How to fix your game requires a system restart to play VALORANT

There’s nothing more annoying than getting ready for a game of VALORANT, only to have it refuse to launch. You end up wasting hours just trying to figure out what went wrong.

One of the most common errors players run into is that message sitting right above the “Play” button that reads:

“Your game requires a system restart to play. Please restart your computer. If this issue continues, reach out to our player support team.”

Sure, the classic “just restart your PC” trick might work sometimes. But if you’ve been playing for a while, you know it’s rarely that simple. What makes this error extra tricky is that it doesn’t show up the same way for everyone.

I’ve put together a few solutions that have actually helped other players. Go through them one by one, and hopefully, you’ll be back in the game soon.

1. Run VALORANT as an Administrator

First up, you’ll want to make sure VALORANT has all the permissions it needs by running it as an administrator. Here’s how:

• Click the Windows icon in the bottom-left corner and search for VALORANT.
• Right-click the game and select Open file location.
• In the folder that opens, right-click on the VALORANT shortcut and choose Properties.
• Head over to the Compatibility tab.
• Check the box that says Run this program as an administrator.
• Click Apply, then OK.
• Restart your PC and try launching the game again.

2. Reinstall Both VALORANT and Riot Vanguard (Anti-Cheat)

Sometimes, the best way to deal with stubborn errors is to start fresh — but don’t forget Riot Vanguard, the anti-cheat system. Many people uninstall the game but skip Vanguard, and that’s where problems begin.

Here’s what you need to do:

• Close the VALORANT launcher.
• On your taskbar, click the little upward arrow to see hidden icons. Look for the Riot Vanguard icon.
• If you see it, right-click and choose Exit Vanguard. If you don’t see it, just move on to the next step.
• Open your Control Panel (search for it in the Windows menu).
• Under Programs, click Uninstall a program.
• Find Riot Vanguard, right-click, and uninstall it.
• Next, uninstall VALORANT the same way.
• Restart your computer.
• Download VALORANT again from the official site and install it.
• Try launching the game now.

3. Make Sure Riot Vanguard Is Enabled

VALORANT won’t run without Vanguard, so let’s double-check it’s actually enabled:

• Open the Run dialog by pressing Windows + R on your keyboard.
• Type msconfig and hit OK.
• Go to the Services tab.
• Look for vgc in the list.
• Make sure the box next to it is checked.
• Hit Apply and OK.
• Restart your computer and try running VALORANT again.

4. Set Vanguard to Run Automatically

If you’re still stuck, Vanguard might not be set to launch on its own. Here’s how to fix that:

• Open the Run dialog again (Windows + R).
• Type services.msc and hit OK.
• Scroll through the list until you find vgc.
• Double-click it.
• In the General section, find Startup type and set it to Automatic.
• Below that, click the Start button.
• Hit Apply, then OK.
• Restart your PC and give VALORANT another shot.