How to Fix Valorant Error VAL 62 (Error Connecting to the Platform)
What VAL 62 means
Valorant error VAL 62 greets you with the message "There was an error connecting to the platform. Please restart your game client." It pops up at the login or launch stage, before you ever reach the lobby — your PC tried to shake hands with Riot's platform services and the connection fell apart.
Behind the scenes, VAL 62 is a platform-connectivity failure, not a gameplay bug. Riot's own error documentation ties it to the internal status "NoGamepodsToPingFailure," which points at the connection between your client and Riot's backend rather than anything you did in a match. The usual suspects are a stale client session after the client has been running for hours, an update that Riot pushed while you were logged in (your old build can no longer talk to the new services), Riot-side maintenance or degradation, or local network trouble like a poisoned DNS cache or a firewall quietly blocking the client.
The good news: VAL 62 is almost never serious. It has nothing to do with bans or account problems, it doesn't touch your skins or rank, and it usually disappears the moment the real cause — an outage, an update, a stale session, or a blocked service — is cleared. The fixes below start with Riot's own official recommendations and move through the network and Vanguard layers that actually cause this one.
Common causes
- Riot's platform services are down or in maintenance: VAL 62 spikes during Riot maintenance windows and patch rollouts — if Riot's side is the problem, nothing on your PC will fix it until it's back.
- Update mismatch: Riot pushed a new build while your client was still running, so the old client can no longer communicate with the updated platform services.
- Stale Riot Client session: a long-running or half-crashed client session loses its connection to the platform; closing the window without killing background processes doesn't clear it.
- Network and DNS problems: a corrupted DNS cache, an unstable connection, or a router hiccup can stop your PC from reaching Riot's servers even when everything else works.
- Vanguard service not running: when the vgc anti-cheat service is stopped or set to manual, the client can't complete the platform handshake that depends on it.
How to fix VAL 62 — step by step
Work through these fixes in order. VAL 62 is frequently a server-side event or a stale session, which is why the list starts with Riot's status page and Riot's own official fix before you touch anything deeper.
- Check the Riot Games server status first. Before changing anything, check status.riotgames.com and select your Valorant region. VAL 62 frequently appears during Riot maintenance windows and after new updates ship — in those cases the error is on Riot's side and no amount of restarting or reinstalling on your PC will fix it. If the platform services show as degraded or down, just wait and try again later. Only continue with the steps below if every service shows as operational.
- Fully restart the Riot Client. Riot's own official fix for VAL 62 is restarting the game client, because the error often comes from a stale or interrupted client session. Close Valorant completely, then open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), go to the Processes tab, and end every Riot Client, Valorant, and RiotClientServices task. Relaunch Valorant from the Riot Client — not from a desktop shortcut — and try logging in again. If Riot pushed an update while you were playing, this restart also lets the client download it.
- Restart your router and flush your DNS. A stale DNS cache or a hiccupping home network can stop your PC from talking to Riot's platform even when the game servers themselves are fine. Unplug your router for 30 seconds, plug it back in, and wait for it to fully reconnect. Then open Command Prompt as administrator and run these four commands in order: ipconfig /flushdns, ipconfig /release, ipconfig /renew, and netsh winsock reset. Restart your PC afterward, and skip any VPN while testing — tunneling through another country can route you to the wrong regional backend.
- Set the vgc service to run automatically. One of the most common underlying causes of VAL 62 is Riot Vanguard's vgc service not running. Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter. Scroll to the vgc service, right-click it, and choose Properties. Set Startup type to Automatic, then click Start under Service status if it isn't already running. Click Apply and OK, then relaunch Valorant. Vanguard must be up and healthy before the client can complete its platform handshake.
- Run as administrator and whitelist Valorant in your firewall. Right-click the Riot Client shortcut and choose Run as administrator, then launch Valorant from inside it — this clears permission problems that can block the platform connection. Next, check your firewall and antivirus: Windows Defender Firewall or a third-party antivirus can block the Riot Client's outgoing connection and surface as VAL 62. Add exceptions for RiotClientServices.exe, the Riot Client folder, and the Riot Vanguard folder rather than disabling protection. If the error appeared right after an antivirus update, that is very likely your culprit.
- Clean-reinstall Riot Vanguard. If VAL 62 survives everything above, Vanguard itself may be corrupted. Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, uninstall Riot Vanguard (leave Valorant installed for now), then restart your PC — the restart is required because Vanguard's kernel driver only clears on reboot. After rebooting, launch Valorant from the Riot Client: it will detect the missing anti-cheat and reinstall a fresh copy automatically. Let the install finish completely before clicking Play. As a true last resort, uninstall both Valorant and the Riot Client and reinstall from scratch.
Did this fix it? Quick checklist
- You can log in to Valorant without the VAL 62 message
- status.riotgames.com shows all Valorant services as operational
- Only one Riot Client instance is running in Task Manager
- The vgc service is running with Startup type set to Automatic
If VAL 62 still won't go away, double-check you aren't confusing it with a VAN code — VAN errors like VAN 9001 or VAN -81 are pure Vanguard problems and need Vanguard-focused troubleshooting. Also try a different network (a mobile hotspot works well for testing): if the error disappears on a hotspot, your ISP or router is blocking or mangling the route to Riot's servers, and the fix is on the network side. As a last resort, a clean reinstall of Valorant and the Riot Client clears every cached session file, but work through the full list above first — it resolves the error for the vast majority of players.
Frequently asked questions
What is Valorant error VAL 62?
VAL 62 shows the message "There was an error connecting to the platform. Please restart your game client." It means your client failed to reach Riot's platform services — often shown internally as NoGamepodsToPingFailure. It's a connection or session failure, not a ban, and Riot's official first fix is restarting the game client.
Is VAL 62 my fault or Riot's?
Either. VAL 62 is very commonly tied to Riot-side events: server maintenance, an update rolling out, or platform degradation. That's why checking status.riotgames.com is always step one. If the status page is green, the problem is on your end — a stale client session, network or DNS trouble, a stopped vgc service, or firewall interference.
Why does VAL 62 appear right after an update?
This is one of the most common triggers. If Riot pushes a patch while your client is open, the old build can no longer talk to the updated platform services, and VAL 62 is the result. A full restart of the Riot Client (ending every Riot process in Task Manager) lets it download the new build, which usually clears the error immediately.
What is the difference between VAL 62 and VAN errors?
VAL codes are Riot Client problems; VAN codes are Riot Vanguard (anti-cheat) problems. VAL 62 means the client couldn't reach Riot's platform services — a session or connection failure. VAN errors like VAN 9001 or VAN -81 mean Vanguard itself isn't running or can't initialize. The vgc service fix overlaps both, but pure VAN errors skip straight to Vanguard troubleshooting.
Will reinstalling Valorant fix VAL 62?
It can, but it's the last resort — VAL 62 rarely needs it. Try the restart, server status, DNS flush, vgc service, and firewall steps first, since those resolve it for nearly everyone. If you do reinstall, remove Riot Vanguard too and reboot before reinstalling, so the kernel driver gets fully cleared.