You just got hit with a VAL 5 error in Valorant and you're staring at your screen wondering if you've been banned. Let's cut straight to it.
What the VAL 5 Error Actually Means
The VAL 5 error code in Valorant is a connection error, not a ban. It means your game client lost its connection to Riot's servers. You'll usually see a message like "The game has lost connection" or get kicked back to the client. According to Riot's official error code documentation, Code 5 specifically relates to your account being logged in elsewhere or a session conflict.
But here's the thing — some players report seeing VAL 5 alongside actual bans. If Vanguard detected something on your system, you might get a VAL 5 error that's actually masking a deeper issue like a VAN 152 error or Code 61, which is Riot's explicit "you have been banned" message. So the first thing you need to figure out is whether you're dealing with a simple connection hiccup or something more serious.
How to Fix VAL 5 When It's a Connection Error
If this is genuinely a connection issue, here's what to do in order. Test Valorant after each step.
Step 1: Check if Riot's servers are even up. Visit status.riotgames.com before you start troubleshooting your own system. If there's an outage or scheduled maintenance, that's your answer.
Step 2: Restart everything. Close the Riot Client completely — not just Valorant. Restart your PC and your router. When you relaunch, right-click the Riot Client and run it as administrator.
Step 3: Log out of all sessions. Go to your Riot Account settings, find Login Management, and hit "Log Out Everywhere." This kills any duplicate sessions that could be triggering the Code 5 conflict. If someone else has access to your account, this is critical.
Step 4: Flush your DNS and reset your network stack. Open Command Prompt as administrator and run these commands one at a time:
netsh winsock resetnetsh int ip resetipconfig /releaseipconfig /renewipconfig /flushdns
Restart your PC after. This clears out stale network data that can cause Vanguard's connection to Riot's servers to break. If you're on WiFi, switch to a wired Ethernet connection — it makes a real difference with Vanguard's network checks.
Step 5: Repair your game files. Open the Riot Client, go to Profile > Settings > Valorant > Repair. Corrupted files can cause all kinds of weird errors including VAL 5.
Step 6: Reinstall Vanguard. Go to Control Panel > Programs, find "Riot Vanguard," and uninstall it. Restart your PC. When you launch Valorant again, Vanguard will reinstall automatically. This fixes cases where Vanguard's kernel driver got corrupted or isn't loading properly at boot.
Step 7: Update your network drivers. Open Device Manager, expand Network Adapters, right-click your adapter, and update the driver. Outdated network drivers are a surprisingly common cause of persistent VAL errors.
Common Mistakes That Keep VAL 5 Coming Back
- Running overlays that conflict with Vanguard. Discord overlay, NVIDIA GeForce Experience overlay, and TeamSpeak can all interfere. Close them and test. Vanguard is a kernel-level driver with deep system access, and it doesn't play nice with everything.
- Using a VPN. Riot actively flags VPN connections and they can cause repeated disconnects. Turn it off.
- Being logged in on multiple devices. If you're logged into the Riot Client on your laptop and your desktop, that's a Code 5 trigger. Log out everywhere first.
- Ignoring Windows updates. Vanguard requires certain Windows security features like HVCI (Hypervisor-Protected Code Integrity) to function correctly. Make sure your Windows and BIOS are up to date.
- Skipping the restart. Vanguard loads at boot. If you make changes and don't restart, vgk.sys hasn't reloaded with the new configuration. Always restart.
When VAL 5 Is Actually a Ban
Here's where it gets more serious. If you've tried everything above and you're still getting VAL 5 — especially if it happens instantly every time you try to log in — you might actually be banned.
True bans in Valorant show as Code 61 or VAN error codes. But players have reported seeing VAL 5 as the surface-level error when the real issue underneath is an HWID ban. If you check your account status and it shows a restriction, or if every new account you create gets instantly blocked, you're dealing with a hardware ban, not a connection error.
If you think you've been falsely banned, submit a ticket to Riot Support under "Bans & Appeals." Be honest, provide screenshots, and include your Riot ID. You can read more about how to appeal a Valorant ban for specifics on what to include. Just know that appeals for confirmed cheating detections rarely succeed.
If the ban is confirmed and it's an HWID ban, that means Vanguard has fingerprinted your actual hardware — your disk serials, motherboard UUID, CPU ID, MAC addresses, and more. Making a new account won't help because the hardware itself is blacklisted. You can learn about how long these bans last, but many are permanent.
For players dealing with confirmed HWID bans, some turn to HWID spoofers that emulate different hardware identifiers so Vanguard doesn't recognize the banned fingerprint. Tools like Saturn Spoofer are built specifically for Riot's Vanguard and handle the full range of identifiers Vanguard checks — without requiring a Windows reinstall. You can read a deeper technical breakdown of how that process works or explore how to bypass a Valorant HWID ban for a full walkthrough.
Whether you're dealing with ban waves or wondering if you can still play while HWID banned, the key is figuring out which problem you actually have. VAL 5 by itself is usually just a connection error with a straightforward fix. But if it's a ban in disguise, you need a completely different approach — and understanding how Vanguard's ban system actually works is the first step. The same applies to League of Legends HWID bans since both games share Vanguard, and yes, League does HWID ban players too.
Don't waste time on skin changers or sketchy tools that promise instant unbans. Understand what you're actually dealing with first. If you want to know the difference between permanent and temporary spoofers, that's worth reading before making any decisions. And if you're wondering whether getting unbanned from Valorant is even possible through official channels, we've covered that too.
Stay safe out there.