Can you play VALORANT on Linux?
No, VALORANT's anti-cheat, Vanguard, only runs on Windows, and it refuses to start under Wine, Proton or a virtual machine. On a Steam Deck, the only working route is installing Windows on it.
Linux desktop
No working method
Wine and Proton can't load Vanguard's kernel driver, and a Windows virtual machine is exactly what Vanguard is built to detect and refuse. This isn't a compatibility layer that hasn't caught up yet; the game is designed not to run there.
Steam Deck
Only with Windows installed
SteamOS is Linux, so VALORANT won't run on it. Install Windows on the Deck — in place of SteamOS or alongside it — and VALORANT runs as it would on any Windows PC.
Why Vanguard is the blocker
Vanguard is a kernel-level driver that loads when Windows starts, before the game does, so it can see cheats running at the same level it does. That design only exists on Windows.
Compatibility layers work by translating Windows calls into Linux ones, and a kernel driver can't be translated that way. Games with lighter anti-cheat run under Proton; VALORANT deliberately doesn't.
Common questions
Does VALORANT work on Linux?
No, Vanguard, the anti-cheat VALORANT requires, only runs on Windows.
Can you play VALORANT on Steam Deck?
Only by installing Windows on the Deck. It doesn't run on SteamOS.
Does VALORANT work with Proton or Wine?
No, Vanguard's kernel driver can't run under either, so the game refuses to start.
Can I play VALORANT in a virtual machine?
No, Vanguard detects virtual machines and won't run inside them.
Can I use cloud gaming instead?
No, cloud gaming services run the game on a virtualised machine, which Vanguard refuses, so VALORANT isn't offered on them.
The same wall stops VALORANT on a Mac — with one exception for older Intel machines.
Can you play VALORANT on Mac? →