“Could Not Enter Matchmaking” is a symptom, not one specific VALORANT failure. Check Riot’s service status first, then test your connection, remove VPN or firewall interference, repair Windows networking, and finally follow the Vanguard or configuration-reset branch that matches the message on screen.
What “Could Not Enter Matchmaking” means
VALORANT can display this message when the client cannot complete the request that places your party into a match queue. The interruption may be at Riot’s services, somewhere on your network, inside Windows, in firewall or router filtering, in the local game configuration, or in Vanguard’s security checks. Because the wording covers several conditions, changing one setting at random is inefficient. Use the decision tree below and stop as soon as the cause is identified.
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The fastest discriminator is whether Riot is reporting an incident and whether the game works from a different connection. A service incident affects many players and cannot be repaired on your PC. A failure that disappears on Ethernet or another network points toward Wi‑Fi, router, DNS, or firewall conditions. A visible VAN code or restriction belongs to Vanguard rather than ordinary matchmaking connectivity.
Start with the five-minute checks
- Check Riot service status. Open the VALORANT Support hub and view its Service Status information. If an incident affecting login, game services, or matchmaking is listed, wait for Riot to resolve it instead of changing network settings.
- Restart the software cleanly. Exit the game and Riot Client completely, including any client process still running in the Windows notification area. Reopen the client, sign in, and try the queue again. Restart the PC if the client will not close cleanly.
- Confirm the connection is actually usable. Open a normal website, check that Wi‑Fi is enabled, and reseat Ethernet connectors. A connected icon alone does not prove that the route to Riot is working.
- Try a second path. If available, connect directly by Ethernet or briefly test another trusted network. A change in result is useful evidence: it indicates a local wireless, router, DNS, or filtering problem rather than a universal matchmaking outage.
- Record the exact wording. Note whether the client shows a VAN code, a restriction notice, or the separate message “Error retrieving settings from server, changes to settings will not be saved on the server.” Each message uses a different repair path.
Separate a Riot outage from a local failure
| What you observe | Most likely branch | What to do next |
|---|---|---|
| Service Status lists a current incident, and other players report the same problem | Riot-side availability | Leave settings unchanged, monitor the status page, and retry after the incident is cleared. |
| Only your computer fails, while another device or network can connect | Local network, Windows, firewall, or router | Continue with the network and security checks below. |
| Ethernet works but Wi‑Fi does not | Wireless instability, interference, or signal loss | Use the wired path while troubleshooting the wireless network. |
| A different network produces the same VAN code or restriction | Vanguard or account/device enforcement | Use Riot’s Vanguard error and restriction guidance. |
| The queue fails together with the server-settings message | Damaged or unusable local configuration | Perform the Config-folder reset described later. |
Do not infer an outage merely because matchmaking does not start once. Service Status is the authoritative first check; repeated failures limited to one machine need local troubleshooting.
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Test Wi‑Fi and Ethernet before changing advanced settings
Use a direct wired test
Riot’s network guidance recommends trying a wired connection when Wi‑Fi is troublesome because Ethernet generally avoids radio interference, roaming between access points, and sudden signal drops. Connect the PC directly to the router with a known-good cable, disable Wi‑Fi temporarily so Windows uses Ethernet, restart the client, and test one queue. An ordinary Cat6 Ethernet cable is sufficient for this diagnostic; it cannot fix a Riot outage, a Vanguard restriction, or a damaged game installation.
Interpret the result
- Ethernet succeeds: keep using it while you diagnose wireless coverage, congestion, or router access-point settings. Move closer to the access point, remove unnecessary wireless traffic, and update the router firmware if your network administrator permits it.
- Both paths fail: the problem is less likely to be radio interference. Continue with VPN, firewall, DNS, Windows, and Vanguard checks.
- Neither path reaches the internet: fix the underlying router or ISP connection first. VALORANT cannot enter matchmaking without a working route outside your home network.
Remove VPN, proxy, and pending-update variables
Disconnect any VPN temporarily and turn off a manually configured proxy for the test. These layers can alter the route, DNS answers, or source address that Riot sees. Do not run a VPN test and a DNS change at the same time; changing one variable makes the result easier to interpret. Restore your normal configuration after testing if it is required for another application or workplace policy.
Install pending Windows updates and restart. Riot includes current Windows networking components in its troubleshooting assumptions, and an update waiting for a reboot can leave services or drivers in an incomplete state. After the restart, test the queue before adding other changes.
Repair Windows networking in a reversible order
Run the built-in troubleshooter
Open Windows Settings, go to the network and internet section, and run the Network Troubleshooter for the active adapter. Apply only fixes it identifies and note any error it reports. This step is low risk and can reveal that the adapter has no valid gateway or that name resolution is failing.
Test an alternative DNS service
If websites intermittently fail to resolve or the troubleshooter points to DNS, Riot lists these alternatives:
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| Provider | Preferred DNS | Alternate DNS |
|---|---|---|
| Google Public DNS | 8.8.8.8 | 8.8.4.4 |
| Cloudflare DNS | 1.1.1.1 | 1.0.0.1 |
Change the DNS addresses in the active adapter’s IPv4 properties, then reconnect and test. Write down the original addresses first. Some internet providers may block or mishandle third-party DNS, so restore the original settings immediately if general connectivity becomes worse. A DNS change cannot bypass a Riot outage or a Vanguard restriction.
Release, renew, and flush the address information
Open Command Prompt and run these commands one at a time. Use an administrator Command Prompt if Windows requests elevation:
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ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
ipconfig /flushdnsWait for each command to finish. The release step temporarily removes the current DHCP address; renew requests a new one from the router; flushdns clears cached name-to-address results. Restart Windows after the commands, reconnect to the network, and test VALORANT before making another change.
Check firewall and router filtering
Verify Windows firewall exceptions
Open Windows Security, select Firewall & network protection, and review Allow an app through firewall. Ensure the VALORANT game components and Riot Vanguard are allowed on the network profile you actually use. If the entries are missing or point to an old installation, remove the stale entries and create fresh exceptions through the installed executables rather than allowing every program indiscriminately. Security software from another vendor may have its own application-control list; check that list as well.
Temporarily disabling a firewall can be a diagnostic test, but it should be brief and performed only on a trusted network. Re-enable protection immediately after the test. If matchmaking works only while protection is disabled, leave the firewall on and correct the specific application rule.
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Consider the router only after basic tests
Consumer routers can filter traffic through parental controls, access-control lists, strict NAT modes, or security profiles. Review those features and confirm that the gaming PC is not paused or isolated. Reboot the router once, then retest. Do not factory-reset it without its configuration details and the administrator’s permission.
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If the router remains the suspected blocker, follow Riot’s official port-forwarding guide for the current VALORANT and Vanguard requirements. Port forwarding is not a general speed boost and should not be the first response to a single queue failure. It also will not solve a Riot-side incident or an account restriction.
Follow the Vanguard branch for VAN codes or restrictions
A message containing VAN, “restriction,” or an explicit Vanguard failure is different from a generic inability to reach matchmaking. Vanguard may require a reboot, may reject a service or driver state, or may apply a restriction that networking changes cannot remove.
- Copy the complete VAN code and its wording exactly.
- Restart Windows, not just the game, if the message requests a reboot.
- Open Riot’s Vanguard-specific error-code and restriction guides and follow the entry matching that code.
- Do not install unofficial bypass tools or alter security settings beyond the documented instructions.
- If the guide does not clear the restriction, submit a Riot Support ticket with the code and the requested logs.
Testing another network is useful here only as a discriminator. If the same code follows the account or device, treat it as a Vanguard case rather than repeatedly replacing DNS or router settings.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Reset the local configuration when settings cannot be retrieved
If the client says “Error retrieving settings from server, changes to settings will not be saved on the server,” use Riot’s Config-folder reset procedure. Close VALORANT and the Riot Client first so the files are not locked. In File Explorer, open:
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C:Users%USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalVALORANTSavedConfigDelete the files in that Config folder as directed by Riot’s procedure, then restart the Riot Client and the game. The client will recreate local configuration data. Expect personalized settings to be regenerated or returned to defaults; record sensitive keybinds or video choices beforehand if you need to restore them manually. If the server-settings message or matchmaking failure returns, stop deleting files and submit a support ticket rather than repeating the reset.
When to stop troubleshooting and contact Riot
Open a Riot Support ticket when Service Status is clear but the failure survives a clean restart, a wired or alternate-network test, VPN removal, Windows network repair, firewall review, and the applicable Vanguard or Config procedure. Include information that lets support separate the branches:
- your Riot account name and region, without sharing your password;
- the exact on-screen message, including every VAN code;
- the date and approximate time of each failed attempt;
- whether Ethernet, Wi‑Fi, or another network changed the result;
- whether the failure affects one account, one Windows user, or every account on the PC;
- recent changes such as a router replacement, VPN installation, Windows update, or security-software change;
- the logs requested by Riot’s support hub and any screenshots that show the complete error.
Do not omit a known restriction or edit logs to hide it. Accurate details shorten the path to the correct team and prevent support from repeating tests you have already completed.
A compact decision tree for the next attempt
- Service Status incident? Wait for Riot; no local fix will restore a server-side matchmaking outage.
- No incident, but Wi‑Fi only? Use Ethernet, then investigate wireless stability.
- All networks fail? Remove VPN or proxy, update Windows, run the troubleshooter, and test DNS and DHCP commands.
- Firewall or router filtering indicated? Correct narrow rules and use port-forwarding guidance only when necessary.
- VAN code or restriction? Follow Vanguard’s code-specific instructions.
- Server-settings message? Reset the VALORANT Config folder, restart, and retest.
- Still broken? Gather logs and contact Riot Support.
Preventing a repeat
- Keep Windows, network-adapter drivers, the router firmware, Riot Client, and VALORANT current.
- Maintain a known-good Ethernet cable so you can quickly distinguish Wi‑Fi trouble from a wider outage.
- Document your original DNS and firewall settings before experimenting.
- Avoid stacking a VPN, custom DNS, third-party firewall, and router security profile while diagnosing a queue failure.
- Save the exact error text and time before restarting; transient messages are valuable to support even when they disappear later.
The practical sequence is simple: establish whether Riot is available, test a reliable network path, remove variables one at a time, then follow the exact Vanguard or configuration message. That approach fixes local causes without masking an outage or weakening your PC’s security.
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