Vanguard Has Not Been Initialized
Riot Games Valorant
Severity: ModerateWhat Does This Error Mean?
Vanguard Has Not Been Initialized means Riot Vanguard — Valorant's anti-cheat software — did not start when Windows booted. Vanguard requires Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 to be enabled in your PC's BIOS. Restarting your PC is the first step, as Vanguard is designed to start automatically at boot.
Affected Models
- Valorant (PC only — Windows 10 and Windows 11)
Common Causes
- Vanguard did not start on boot — a simple restart usually fixes this
- Secure Boot is disabled in the PC's BIOS settings
- TPM 2.0 is disabled or not available on older hardware
- Another anti-cheat program is conflicting with Vanguard
- Vanguard was uninstalled or corrupted and needs reinstalling
How to Fix It
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Restart your PC fully — not just closing and reopening Valorant. Vanguard is a kernel-level anti-cheat that starts at Windows boot, not when the game launches.
A restart is the fix for most Vanguard initialisation errors. After rebooting, launch Riot Client and then Valorant without opening any other game clients first.
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Check that Secure Boot is enabled. Restart your PC, enter BIOS (usually by pressing F2, F10, or Delete during startup), and look for Secure Boot under the Security or Boot tab.
Valorant requires Secure Boot to be Enabled. If it is Disabled, enable it, save BIOS settings, and restart. The exact steps vary by motherboard manufacturer.
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If Secure Boot is already enabled and the error persists, reinstall Vanguard. Open the Windows Start menu, find Riot Vanguard, right-click and select Uninstall, then relaunch Valorant to reinstall it automatically.
Valorant reinstalls Vanguard automatically the first time you launch after uninstalling it. This replaces any corrupted Vanguard files.
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Close any other games that use their own anti-cheat software — such as Easy Anti-Cheat or BattlEye — before launching Valorant.
Multiple kernel-level anti-cheat systems running simultaneously can conflict. Close games like Fortnite, PUBG, or Apex Legends fully before opening Valorant.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Riot Vanguard safe to have on my PC?
Vanguard is a kernel-level anti-cheat, which means it runs at a low level of Windows. It is developed and maintained by Riot Games. If you do not want it running, uninstalling Valorant also removes Vanguard.
Can I play Valorant without Vanguard installed?
No — Vanguard is required to play Valorant. If Vanguard is uninstalled, Valorant will reinstall it automatically the next time you launch the game.