How to Fix VAC Was Unable to Verify the Game Session CSGO 2023?

CS:GO has been witnessing a lot of popularity lately with the number of players increasing day by day. Ever since the game became free to play, the game’s popularity has been rising exponentially. Lately, some players have been facing a very common issue in the game a lot. That is, they get an error saying “Matchmaking Failed – VAC was unable to verify your game session” when they start the game. Some players get very scared when they see this error and think that a VAC ban causes it. However, that is not the case.

VAC, Valve Anti-Cheat, is the game’s inbuilt cheat detection mechanism to catch hackers and cheaters. When you get unable to verify game session error, it is likely due to some files getting corrupt due to which VAC can’t verify the game’s source. If you are facing the issue and wondering how you can get a fix, don’t worry we have got you covered.

How to Fix VAC Was Unable to Verify the Game Session CSGO 2023

Solution 1:- Run Steam as Administrator

One of the main causes of the error is VAC’s inability to access files of the game due to which it can’t verify the source. For this very reason, it is recommended that you should ensure that Steam is running with administrator privileges. Certain files require administrator privileges to be accessed or edited and unless Steam has that you won’t be able to access it. If you are wondering how you can run Steam as an administrator, here are the steps to follow to do the same:-

• Exit Steam. Go to Task Manager and ensure no Steam process is running. If it is, right-click and end the process.
• Go to the Steam installation directory. Ideally, it is C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam. You can enter this location on your file browser or on the run dialog box.
• Go to the Steam.exe file, right-click and click on Properties
• Under the Compatibility tab, check the “Run this program as administrator” box, click on Apply and then select Ok.

Once you are done, start Steam again and check if the issue is resolved.

Solution 2:- Repair your Steam client

Sometimes, the Steam client is corrupted due to updates that are not properly done or some other reason. This may cause the unable to verify the session ever. To ensure that your Steam Client is working properly, you need to repair it. Here is how to do it:-

• Exit Steam. Go to Task Manager and ensure no Steam process is running. If it is, right-click and end the process.
• Search cmd in the Search bar and right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator
• Type the following code in Command Prompt “C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\bin\SteamService.exe /repair”
• Run Steam client and check if the issue is resolved

Solution 3:- Verify the integrity of your game files

Like we mentioned earlier, corrupted game files are one of the prime reasons for the issue to pop up. If you are wondering how to fix that without reinstalling the game, here is a quick way to check if your game files are in place or not:-

• Open Steam
• Right Click on Counter Strike Global Offensive and Select Properties
• Select the Local Files tab and then click on Verify Integrity of Game Files
• The verification might take some time, so be patient and wait for it to finish. Once it’s done start the game and check if the issue is fixed

Solution 4:- Update Your Device Drivers & Graphics Card Driver

Sometimes outdated drivers can throw up a number of errors. Unable to verify the session is one of them. To update your drivers, follow the following steps.

• Right-click on Start and select Device Manager
• Select the category of the device you want to update
• Right-click on the device and select Update Drivers
• Click on Search automatically for updated driver software

Another reason for the error is an outdated graphics card driver. You should do a fresh install of the graphics driver for better results. To do a fresh install, download DDU and perform a clean uninstall of the graphics driver. Once that’s done, go to the respective website of your graphics card manufacturer and download the latest drivers.

Solution 5:-Disable 3rd-Party Software

3rd-Party Software can cause conflicts with the game, and consequently, VAC won’t be able to verify the game’s files properly. You need to make sure untrusted 3rd-party apps are uninstalled from your software. Here is how you can do the same.

• Click on Run
• Type “appwiz.cpl”
• Select any untrusted app you wish to uninstall, right-click on it, and click on uninstall.

Solution 6:- Change Your Account

Many users on Reddit have reported that the VAC authentication error is tied to your account. So what you should do is, you need to change your account to be able to play the game. This fixes the issue most of the time. Follow the given steps to change your user account on Steam:-

• Open Steam
• Click on the Steam Menu button on the top left
• Click on Change Account
• Enter the details of your new account or create a new account.

Solution 7:- Reinstall CS: GO

If none of the solutions work, this is the last thing you must try. Ideally, if nothing fixes the error, a fresh install would fix it. Here is how to do a fresh install:-

• Open Steam
• Right-click on Counter-Strike Global Offensive
• Click on Uninstall
• Install the Game again

That’s all you need to know about fixing the unable-to-verify game session error. If you are still facing issues, doing a fresh Windows install is recommended. If you are having any other issue with some games or Steam, do let us know and we will be happy to help you out.