Getting the Valorant “could not enter matchmaking” error is never a good thing. When it hits, you won’t be able to join matches, and it’s especially frustrating if it appears after you’ve been queued in a lobby beforehand or already experienced long wait times. If you’ve run into the issue, you may be wondering what causes it and if there’s a fix. Here’s what you need to know.
What Does Could Not Enter Matchmaking Mean?
When you receive the “could not enter matchmaking” error when playing Valorant, it simply means that there are connection issues between you and the Valorant servers.
The causes could be myriad and many, including normal server downtimes, an interruption in your Internet service, or an unexpected influx of players.
At the end of the day, the cause doesn’t matter too much since you’re stuck not being able to play. So is there a fix for the pesky Valorant error?
How to Fix the Could Not Enter Matchmaking Error in Valorant
Check Valorant’s Server Status
The very first bit of troubleshooting you should do if this error appears in the client when you’re trying to join a match is to check the status of Valorant’s servers. It’s possible that they’re simply offline when you’re trying to play.
You can check for spikes in connectivity issues or downtimes by visiting:
Try Matchmaking Again
If the Valorant servers aren’t down and the game isn’t experiencing any other issues, it’s possible that your internet connection is causing the error to appear.
Since most ISPs don’t provide a steady signal throughout the entire day, 100% of the time — and because multiple factors can impact bandwidth — it’s possible that your Internet simply disconnected when you were trying to matchmake.
It’s well worth trying to matchmake again just in case a temporary dip in bandwidth gave you the matchmaking error.
Check Your Internet Connection
You can do this step in conjunction with trying to matchmake again if you’ve received the error message. You can check your Internet and Network connections by looking for the network icon in the bottom right of your Windows Task Bar.
- Wireless Connection: You’ll see arcing bars if you’re connected. Three means you have a strong signal, two a decent signal, and one a fairly weak signal.
- Wired Connection: You’ll see a computer monitor with a wire going up on the left side.
- Disconnected: You’ll see a Globe symbol with lines on it.
You can also check your Internet status and Network connections by going into Control Panel and troubleshooting there.
Other Potential Fixes
If the above potential fixes didn’t work to get you around the error, it’s worth trying these other general troubleshooting options:
- Exit Valorant and restart the game.
- Restart the Riot Client.
- Update the Riot Client.
- Reset your router/unplug your router.
- Restart your computer.
- Check your firewall settings.
- Check your antivirus settings.
You could uninstall and reinstall Valorant, but considering the issue is almost 100% assuredly Internet-related or server-related, there’s not much need to go that far.
Those are the potential fixes for the Valorant “could not enter matchmaking” error. Like many issues of its ilk, fixing it usually comes down to waiting it out, but at least you can use the troubleshooting tips above while you do.
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