Okay, so I ran into this “VAN 81” error in Valorant today, and let me tell you, it was a pain. I just wanted to hop on for a few quick games, but nope, the game wouldn’t even start. Here’s how I wrestled with it, and eventually, mostly fixed it.
The Problem Starts
I launched Valorant, like usual, clicked “Play”, and instead of getting into the game, I got slapped with this “VAN 81” error message. I mean, what even is that? I had no clue. I just wanted to shoot some virtual bad guys!
First Instinct: Restart Everything
My go-to move for any tech problem is the classic “turn it off and on again.” So, I restarted my PC. Simple, right? Nope. Still got the VAN 81 error. Okay, time to get a little more serious.
Digging Deeper: Services Shenanigans
I remembered seeing something online about a service called “vgc”. Apparently, Valorant needs this thing running. So, I hit Windows key + R, typed in “*”, and pressed Enter. This opened up the Services window. I scrolled down, looking for anything starting with “vgc”… and there it was!
- It was set to “Manual”. Hmm, that didn’t sound right.
- I right-clicked on “vgc”, went to “Properties”, and changed the “Startup type” to “Automatic”.
- Then, I clicked “Start” to get it running right away.
- I clicked “Apply” then”ok”.
Another Restart (Because Why Not?)
After messing with the “vgc” service, I figured another restart was in order. So, I rebooted my PC again. Crossed my fingers… and… success! Valorant launched! I was in! I played a couple of games, feeling pretty good about myself.
The Lingering Issue…
But here’s the thing. The next day, I went to play again, and BAM! VAN 81 again. Seriously?! It seems like the “vgc” service sometimes just doesn’t want to start on its own, even though I set it to “Automatic”.
My Current Workaround
So, now, whenever I want to play Valorant, I usually have to go back into “*” and manually start the “vgc” service. It’s annoying, but it works. It’s like giving my computer a little nudge to get things going. I’m still looking for a permanent fix, but for now, this is how I’m dealing with the dreaded VAN 81.
If you’re facing the same problem, I hope this helps a bit! It’s not perfect, but it might get you back in the game.
