Fixing Valorant crashes on PC is almost always possible with a handful of targeted steps. Whether the game closes to desktop mid-match, freezes on the loading screen, or throws a Vanguard error on startup, the root cause is nearly always one of the same recurring culprits: an outdated GPU driver, a corrupted Vanguard anti-cheat installation, excessive VRAM usage, or a third-party overlay fighting the kernel driver. Work through the six fixes below in order and most players are back in the game within fifteen minutes.
Before you start
Make sure your PC meets Valorant's minimum system requirements and that Windows is fully updated. Crashes caused by an unsupported OS or missing Visual C++ redistributables often look identical to driver or Vanguard crashes, so installing pending Windows updates first saves time.
How to fix Valorant crashes on PC
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Step 1: Update Your GPU Drivers
Outdated or corrupted graphics drivers are the single most common cause of Valorant crashes. Open Device Manager (press Win + X and choose it from the menu), expand Display adapters, right-click your GPU, and choose Update driver. Better still, download the latest driver directly from NVIDIA GeForce Experience or AMD Adrenalin, which install a clean, complete package. After updating, restart your PC before launching Valorant.
Right-click your GPU in Device Manager and select Update driver, or download the latest driver from the manufacturer's site. -
Step 2: Repair or Reinstall Riot Vanguard
Valorant cannot launch without its kernel-level anti-cheat, Riot Vanguard, running cleanly. A corrupted Vanguard installation causes crashes on startup or at the loading screen. Open the Riot Client, click the gear icon in the top-right corner, go to Support, and choose Repair. This reinstalls Vanguard's driver without removing your game files. Once repair finishes, look for the Vanguard icon in the system tray before you launch — if it is absent, try restarting the PC.
Use the Repair option in Riot Client to reinstall Vanguard without wiping your game data. -
Step 3: Lower In-Game Graphics Settings
Valorant is not particularly demanding, but high-quality textures and anti-aliasing settings can push your GPU's VRAM to its limit, triggering a crash when a new map or character ability loads. Launch Valorant, open Settings → Video, and reduce Material Quality, Texture Quality, and Detail Quality to Low. Set Anti-Aliasing to None and turn Vignette off. Apply the changes, then rejoin a match to test stability.
Reducing Material, Texture, and Detail Quality to Low lowers VRAM pressure and prevents mid-game crashes. -
Step 4: Disable Overlays and Background Apps
Applications that inject code into other processes — including Discord's in-game overlay, NVIDIA GeForce Experience overlay, and Xbox Game Bar — can conflict with Vanguard's kernel driver, causing Valorant to crash or even triggering a false ban. Disable each overlay before launching the game: in Discord go to Settings → Overlay → toggle off; in GeForce Experience go to Settings → General → turn off In-Game Overlay; for Xbox Game Bar press Win + G, or disable it in Windows Settings → Gaming → Xbox Game Bar. Also press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager and close any high-CPU background processes you do not need.
Every overlay disabled is one fewer potential conflict with Riot Vanguard's kernel driver. -
Step 5: Run Valorant as Administrator
Vanguard runs at the kernel level and requires your game executable to have the same level of elevated permissions. Without them, the handshake between Valorant and Vanguard fails and the game crashes. Navigate to your Valorant install folder (usually
C:\Riot Games\VALORANT\live\), right-click VALORANT.exe, choose Properties, click the Compatibility tab, tick Run this program as an administrator, and click Apply. Do the same for RiotClientServices.exe in the Riot Client folder.
Enabling administrator rights for VALORANT.exe resolves crashes caused by permission conflicts with Vanguard. -
Step 6: Clean Reinstall Valorant
If all else fails, a clean reinstall removes corrupted game files, leftover Vanguard drivers, and misconfigured settings in one go. Uninstall Valorant via Apps & Features in Windows Settings — Riot Vanguard and the Riot Client will be removed along with it. Then manually delete any leftover folders at
%LocalAppData%\VALORANTand%ProgramData%\Riot Games. Restart your PC, then download and install a fresh copy of Valorant from playvalorant.com.
A clean reinstall clears corrupted files and resets Vanguard — the most thorough fix for persistent crashes.
Additional tips
- Keep Windows updated. Vanguard checks the Windows version on every launch. Missing security patches can cause it to block the game entirely.
- Check your RAM. Faulty RAM is a lesser-known crash source. Run the built-in Windows Memory Diagnostic tool (search for it in the Start menu) to rule out hardware errors.
- Set a page file. If you have 8 GB of RAM or less, make sure Windows virtual memory (page file) is set to automatic. Go to System Properties → Advanced → Performance Settings → Advanced → Virtual Memory.
- Avoid overclocking. Unstable GPU or RAM overclocks cause the kind of random mid-game crashes that look like game bugs. Reset to stock clocks and test again.
- Check GPU temperature. If your GPU runs above 90 °C under load, thermal throttling or a thermal shutdown could be causing the crash. Use a tool like MSI Afterburner to monitor temperatures while you play.
Troubleshooting specific errors
Valorant crashes with a Vanguard error (VAN0, VAN1000, etc.)
These codes mean Vanguard failed to start or was blocked. Make sure Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 are enabled in your BIOS/UEFI, then repair Vanguard via the Riot Client as described in Step 2. Also check that your Windows version is 10 or later — Vanguard does not support Windows 7 or 8.
Valorant crashes to desktop mid-match with no error
Silent crashes with no pop-up are almost always a GPU driver or VRAM issue. Update your drivers (Step 1), lower texture quality (Step 3), and check GPU temperatures. If crashes still happen, run a GPU stress test to check for hardware instability.
Valorant freezes on the loading screen
This usually points to a corrupted game file or an overlay (Step 4) interfering at launch. Repair Vanguard (Step 2) and disable all overlays before your next attempt.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Valorant keep crashing on PC?
The most common reasons are outdated GPU drivers, a corrupted Riot Vanguard installation, insufficient VRAM headroom from high graphics settings, or a third-party overlay conflicting with the anti-cheat system. Work through Steps 1 to 4 first — they resolve the vast majority of Valorant crashes.
Does reinstalling Valorant delete my progress?
No. Your account progress, rank, skins, and in-game currency are stored on Riot's servers, not on your PC. Uninstalling and reinstalling only affects local game files. Log in after the reinstall and everything will be exactly as you left it.
Is Vanguard the reason Valorant crashes?
Vanguard can cause crashes when it is corrupted, outdated, or blocked by another kernel-level driver. Repairing it via the Riot Client (Step 2) and ensuring it has administrator rights (Step 5) fixes most Vanguard-related crashes. If Vanguard still does not start, check your BIOS settings for Secure Boot and TPM 2.0.
Will lowering graphics settings make Valorant crash less?
Yes, in many cases. High texture and material quality consume more VRAM, and when that fills up the driver can crash. Setting quality options to Low reduces VRAM pressure significantly and often eliminates mid-game crashes without meaningfully affecting gameplay visibility.
What Windows version does Valorant require?
Valorant requires Windows 10 (64-bit) version 1803 or later. Vanguard also requires Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 to be enabled. Running an older or unsupported Windows version will prevent the game from launching at all.
Wrapping up
Fixing Valorant crashes on PC is a process of elimination. Start with the driver update and Vanguard repair — they solve the majority of cases — then work down the list as needed. Most players never have to reach Step 6, but a clean reinstall is a reliable last resort when nothing else works. Once the game is stable, keep your GPU drivers current and avoid running overlay software alongside Valorant to prevent crashes from returning.
