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Error codeLeague of LegendsWindows PC
League of Legends error VAN -81
Vanguard trouble starting or staying connected
VAN -81 usually means Riot Vanguard is having trouble starting, staying connected, or confirming it is ready while the game runs.
Fix it
How to fix error VAN -81
Restart your PC.
Check that the Windows date, time and time zone are correct.
Set the Vanguard (vgc) service to start automatically.
Uninstall Vanguard, restart, and launch the game so it reinstalls.
Do a clean boot, then reinstall the game if needed.
From League of Legends's help pages: support.riotgames.com, in our words. Checked on 11 November 2026. If the steps do not help, League of Legends's own support is the next stop.
More
More League of Legends errors and common problems
- Can't log inWrong region, clock out of sync or DNS
- Attempting to reconnectConnection drops during a match
- Lag and low FPSWeak hardware, heavy settings or old drivers
- Won't start after champ selectSecurity software or old settings block the game
- Black screenGraphics, firewall or game files get in the way
- Game crashesCrashes or freezes with no error code
- Error code 004Patch failed to download or install
- VAN 68Vanguard lost its connection or session
- VAN 57Riot Vanguard is not running
- VAN 9003Secure Boot is turned off
- Unexpected error with the login sessionAnother client copy stuck in the background
- VAN 1067Vanguard hit an error checking your system
- VAN 0Vanguard couldn't verify your PC
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