Valorant guide: How to fix “your game requires a system restart” error

How players can fix "your game requires a system restart to play" error (Image via Riot Games)

There are many technical problems a player can face when trying to play Valorant. Some have easy fixes while others require a little more effort.

No game in the world is perfect. Bugs and errors are common in all games. Therefore, to ensure a smooth experience, game developers try their very best to minimize the problems players encounter. However, while errors can occur on the developer's end, some can be from the client's side as well.

For instance, the “game requires a system restart to play” error in Valorant is entirely due to an error on the client's end.

This article will provide an in-depth guide on how to possibly fix the issue so players can continue to enjoy Valorant.

Valorant "your system requires a system restart" error possible fixes

This error is frequently encountered by players who have recently installed Valorant on their computer, but it is relatively simple to resolve. Players usually run into this issue because Riot Vanguard needs to be initialized on the first system restart.

Valorant’s Vanguard anti-cheat was specially developed by Riot Games to counter cheaters by integrating the anti-cheat with the system kernel. It is essential to run Riot Vanguard, because without it, the game will not start.

There are many ways in which a user can resolve the issue concerning Valorant’s Vanguard. All the solutions are listed below:

Solution 1: Restart PC after game installation

After installing Valorant, players sometimes forget to restart their PC. The steps to follow after installing the game are as follows:

If the error shows up, players need to close the Riot client and prepare to restart by closing everything on their PC.
After closing everything, players need to go to the Start menu and restart their PC.
When the PC restarts, players need to open the Riot client and they may find that the issued is fixed.

Solution 2: Complete Valorant reinstallation

The error might arise due to improper installation of Valorant, so reinstallation remains one of the solutions. The steps for Valorant reinstallation are as follows:

Go to the Programs and Features settings and open it by double-clicking on it.
Search for “Riot Vanguard” and “Valorant” in the Programs and Features window and uninstall them both one by one.
On completing the uninstallation, users have to visit Riot Games’ website to download the Valorant installer and install the game.
After completing the installation, players have to restart their computer and start the game in Administrator Mode.

Disclaimer: Further suggestions on possible fixes can be mentioned in the comments section below. It may help other readers resolve the issue.