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How To Fix ‘VAC Was Unable to Verify The Game Session’

January 31, 2023

VAC here stands for Valve Anti-Cheat System. VAC here was developed to prevent players from using unfair means to gain an advantage in favorite games like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.

Now, what happens is, that even if genuine players, who don’t use any unfair methods in the game, may face the VAC was unable to verify the game session error while starting a game or matchmaking.

We advise all our users to not use any methods in the games which involve cheating, or any other unfair means to gain an unfair advantage in the game as this may lead to loss of your game data which is stored on the servers, or even deletion of your account.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) remains one of the most popular first-person shooters in the gaming community. Integral to its system is Valve Anti-Cheat (VAC), a mechanism designed to detect and deter cheats.

However, players often encounter issues associated with VAC, leading to confusions and frustrations. This article sheds light on VAC, the common problems players face, and ways to navigate them.

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What Does “VAC Was Unable to Verify The Game Session” Mean?

When players see the error “VAC Was Unable to Verify The Game Session,” it indicates that VAC couldn’t validate their game setup. This means players are barred from joining VAC-protected servers, which are most servers on CS:GO.

Causes of the “VAC Was Unable to Verify The Game Session” Issue:

There are several reasons why players might encounter this error:

Corrupted Files: Sometimes, game files get corrupted, preventing VAC from verifying them.
Third-party Software: Certain software interferes with VAC, leading to this error.
Issues with Steam: Occasionally, the error can arise from Steam itself, either from its servers or the client on a player’s computer.

How to Fix VAC Was Unable to Verify the Game Session Error

If you are not using any cheating methods and still facing the error, we’ll help you get rid of it with the 5 methods which I’ll explain to you now. All of these methods are tested, and they will work for you. Let’s proceed.

Solution 1 ⇒ Log Out Of Steam And Log In Again

Sometimes, what happens is that the operating system alters the configuration files of the computer, which may lead to the error as mentioned above.

To solve VAC Was Unable to Verify the Game Session Error, you might have to re-login into your Steam Account. Let me tell you how to do that:

Step 1 ⇒ Open Steam and click on your Profile Name present on the title bar.

Step 2 ⇒ Once the menu expands, click on Log Out Of My Account and follow the instructions on the screen.

Step 3 ⇒ After you have successfully logged out of your account, Log back In with your credentials.

It should have fixed the ‘VAC was unable to verify the game session’ error if it occurred because of some bad settings or configuration files.

Note:- Please remember that re-installing the game or the Steam software won’t fix the issue as it will load the game and install steam with the same files as before. Logging out and Logging back In is the best way to solve the error.

Solution 2 ⇒ Just Reboot Your Computer

Just a simple reboot of your computer can solve the error. If some other software like Antivirus is using the files that are important for VAC to work, the VAC service may be denied access by Windows.

Hence, the error occurs. Rebooting your PC is quite easy, but we’ll tell you the steps again to do the same.

Step 1 ⇒ Press the Windows key on your keyboard, or click on the Windows logo on the bottom left corner in the Taskbar.

Step 2 ⇒ After the Start menu appears, click on the Power button. Now, select the option labeled as Restart.

After your computer has restarted, start Steam and see if you can launch the game successfully. If not, proceed to our next method.

Solution 3 ⇒ Verify The Integrity of The Game Files

The error may occur while starting the game because there are integrity issues with the game files. Follow the steps below to check if there are any of those issues:-

Step 1 ⇒ Open the Steam client and click on Library.

Step 2 ⇒ Right-click on the Game which has the error, and clicks on Properties.

Step 3 ⇒ Now, click on the Local Files tab, then click on Verify Integrity Of Game Files.

Step 4 ⇒ Wait until the process gets completed and click on Close. Now Launch the game and see if the error persists.

If it is still present, try out our next method.

Solution 4 ⇒ Repair The Steam Client

If your Steam client is corrupted, you might face the ‘VAC was unable to verify the game session’ error. For this, you need to repair the steam client. We’ll tell you how to do that using the steps below.

Step 1 ⇒ Open Steam, click on Steam on the top left corner, and click Exit.

Step 2 ⇒ Click on the Windows logo (bottom left corner) and type cmd. Now, right-click on Command Prompt option, and choose Run as Administrator.

Step 3 ⇒ After the command prompt has opened, type the following command and press Enter:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\bin\SteamService.exe" /repair

Note:- Here, “C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\” is the location where Steam is installed. If you have installed Steam at a different location, you have to change the path where Steam is situated in your computer.

Now Run the game and check if the VAC Was Unable to Verify the Game Session error has been resolved. If not, you may have to try out our last method, which I am sure will work for you.

Solution 5 ⇒ Exclude Game Directory From Antivirus Scan

Your Antivirus Software or any third-party software such as CCleaner may be conflicting with Steam and is not letting VAC verify the game files.

For this, you have to exclude the game directory from the Antivirus or any other software about which you are suspicious that it may be causing the error. This process differs in every antivirus software.

What is VAC in Counter Strike?

Valve Anti-Cheat (VAC) is a system designed by Valve to detect cheats on computers. If a player uses cheats and the cheat is recognized by VAC, they will receive a VAC ban, restricting them from VAC-secured servers.

How to Start CS Without VAC:

While it’s not recommended due to the risk of facing various restrictions, players can technically launch CS:GO without VAC by using “-insecure” in the game’s launch options. This will disable VAC for that session, but players won’t be able to join VAC-secured servers.

How to Fix a VAC Ban:

A VAC ban is permanent, non-negotiable, and cannot be removed by the Steam Support. However, if players believe they were incorrectly VAC-banned, they should:

Verify Game Files: Right-click CS:GO in the Steam library, go to ‘Properties’, then ‘Local Files’, and click on ‘Verify Integrity of Game Files’.
Reinstall the Game: If verifying doesn’t work, try reinstalling CS:GO.
Avoid Third-party Software: Ensure no unauthorized software is running while playing CS:GO.

Duration to Get a VAC Ban in CS:GO:

The time it takes for VAC to issue a ban varies. It doesn’t ban players immediately after detecting a cheat to prevent cheat developers from understanding VAC’s detection mechanism. It could be days or even weeks after the cheat is detected.