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Deadlock "Valve Anti-Cheat Challenge timed out" disconnect

Deadlock server status →Deadlock servers →

Written by

IsThisGameDown

Last checked

September 30, 2026

Deadlock forum: "Keep Getting disconnect by VAC" ↗

Mid-match, often in the first minute, the game shows "Disconnected from Server" with "Valve Anti-Cheat Challenge timed out. Please ensure that you are not using any programs that may interfere with VAC, and confirm that Steam is correctly installed." Failing to rejoin can count as an abandon.

Also appears as: valve anti-cheat challenge timed out, deadlock vac timeout, deadlock vac challenge timed out, deadlock disconnected from server vac, please ensure that you are not using any programs that may interfere with vac

Your PC didn't answer Valve's anti-cheat check in time, so the server dropped you. It isn't a ban. More than 25 players reported it across four threads on Valve's Deadlock forum between September 2024 and July 2025, and some of the July 2025 reports came with game-wide 1 fps drops, which suggests server load may be part of it. Valve hasn't explained the cause, and no fix has worked for more than one player, so treat the steps below as things to try, not known fixes. We found no newer reports.

Fix it, step by step

  1. Restart Steam, or the whole PC, before rejoining

    Fully exit Steam and restart it (or restart the PC), then rejoin the match from the main menu. This is the usual suggestion in the forum threads, but no one has confirmed it fixed the problem.

  2. Temporarily disable third-party antivirus (one report)

    One reporter stopped getting the timeout after disabling Bitdefender. If you run third-party antivirus, add an exception for Deadlock and Steam rather than leaving protection off.

  3. Close other games' anti-cheat software (unconfirmed)

    Forum replies suggest closing other anti-cheat clients, such as FACEIT or Riot Vanguard, before playing. No reporter confirmed it helped.

  4. Reinstall Deadlock (one report)

    One reporter fixed it with a full uninstall and reinstall. Note that this also reset their in-game settings.

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What people are saying

Notes from players who've hit this one — no time limit, an answer from months ago is still an answer.

  • Nothing reported here yet.
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