How to Fix the Critical Error Occurred in Valorant

Preliminary Checks: Initial Steps to Take

Before diving into advanced troubleshooting, perform these initial checks:

• Restart your computer and router, ensuring your Windows is fully updated.
• Verify your system meets the minimum requirements and check the Valorant server status.
• Temporarily disable third-party antivirus software and close unnecessary applications including RTSS and Afterburner.
• Check for BIOS firmware updates.

Step 1: Always Launch the Game with Administrator Privileges

To ensure the game has necessary access:

1. Right-click on the Valorant desktop shortcut and select Properties.
2. Navigate to the Compatibility tab.
3. Check the box for Run this program as administrator.
4. Confirm by clicking OK.

Pro Tip: Running games as an administrator can resolve many permission-related issues.

Step 2: Ensure Your Graphics Drivers Are Up-to-Date

Update your graphics drivers to enhance game performance:

1. Open the Run dialog by pressing Windows + R.
2. Type devmgmt.msc and click OK to open Device Manager.
3. Expand Display adapters, right-click your graphics driver, and choose Update driver.
4. Select Search automatically for drivers and follow prompts.

Pro Tip: Regularly check for graphic driver updates to avoid game-related issues.

Step 3: Restart the Vgc Service

Resetting the Riot Vanguard service can help resolve critical errors:

1. Open the Run window with Windows + R.
2. Type services.msc and open the Services app.
3. Find vgc in the list, double-click to open Properties.
4. Set Startup type to Automatic and apply changes.
5. Ensure the game executable VALORANT-Win64-Shipping.exe also runs as an administrator in its properties.

Step 4: Perform a TCP/IP Reset with DNS Flush

Resetting network settings can resolve connectivity issues:

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator by typing cmd after pressing Windows key.
2. Run netsh int ip reset to reset TCP/IP stacks.
3. Execute ipconfig /release followed by ipconfig /renew to renew IP address.
4. Use ipconfig /flushdns to clear DNS cache.
5. For further troubleshooting, type netsh winsock reset to reset Winsock settings.
6. Restart your computer to apply changes.

Step 5: Adjust the System Locale for Unicode Support

Changing Unicode settings can fix format-related issues:

1. Open the Control Panel.
2. Navigate to Clock and Region, then click Region.
3. In the Administrative tab, select Change system locale and set it to English (United States).
4. For complete compatibility, also check Use Unicode UTF-8 for worldwide language support.
5. Confirm the changes and restart your computer.

Pro Tip: Altering the system locale can resolve many compatibility issues.

Step 6: Change Settings in the GameSettings File

Editing configuration files can fix errors linked to display settings:

1. Use Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog.
2. Enter %localappdata% to navigate to Local AppData.
3. Find the path: ShooterGame\Saved\Config\WindowsClient\GameUserSettings.ini.
4. Open the file in Notepad and adjust DefaultMonitorIndex to -1 and LastConfirmedMonitorIndex to 0.
5. Save the file using Ctrl + S.

Step 7: Repair or Reinstall Valorant and Riot Games Client

If the issue persists, consider reinstalling the game:

1. Download the latest installer from Valorant’s official website.
2. Install and select Advanced options during setup to ensure proper configurations.
3. If necessary, uninstall Valorant through the Settings app under Apps, then reinstall.

What should I do if the error persists after applying these fixes?

Are there any precautions I should take before reinstalling Valorant?