How to Fix VAN 57 Error in League of Legends: A Step-by-Step Guide

If you’re a regular League of Legends or Valorant player, there’s a good chance you’ve encountered one of those annoying VAN errors that keep you from jumping into the game. Among them, VAN 57 stands out as one of the most frustrating. It’s sudden, vague, and doesn’t give much information to go on — just a number and a blocked login screen.

But don’t worry, you’re not alone. This error is more common than Riot Games would like to admit, and the good news is that it’s usually fixable with a few simple steps.

Let’s break down what the VAN 57 error actually means, what causes it, and — most importantly — how to fix it so you can get back to the Rift without pulling your hair out.

What Is the VAN 57 Error?

The VAN 57 error message usually reads something like:

“VAN 57 – Vanguard not initialized. Please restart your computer or reinstall Riot Vanguard.”

This error is tied to Riot Vanguard, the anti-cheat software used by Riot Games, particularly in Valorant, but also affecting League of Legends for some users — especially if Vanguard is running in the background or conflicting with system services.

In simple terms, your system failed to properly load Vanguard, or something is blocking it from working correctly. This is common after system updates, driver installations, or antivirus software interfering with Vanguard’s services.

Why Does VAN 57 Appear in League of Legends?

While VAN errors are most often associated with Valorant, Vanguard is sometimes active or partially installed due to Riot’s shared infrastructure. If you play both League and Valorant, or if your system has leftover Vanguard files, this can create conflicts, resulting in VAN 57 even when you’re just trying to play League.

Common causes include:

• Vanguard service is not running.

• Conflicts with Windows updates.

• Corrupted Vanguard files.

• Antivirus software blocking Vanguard.

• Vanguard not set to launch on startup.

How to Fix VAN 57 Error – Step-by-Step

Here’s a detailed guide to fix the VAN 57 error and get you back into League of Legends or Valorant.

1. Restart Your PC

It may sound basic, but many users have solved VAN 57 just by doing a full system restart. Vanguard is designed to launch with Windows. If it doesn’t start up correctly, restarting your PC gives it another chance.

• Fully shut down your PC (not just sleep mode).

• Wait 10 seconds.

• Power it back on and try launching the game again.

If the error persists, move on to the next steps.

2. Start Vanguard Manually

Sometimes Vanguard doesn’t auto-start. You can force it to start manually:

1. Press Win + R and type services.msc, then hit Enter.

2. Look for “vgc” in the list of services.

3. If it’s stopped, right-click it and click Start.

4. If you get an error, it means Vanguard is either not installed properly or blocked.

Try launching the game again after starting the service.

3. Reinstall Riot Vanguard

If Vanguard is corrupted or not functioning correctly, reinstalling is the cleanest fix.

How to do it:

1. Go to Control Panel > Programs > Uninstall a program.

2. Find Riot Vanguard, right-click, and Uninstall it.

3. Also, uninstall Valorant (if installed), as it’s the primary app tied to Vanguard.

4. Restart your PC.

5. Reinstall Valorant from Riot’s official website (it will reinstall Vanguard).

6. Restart once again before launching.

Even if you only play League, reinstalling Valorant (temporarily) ensures Vanguard is installed properly. After that, you can uninstall Valorant if you don’t need it.

4. Add Vanguard to Antivirus Exceptions

Sometimes, your antivirus or Windows Defender blocks Vanguard, causing errors like VAN 57.

For Windows Defender:

1. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Windows Security > Virus & threat protection.

2. Scroll down and click Manage settings under Virus & Threat Protection Settings.

3. Scroll to Exclusions, and click Add or remove exclusions.

4. Add the Riot Vanguard folder (usually located in C:\Program Files\Riot Vanguard).

If you use a third-party antivirus (like Avast, Norton, etc.), do the same steps within that software.

5. Run the Game as Administrator

Sometimes, Vanguard or the Riot Client lacks the necessary permissions to start correctly.

Here’s what to do:

• Right-click on the Riot Client or League of Legends shortcut.

• Click Properties > Compatibility tab.

• Check Run this program as an administrator.

• Click Apply, then launch the game.

6. Update Windows and Drivers

An outdated Windows version or graphics/network driver can interfere with how Vanguard runs.

• Go to Settings > Windows Update, and install all available updates.

• Update your GPU drivers from the official Nvidia or AMD website.

• Also, update your network drivers, especially if using older WiFi adapters or Ethernet.

7. Contact Riot Support

If none of the above fixes work, it’s possible something deeper is at fault. Reach out to Riot Support and provide them with your logs. You can generate logs using the Hextech Repair Tool, available on Riot’s official support site.

They can assist with rare cases like system-level conflicts, BIOS/UEFI Secure Boot issues, or kernel-level antivirus blocks.

Final Thoughts

While VAN 57 may seem like a mysterious and frustrating error, it usually boils down to a Vanguard startup issue or conflict. Whether you’re launching League of Legends or Valorant, these steps should help you identify and fix the root of the problem.

If you only play League and still get the VAN 57 error, you may want to consider removing Vanguard entirely — it’s not required for League. But if you’re playing Valorant too, keeping Vanguard healthy is necessary.