How to Fix Valorant VAL 57 (Vanguard Not Initialized)
What VAL 57 means
VAL 57 is Valorant's way of telling you its anti-cheat never started. The full message reads "Vanguard Not Initialized," which means Riot Vanguard — the kernel-level anti-cheat that must be running before every match — was not loaded when Valorant tried to launch. Without Vanguard, Valorant simply refuses to open. It is not a ban, not a server problem, and not a broken install; it is a startup sequence that went wrong.
This error shows up most often right after a fresh install, a Windows update, or any change to how your PC boots. Vanguard installs as a Windows service called vgc and is designed to start with the operating system. If that service was stopped, disabled, or blocked — by a Windows update, a driver conflict, or test mode being enabled — Valorant spots the missing anti-cheat at launch and greets you with error 57. Fix the startup, and the error disappears.
Common causes
- The vgc service is stopped or disabled: this is the most common cause. If the Vanguard service isn't running at launch time, Valorant immediately throws VAL 57.
- A pending restart after a Vanguard install or update: Vanguard installs a kernel driver that only fully loads after a reboot. Launching Valorant before restarting — especially on a fresh install — triggers the error almost every time.
- Windows test mode is enabled: running Windows with test signing turned on allows unsigned drivers to load, and Vanguard refuses to run in that state.
- Corrupted Vanguard files: a crashed update, an interrupted install, or a bad shutdown can leave Vanguard's files in a half-written state it can't recover from on its own.
- Conflicting software or blocked drivers: debuggers, certain overlays, and outdated or incompatible drivers can get caught in Vanguard's integrity checks and prevent the service from initializing.
How to fix VAL 57 — step by step
Work through these fixes in order. VAL 57 is almost always solved by the first three — later steps are only for stubborn cases.
- Restart your PC. Don't just restart Valorant — do a full Windows restart. Riot Vanguard starts with Windows, and a restart lets its service load cleanly. This single step fixes VAL 57 for the majority of players, especially on fresh installs and right after updates. After the reboot, let Windows settle for a minute, then launch Valorant from the Riot Client.
- Enable the vgc service and set it to Automatic. If the restart didn't help, the Vanguard service itself is probably disabled. Press Win + R, type
services.msc, and press Enter. In the services list, findvgc. Double-click it, change Startup type toAutomatic, and click Start if the service isn't running. Click Apply, then restart your PC so Vanguard loads properly at boot. - Reinstall Riot Vanguard. If the service won't start or keeps failing, do a clean reinstall. First close Valorant and the Riot Client completely — use Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) to end any lingering Valorant or Riot Client processes. Then open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, find
Riot Vanguard, and uninstall it. Don't uninstall Valorant itself. Now launch Valorant from the Riot Client: it will detect the missing anti-cheat and reinstall Vanguard automatically. Restart your PC when prompted. - Turn off Windows test mode. Test mode lets unsigned drivers load, and Vanguard will not initialize while it is on. Type
cmdin the Start menu, right-click Command Prompt, and choose Run as administrator. Enter the following two commands, pressing Enter after each:bcdedit -set testsigning offandbcdedit -set nointegritychecks off. Then restart your PC. If you see a "Test Mode" watermark on your desktop, this was very likely your culprit. - Update Windows and your GPU drivers. An outdated Windows build or GPU driver can block Vanguard from loading. Open Settings > Windows Update and install every pending update, including optional driver updates, then restart. Next, update your graphics driver: NVIDIA users open GeForce Experience (or the NVIDIA app) and check for updates, AMD users open AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition, and Intel users run the Intel Driver & Support Assistant. A newer driver build often clears the conflict.
- Repair the Riot Client. If the client files themselves are damaged, download the official Valorant installer again and run it. Choose Advanced Options, point it at your existing install folder, and click Install — the tool will repair rather than re-download the whole game. Once the repair finishes, restart your PC and launch Valorant fresh.
- Contact Riot Support. As a last resort — if a clean Vanguard reinstall still ends in VAL 57 — the block is likely at the account or system level. Submit a ticket to Riot Support, include the exact error code, your Windows version, and everything you already tried. They can check for issues you can't see from your side.
Did this fix it? Quick checklist
- You did a full PC restart, not just a Valorant relaunch
- The vgc service is running and set to Automatic in services.msc
- Windows test mode is off — no "Test Mode" watermark on the desktop
- Riot Vanguard is freshly reinstalled with no debuggers or conflicting software running
If VAL 57 appears on every Windows account on the PC and a clean reinstall doesn't help, the cause is almost certainly a driver or Windows-level conflict — step 4 and 5 are where the answer lives. If the error only started after a specific Windows update, re-running the Vanguard reinstall after that update usually clears it.
Frequently asked questions
What is VAL 57 in Valorant?
VAL 57 is Valorant's "Vanguard not initialized" error. It means Riot Vanguard — the kernel-level anti-cheat that must be running before every match — was not loaded when Valorant tried to launch, so the game refuses to open. It is a startup problem on your PC, not a server issue.
Is VAL 57 an account ban?
No. VAL 57 is a startup problem, not a punishment — your account is fine, the anti-cheat simply didn't start. Banned accounts see different error codes. So if you see VAL 57, treat it as a PC-side fix: restart, check the vgc service, or reinstall Vanguard.
Why does VAL 57 appear right after a Windows update?
Windows updates can stop or disable the vgc service, or change how unsigned drivers are handled — both of which block Vanguard from starting. Open services.msc, set vgc to Automatic and start it, or reinstall Riot Vanguard to clear the error.
Can I play Valorant without Riot Vanguard?
No. Vanguard is mandatory and must be running — its driver loads when Windows boots — before Valorant will open. There is no setting to skip it. The only way past VAL 57 is getting Vanguard running again, starting with a full PC restart.