. A ticket should preserve the precise prefix, number and any minus sign, alongside the displayed message. That helps Riot connect the case to the right article without relying on an approximate search phrase.

For VAL 5, the reason to contact Riot is stronger while its Valorant code list carries an explicit out-of-date warning. A fixed row meaning should not override that live warning. Check the two Riot indexes again if a page or message has changed since the September 30, 2026 source check. This guide does not infer an account sanction or a hardware problem from a code whose current interpretation Riot has not confirmed.

Sources: [1][2][3][4][5]