You grab your favorite energy drink, sync up with your squad on Discord, and load up Valorant ready to climb the ranked ladder, only to hit a vague connection error that won’t let you log in. Every Valorant player has been in this frustrating spot, and the first question that pops into everyone’s head is when are Valorant servers back up. This guide breaks down all the reliable ways to get accurate status updates, what causes outages, and practical steps to take while you wait to get back into matches.
How to Quickly Confirm When Are Valorant Servers Back Up
Before you assume the entire Valorant server network is down, take 30 seconds to rule out local issues first. If other apps like your browser or streaming service are working fine, you can turn to official Riot sources for real-time, accurate status updates. These are the only sources you should trust, as third-party sites often have delayed or incorrect information.
- Riot Games Service Status page: This is the most authoritative source for Valorant server updates, with separate status tracking for every region, including sub-regions like NA East, EU West, and APAC South. It lists scheduled maintenance windows, reported outages, and updates on when fixes are expected to roll out.
- Official Valorant Twitter (X) account: The community management team posts immediate alerts for unexpected outages, as well as reminders for scheduled maintenance and updates if downtime runs longer than initially estimated.
- In-game notification banners: If you can make it to the main client screen but can’t queue for matches, you’ll see a red or yellow banner at the top of the screen with downtime alerts and estimated return times when available.
For example, if you’re playing in the APAC region, the status page will show separate updates for each sub-region, so you can confirm if the outage is only affecting your local server cluster or if it’s a global issue. You don’t need to log in to access the status page, so you can check it from your phone even if your gaming PC is turned off. If there are no reported outages on any official source, the issue is likely on your end, and you can try restarting your router or resetting your network settings to fix it.
Common Reasons Valorant Servers Go Offline
Most Valorant server outages fall into one of two categories: scheduled maintenance or unexpected outages. Knowing which one you’re dealing with will help you set realistic expectations for how long you’ll be waiting.
Scheduled maintenance is the most common cause of downtime, and it’s almost always announced 24 to 48 hours in advance across official channels. These windows are reserved for rolling out new patches, agent balance changes, bug fixes, map updates, or competitive season resets. Most scheduled maintenance windows happen during off-peak hours for each region, so they impact the smallest number of players possible. For example, NA servers usually get maintenance between 2 AM and 6 AM PT, while EU servers get maintenance between 2 AM and 6 AM CET. Riot tries to stick to these windows as much as possible, but sometimes larger patches take longer to roll out than expected, so you might see extended downtime of up to 6 hours for major content drops like new agent releases or map overhauls.
Unexpected outages are far more frustrating, as they happen without warning. These can be caused by DDoS attacks, server hardware failures, unexpected critical bugs that crash the system across multiple regions, or even issues with Riot’s cloud hosting providers. In these cases, the team usually doesn’t have an exact estimated time of arrival (ETA) for server restoration right away, so you’ll want to check the official status page every 15 to 20 minutes for updates.
When servers are down unexpectedly, most players look for quick, low-stakes games to pass the time instead of staring at their screen refreshing the status page. Casual card and strategy games are a popular pick for short breaks, since they don’t require the same level of focus as a ranked Valorant match, and many players turn to HiRummy for quick, fun rounds that fit perfectly into the wait time.
What to Do If Servers Are Listed As Online But You Can’t Connect
Sometimes the official status page says all servers are running smoothly, but you still can’t log in or join a match. That doesn’t mean the status page is wrong, it usually means there’s a smaller issue that hasn’t been reported yet, or a problem with your local setup.
The first step you should take is to restart your Valorant client and Riot Client completely, not just minimize it. Many connection bugs are fixed with a simple restart, especially right after a new patch rolls out. If that doesn’t work, check if your antivirus or firewall is blocking Valorant’s connection, as new patch files can sometimes be flagged as suspicious by overzealous security software. You can also try switching to a wired internet connection if you’re on Wi-Fi, as unstable wireless signals often cause connection errors that look like server outages.
Another common issue that many players miss is outdated Riot Client files. If you haven’t updated your client in a few days, it might not be compatible with the latest server version, even if you didn’t get a prompt to update when you opened the game. Manually checking for Riot Client updates before you submit a support ticket can save you a lot of time waiting for a response. If you still can’t connect after trying all these steps, you can submit a ticket to Riot support to get help troubleshooting your specific account or connection issue.
How to Plan for Scheduled Server Downtime
Scheduled downtime is far easier to prepare for than unexpected outages, since you’ll get advance warning from Riot if you know where to look. A little bit of planning can save you from the frustration of getting cut off mid-ranked match or missing out on limited-time battle pass rewards.
First, finish any active matches before the maintenance window starts if you can. If you get kicked mid-match for server maintenance, you won’t get a loss penalty, but you also won’t get any win rewards if you were ahead, and your progress on any active battle pass missions for that match will be lost. If you’re working on a time-limited mission that expires when the new patch drops, make sure you complete it well before the maintenance window starts, so you don’t lose out on the rewards.
You should also follow the official Valorant social media accounts to get instant alerts for upcoming maintenance, so you never get caught off guard right as you’re about to start a play session. Another smart tip is to avoid queuing for ranked matches 30 minutes before a scheduled maintenance window, even if the servers are still up, as you might get stuck in a match that gets cut off halfway through. If you’re a content creator or streamer, checking for scheduled maintenance a day before you plan your stream schedule can help you avoid going live right as servers go down, which can lose you viewers. You can also use scheduled downtime as an opportunity to stream other games, do Q&A sessions with your audience, or work on editing highlight reels from your recent matches.
At the end of the day, no one likes waiting for server outages to end, but knowing where to look for updates takes a lot of the frustration out of the process. Next time you hit a connection error, you’ll know exactly where to check when are Valorant servers back up, what might be causing the outage, and how to pass the time until you can jump back into your next match. Just remember to only rely on official sources for status updates, and don’t panic if there’s a short delay in getting servers back online — the team is usually working as fast as possible to fix issues and get everyone back to playing.
