How to uninstall VALORANT
Removing the game is the easy half. The part people get caught by is Riot Vanguard, which installs separately and keeps loading a driver at startup long after VALORANT is gone.
Uninstalling on Windows
- 1
Uninstall Riot Vanguard first
Open Settings → Apps → Installed apps, find Riot Vanguard, and uninstall it. Do this before removing VALORANT itself. Vanguard is a separate installation with its own kernel-level driver, and removing the game does not remove it.
- 2
Uninstall VALORANT
In the same Installed apps list, find VALORANT and uninstall it. If you have other Riot titles installed, the Riot Client stays behind to serve them — that's expected, and you can remove it separately if VALORANT was the only one.
- 3
Restart your PC
Vanguard's driver loads at boot, so it stays resident in memory until you restart. Until you do, you may still see the Vanguard tray icon even though the uninstall succeeded.
- 4
Check the leftover folders
Uninstalling doesn't always clear the install directories. Look for a Riot Games folder in your Program Files and delete anything left behind, which reclaims the disk space the uninstaller missed.
Order matters
Remove Vanguard before VALORANT. If you uninstall the game first, the Vanguard entry can be harder to find, and people routinely conclude it’s already gone when it isn’t — then wonder why an anti-cheat driver is still starting with Windows.
Common questions
Does uninstalling VALORANT remove Riot Vanguard?
No, and this is the single most common mistake. Vanguard installs separately and stays on your system after the game is gone, including its startup driver. You have to uninstall it as its own entry in Installed apps.
Why is Vanguard still running after I uninstalled it?
Its driver is loaded into memory at boot and can't be unloaded while Windows is running. Restart the machine and it will be gone.
Will I lose my skins if I uninstall VALORANT?
No. Everything you own is tied to your Riot Account on Riot's servers, not to the installation. Reinstall and sign in and your entire collection, rank history and Battle Pass progress are exactly as you left them.
How much space does uninstalling free up?
The install is large and grows with each act's added content, so the exact figure depends on your patch level. Check the VALORANT entry in Installed apps before removing it — Windows shows the real size on disk there, which is more reliable than any number quoted online.
Can I uninstall Vanguard but keep VALORANT?
You can remove it, but the game won't launch without it — Vanguard is required anti-cheat. VALORANT will simply reinstall it the next time you start the game.