How to uninstall VALORANT: A step-by-step guide

Be gone, VALORANT.

Killjoy agent in VALORANT looking at code reflecting in her glasses.
Image via Riot Games

Uninstalling VALORANT is a somewhat difficult task. Fortunately for gamers fed up with being killed by a stray Jett knife, there’s a way to finally rid yourself of VALORANT.

If you’re wondering how to uninstall VALORANT, you’re in the right place. Without a guide teaching you how to delete VALORANT properly, you’ll likely have a higher chance of returning. If you’ve reached your limit, the last thing you want is to be crawling back in a week’s time. Fear not, this is a solvable issue. You’ve just got to follow the steps below.

How to uninstall VALORANT on Windows

A screenshot of the Exit Vanguard command that you'll need to use to Uninstall Valorant
“Shutting down.” Image via Riot Games

To uninstall VALORANT, you first need to uninstall the anti-cheat software ‘Vanguard’ using your system tray. Once that is done, you’ll be able to uninstall VALORANT using the same method.

Below, you’ll find step-by-step instructions for each part of the uninstall process, including screenshots.

1) Disable Vanguard

Firstly, uninstall Vanguard, the anti-cheat system created by Riot Games. You can close Vanguard by opening your system tray—found on the bottom right-hand side of your desktop—right-clicking on the red Vanguard icon and selecting exit. 

A screenshot of the Exit Vanguard command that you'll need to use to Uninstall Valorant
Get rid of pesky Vanguard. Screenshot by Dot Esports

A message will pop up at this point asking if you want to “turn off” Vanguard. Click Yes.

A screenshot asking if the user really wants to turn off Riot's anticheat Vanguard when uninstalling Valorant
Click Yes. Screenshot by Dot Esports

2) Uninstall Vanguard and VALORANT

When it’s closed, you can uninstall both Vanguard and VALORANT as normal. You can do this by pressing the Windows Key or clicking the Windows icon on your taskbar, typing “Add or remove programs” in the search bar, and pressing enter.

A screenshot of the Windows System settings that you'll have to navigate to uninstall Valorant
Look for add or remove programs. Screenshot by Dot Esports

From there, scroll down to “Riot Vanguard,” right-click, and uninstall. Finish the uninstall process.

A screenshot of the Apps & Features page that you'll have to navigate on Windows to Uninstall Valorant
Search for Riot Vanguard. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Finally, uninstall VALORANT using the same method. Finish the uninstall process. Once VALORANT is uninstalled completely, you can uninstall the Riot client if you feel like you’re completely done with Riot Games in general.

How to reinstall VALORANT if you change your mind

If you’ve decided to come back to VALORANT, reinstalling is significantly easier compared to tearing it from your PC. All you have to do is head to the Download VALORANT website.

Click the Play Free button in the middle of the screen and either make a Riot account or sign in. Once this step is completed, all you have to do is click the Play Free button once more and you’ll be a click away from downloading VALORANT.

Reinstalling VALORANT is always a possibility. While you may be fed up with abilities and getting headshotted, sometimes you’re just having a bad game, day, week, month, or year. If you want to remove it again, just scroll up, and follow the process.

Why am I having a bad time playing VALORANT?

VALORANT isn’t for everyone. To win consistently, you have to get on the grind, hit up Deathmatch and the range, and practice your abilities in custom matches. Even if you’ve got the lineups and your aim is hot one day, you may get stuck with toxic or unhelpful players. Unfortunately, that’s the nature of the game.

Of course, you can always lessen the chances of getting poor teammates by queuing up with friends. If you’re looking for new friends to play with, check out these VALORANT LFG Discord Servers.

Another way to freshen up your VALORANT experience is by switching up your agent of choice. Changing your agent can change your mentality completely and help you get back in the saddle.

If neither of these options helps you enjoy the game more, deleting VALORANT could be the right choice for you. It’s not like you’ll lose anything. All the content you’ve acquired so far will be waiting for you if you ever choose to return.

Author

Jerome Heath
Associate Editor. Brit stranded thousands of miles from home on a tiny little island that looks like a sweet potato. League of Legends? He's aware of it. VALORANT? Might have heard of it. Counter-Strike? Sounds vaguely familiar.

Author

Harrison Thomas
CS:GO, Overwatch, and Valorant Staff Writer - Played CS:GO since 2012 and keep a close eye on other titles. Give me a game and I'll write about it. Ranks are private information. Contact [email protected]

Author

Scott Robertson
VALORANT lead staff writer, also covering CS:GO, FPS games, other titles, and the wider esports industry. Watching and writing esports since 2014. Previously wrote for Dexerto, Upcomer, Splyce, and somehow MySpace. Jack of all games, master of none.

Author

Cade Davie
Proud husband and cat dad, Cade has been writing about games for several years and playing them for almost three decades. While he'll happily play everything he can get his hands on, he's partial to games released by Airship Syndicate, From Software, and Giant Squid.