How to Fix VAC was Unable To Verify Your Game Session

In many was, CS2 is a big improvement over CS:GO. Having said that, the game is still not free from bugs and errors, which can show up randomly sometimes. One such error is the Matchmaking Failed Error, which can be quite annoying to fix. In this article, we’ll show you how to fix the VAC was Unable to Verify Your Game Session error.

Before following these steps, you should make sure that you’re not running any programs that could interfere with the game. Shut down any third-party programs and then try again. If that doesn’t work and you’re sure that Steam or CS2’s servers aren’t down, follow the steps below.

Methods to Fix VAC was Unable to Verify Your Game Session

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Some of the methods we’ll list are very simple and will only require a few seconds of your time, so fixing this error usually doesn’t take a lot of effort.

We suggest trying these solutions in order because it is highly likely that the error will go away with any of the first four methods.

1. Restart CS2 and Steam

This should always be the first thing to do whenever you face an error in CS2 or any other game for that matter. Simply exit the game and restart it from Steam. Don’t use the desktop shortcut. Once done, see if the error is showing up or not. 

If it does, exit the game and exit Steam as well. Now re-open Steam and run CS2 again. 

You can also try to restart the game by opening it as an administrator from the desktop shortcut. 

2. Change your Steam avatar and Nickname

As funny as it may sound, this solution has actually worked for a number of people. Changing your Steam name and avatar while the game is running can potentially fix the issue. Alt-tab out of the game, and then follow these steps:

1. Click on your Steam profile on the top right.
2. Click on View my profile.
3. Select Edit Profile.
4. In the General tab, change your profile name.
5. In the Avatar tab, change your avatar. 

3. Re-login to Steam using change account

Sometimes there can be a sudden glitch in Steam itself, so it is better to logout from it and then login again.

1. Open Steam.
2. Click on your profile icon on the top-right.
3. Click Change Account.
4. Steam will reopen and ask which account to log into.
5. Select the same account you logged out of again.
6. Open CS2 now and see if it works. 

4. Play a Game with Bots

Another way to solve the VAC error is to stop matchmaking for a game and start an offline match with the bots. Play with the bots for a couple of minutes, and then you are free to exit. 

Now try matchmaking for an actual game again and see if the game lets you do it.

5. Verify the Integrity of Game Files and reboot Steam

Sometimes, game files can get lost or corrupted. This will trigger the VAC error because it will be unable to find all the files to run the game properly. Therefore, you should verify the integrity of game files from Steam. If any of your game files are missing or have been corrupted, Steam will replace them with the working ones automatically. 

1. Open Steam.
2. Go to the Library tab. 
3. Right-click on CS2 and select Properties. 
4. Select the Installed Files tab. 
5. On the right side, click on Verify Integrity of Game Files. 
6. Wait for the test to finish.

Once done, exit and reopen Steam, and then run CS2 again.

6. Reinstall CS2

Your last resort should be to reinstall CS2. Normally, you shouldn’t get to this point as the options above should work, but if nothing works for you then a reinstall is a simple (but time-consuming) last option.

1. Open Steam.
2. Go to the Library tab.
3. Right-click on CS2.
4. Click Uninstall.
5. Now reinstall it from Steam again. 

7. Contact Steam Support

If nothing works for you, try to contact Steam Support and let them know about the issue you are facing. Steam support is quite good at responding to issues, and you might get help this way.

We hope these methods to resolve the “VAC was unable to verify your game session” will help you out and you will be able to enjoy a smooth and error-free gaming experience again.