Uninstalling Valorant can be more complex than typical game removals due to its anti-cheat system, Riot Vanguard. As reported by Beebom, the process involves disabling Vanguard, uninstalling both Vanguard and Valorant separately, and removing any leftover files to ensure a complete uninstallation from your Windows PC.
Disabling Riot Vanguard, Valorant's anti-cheat software, is the crucial first step in uninstalling the game. Follow these steps to disable Vanguard:
Open the system tray by clicking the arrow in the bottom-right corner of the taskbar
Locate the red Vanguard icon in the system tray
Right-click on the Vanguard icon
Select "Exit Vanguard" from the menu that appears
This process stops the Vanguard anti-cheat service, allowing you to proceed with uninstalling Valorant without interference from the security software.
After disabling Riot Vanguard, the next step is to uninstall it before removing Valorant. The process differs slightly between Windows 10 and Windows 11:
Windows 10:
Open Settings
Go to Apps > Apps & features
Find Riot Vanguard in the list
Click "Uninstall"
Windows 11:
Open Settings
Navigate to Apps > Apps & features
Locate Riot Vanguard
Click the three vertical dots next to it
Select "Uninstall"
Uninstalling Riot Vanguard first ensures that Valorant can be removed without interference from the anti-cheat software12. After completing this step, you can proceed to uninstall Valorant itself using similar steps in the Settings app.
To ensure a complete removal of Valorant and its associated files, it's important to delete any leftover files after the uninstallation process. Here's how to remove these remaining files:
Open File Explorer and navigate to C:\Program Files
Look for and delete any remaining Riot Games, Riot Vanguard, or Valorant folders
Check C:\Program Files (x86) for any additional Riot or Valorant folders
Navigate to C:\Riot Games and delete the entire folder if present
Open the AppData folder by typing %appdata% in the Windows search bar
In AppData, check Local and Roaming folders for any Riot or Valorant-related files and delete them
Empty the Recycle Bin to permanently remove the deleted files
By following these steps, you can ensure that all traces of Valorant and Riot Vanguard are removed from your system, freeing up space and preventing any potential conflicts with future installations.124