How to Fix Vanguard Error VAN 185 in Valorant and League of Legends

Keep getting kicked out of your match by Vanguard Error VAN 185? Learn the exact 10 steps to fix this Riot anti-cheat connection issue in Valorant and LoL.

If you are reading this, there is a good chance you just got violently booted from a ranked match right as things were getting intense. Getting hit with a random disconnect is infuriating enough, but when the client throws a cryptic code at you with zero context, it is hard to know where to even begin troubleshooting.

With Riot recently rolling out their proprietary anti-cheat to League of Legends, the MOBA community is now running into the exact same headaches that Valorant veterans have dealt with for years. First, let’s clarify an important distinction: VAN errors are different from VAL errors. A “VAL” error points to a problem with the game client itself, while a “VAN” error explicitly means the anti-cheat system has intervened.

Take a deep breath: VAN 185 is not a ban, and your account is completely safe. Riot Games recognizes this specific code as a communication breakdown between the game itself, the Riot Client, and the Vanguard anti-cheat system.

The problem is that this disconnect can happen for a bunch of different reasons, ranging from a stale login to a background app blocking your internet traffic. Instead of making you guess, we are going to walk through the most effective, community-tested solutions. We will start with the easiest fixes first so you can hopefully get back into the queue without wasting your whole afternoon.

What Actually Causes Vanguard Error Code VAN 185?

Before we start changing settings, it helps to understand why this happens. Officially, Riot has highlighted a few primary triggers for this headache. The anti-cheat system operates at the kernel level and is incredibly strict. If it loses connection to Riot’s servers for even a moment, it terminates your session to maintain competitive integrity.

Here is what usually interrupts that connection:

Stale Sessions: Leaving the Riot Client running in the background for more than seven days can cause your login token to expire unexpectedly.
Competing Logins: Having your account signed in on more than one computer (like switching between a desktop and a laptop) confuses the server.
Software Clashes: Background programs—even something as simple as custom mouse software or a dormant VPN—can silently block Vanguard’s authentication traffic.
Peripheral Interference: Surprisingly, having extra USB controllers or gamepads plugged in can cause background driver conflicts with the anti-cheat.
Network Routing Quirks: Sometimes, your internet service provider (ISP) just struggles to route your connection consistently to Riot’s servers, dropping the tiny authentication packets Vanguard relies on.
Firewall Blockages: Aggressive Windows Defender or third-party antivirus updates can occasionally flag Vanguard as an unauthorized network process, severing its ability to talk to the servers.

The 30-Second Fixes for VAN 185 (Start Here)

Do not start resetting your router or reinstalling graphics drivers just yet. A huge chunk of these disconnects can be solved in about thirty seconds.

Step 1: Nuke the Competing Riot Account Session

If you occasionally play on a laptop in bed or recently logged in at a friend’s house, that secondary session might still be active. When two devices try to maintain a heartbeat with Riot’s servers on the same account, the system panics and kicks you.

While changing your password works, the most efficient method is using Riot’s official account portal.

Sign in to your Riot Games account page on your web browser.
Navigate to the Sign-In & Security tab.
Locate the Login management card.
Click the LOG OUT EVERYWHERE button.
Sign back into your main rig and see if the problem disappears.

Step 2: Manually Restart the Vanguard Background Service

It is easy to assume Vanguard is running flawlessly just because the client is open. Often, the background service crashes silently while the main window stays open. Simply clicking the “X” on the window does not actually close the application.

To force a completely fresh boot of the service:

Check your Windows System Tray (the little up-arrow near your clock).
Find the red Vanguard icon, right-click it, and select Exit Vanguard.
Relaunch the client. If it refuses to open or demands a system restart, go ahead and reboot your PC to reload the kernel-level driver properly.

Izoate Pro Tip: Before pulling your hair out over network configurations, always check your system tray. A massive portion of these headaches happen simply because the background service crashed and needs a manual restart.

Step 3: Unplug Spare Controllers and USB Peripherals

It sounds like a joke, but it is a documented fix. Extra peripherals—especially Xbox or PlayStation controllers, steering wheels, and third-party adapters—run background drivers that Vanguard sometimes flags as suspicious or conflicting. Unplug anything you do not strictly need for gaming, restart your machine, and try launching again.

Resolving Software Clashes and Background Conflicts

If you are dealing with chronic disconnects—meaning you are getting kicked out after almost every single round—third-party software is highly likely to blame.

Step 4: Shut Down Interfering Overlays and Peripheral Apps

Background programs love to intercept network traffic. If you use software like Logitech G HUB, Gigabyte Control Center, or performance overlays (like Discord’s in-game overlay or Overwolf), they might be blocking Vanguard.

Right-click and fully exit these programs from your system tray. Remember, minimizing them does not stop the background processes. Try playing a Spike Rush or an unranked match to test the stability.

Step 5: Force Windows to Keep the VGC Service Running

Windows occasionally tries to optimize system resources by putting background services to sleep. If the operating system suspends Vanguard (vgc) mid-game, your session immediately breaks. You can manually tell Windows to leave it alone.

Press Win + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog.
Type services.msc and press Enter.
Scroll down the alphabetical list until you find vgc. (Note: If you don’t see it, Vanguard isn’t installed properly).
Right-click vgc and select Properties.
Change the Startup type to Automatic, click Apply, and then hit Start if the service is currently stopped.

Step 6: Whitelist Vanguard and Game Files in Your Firewall

Every time a game updates, there is a chance your firewall will flag the new executable files as unrecognized. You need to ensure both the game client and Vanguard have full network clearance.

Press the Windows key, type Firewall & Network protection, and hit Enter.
Click on Allow an app through firewall.
Click Change Settings (you will need administrator privileges).
Browse to your installation folder and add exceptions for your specific game executables. For example, add C:\Riot Games\League of Legends\LeagueClient.exe and LeagueClientUx.exe. Ensure both Private and Public boxes are checked.

Network Routing Tweaks to Stop Chronic Disconnects

When your internet connection is technically fine (you can watch YouTube and download files without dropping), but you keep losing connection to Riot, the issue is usually how your data is being routed.

Step 7: Flush Your DNS and Clear Local Network Caches

Corrupted local network caches can severely disrupt Vanguard’s ability to sync with the central servers. A quick command prompt reset often clears the blockage.

Search for cmd in your Windows search bar.
Right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
Type ipconfig /flushdns and press Enter.
Type netsh winsock reset catalog and press Enter.
Reboot your machine to apply the clean network slate.

Step 8: Disable IPv6 for a More Stable Riot Connection

Riot’s infrastructure generally prefers communicating over the older, more established IPv4 network protocol. The newer IPv6 protocol can sometimes cause routing instability for the anti-cheat.

Press the Windows Key, type Control Panel, and press Enter.
Navigate to Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center.
On the left sidebar, click Change adapter settings.
Right-click your active connection (Wi-Fi or Ethernet) and select Properties.
Scroll down, uncheck the box next to Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6), and click OK.

Izoate Pro Tip: If your connection drops constantly despite having fast internet, disabling IPv6 is often the magic bullet. It forces your PC to route traffic the way Riot’s servers expect.

Step 9: Switch to a Gaming-Friendly DNS (Like Cloudflare)

Standard ISP routing can occasionally drop the tiny authentication packets Vanguard needs. Bypassing your default DNS can instantly stabilize this connection.

You can manually switch your IPv4 DNS settings to Google’s public servers (Primary: 8.8.8.8, Alternate: 8.8.4.4) or use the Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 application. If you download the Cloudflare app, make sure you use it without WARP enabled. WARP acts somewhat like a VPN and can introduce ping spikes, whereas the base 1.1.1.1 setting simply cleans up your routing without adding lag.

The Nuclear Option: A Clean Reinstall of Riot Vanguard

If absolutely nothing else has worked, you might be dealing with deeply corrupted files or tangled registry keys. Sometimes the standard uninstall from the Windows Settings menu leaves broken fragments behind.

Step 10: Purge the Anti-Cheat via Command Prompt

To completely obliterate the anti-cheat drivers from your kernel before reinstalling, you have to use the command prompt.

Open Command Prompt as an administrator.
Type sc delete vgc and press Enter.
Type sc delete vgk and press Enter.
Restart your computer.
Navigate to C:\Program Files and manually delete the Riot Vanguard folder. (If you play League, you might also want to clear out the local data under %localappdata%).
Launch your game. The client will detect the missing files and trigger a completely fresh, clean installation of the anti-cheat. You will need to reboot one last time before the “Play” button unlocks.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Error VAN 185

Does Vanguard Error 185 mean I am hardware banned? No. A hardware ban usually presents itself with a different set of codes (like VAN 152). Error 185 is strictly a connectivity, routing, or session synchronization error.

Do I need to enable TPM 2.0 or Secure Boot to fix VAN 185? While Vanguard heavily relies on TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot on Windows 11, having these disabled usually triggers VAN 9001 or VAN 9003, rather than VAN 185. However, keeping your BIOS up to date and ensuring Secure Boot is active is a great baseline practice to avoid anti-cheat conflicts.

Why do I keep getting Vanguard Error 185 after every game? If the error is highly repetitive rather than random, it almost always points to a routing issue or an aggressive background app. Double-check that IPv6 is disabled and that software like Logitech G HUB is completely closed.

What should I do if literally nothing works? If you have tried everything on this list and are still staring at the same error screen, it is time to submit a support ticket. Be sure to tell them exactly which steps you have already completed. It is highly recommended to run the Riot Repair Tool first, as this generates a folder of your network logs that you can attach to your ticket, allowing their technicians to pinpoint the exact packet loss.

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