The only safe place to download Valorant is the official Riot Games website at playvalorant.com. Dozens of unofficial sites, torrent pages, and "free skin" offers circulate online — and most of them bundle malware, account-stealers, or simply don't work. This guide walks you through the correct five-step process from opening the official page to playing your first match, so you can skip every trap along the way.
What you need before you start
- OS: Windows 10 or Windows 11 (64-bit). Valorant does not officially support macOS or Linux.
- Internet connection: The installer itself is small (under 100 MB), but the full game client is roughly 25–30 GB.
- Riot account: Free to create at account.riotgames.com — no credit card required.
- Administrator rights: Needed to install Riot Vanguard, the game's anti-cheat software.
Valorant is completely free to play. You will never need to pay for a download from any website, so any page that asks for payment before letting you download the installer is a scam.
How to download Valorant safely
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Step 1: Go to the official Valorant website
Open your browser and type playvalorant.com directly into the address bar — do not search for "Valorant download" in a search engine and click the first result, because sponsored or fake pages occasionally appear above the real site. The address bar should show https://playvalorant.com with a green padlock confirming a secure HTTPS connection. You can also reach the download from riotgames.com, the parent company's homepage. These are the only two domains you should trust.
Type playvalorant.com directly into the address bar and confirm the padlock before clicking anything. -
Step 2: Check the address — spot and avoid fake sites
Before you click any download button, glance at the URL and look for these warning signs. A genuine Riot page always uses https://playvalorant.com or https://www.riotgames.com, has a padlock in the address bar, and never asks for payment or a credit-card number to download the base game. Fake pages often use similar-sounding names such as valorant-free-download.net or valorant-crack.io, promise free skins or hacks, and may trigger pop-up ads or try to install browser extensions. If anything feels off, close the tab immediately and go back to typing the official URL from memory.
Genuine: https://playvalorant.com with a padlock. Fake: odd domain, misspelling, or "free skin" offers. -
Step 3: Click "Play Free" and download the installer
On the official Valorant homepage, click the large Play Free button. The page will redirect you to a download prompt and a small file called Install VALORANT.exe (or similar) will begin downloading — it is typically under 100 MB. Your browser will show a download bar at the bottom or in your downloads folder. The file origin should read riotgames.com or playvalorant.com. If the browser warns that the file is from an untrusted source, something has gone wrong — discard it and start from step 1.
The "Play Free" button triggers the official installer download, shown in your browser's download bar. -
Step 4: Run the installer and approve Riot Vanguard
Once the download finishes, open Install VALORANT.exe. Windows may show a User Account Control (UAC) prompt asking if you want to allow the app — the listed publisher should say Riot Games, Inc. Click Yes. The Riot Client will open and begin downloading the rest of the game files in the background; this can take anywhere from a few minutes to over an hour depending on your connection speed. During installation, a second UAC prompt may appear specifically for Riot Vanguard, Valorant's kernel-level anti-cheat driver. Approve it — Vanguard is a legitimate, signed component that Riot requires for competitive integrity. If you see a publisher name other than Riot Games on either prompt, stop and delete the file.
The UAC prompt should list Riot Games, Inc. as the publisher. Approve both prompts to proceed. -
Step 5: Sign in with your Riot account and play
When the Riot Client finishes downloading, it will ask you to sign in. If you already have a Riot account (for League of Legends, TFT, or any other Riot title), use those same credentials. If you are new, click Create Account and follow the on-screen steps — it is free and takes about two minutes. Once signed in, the Riot Client will show a Valorant tile. Click Play to launch the game. Vanguard will start in the background; if it asks for a restart, reboot your PC and then open the Riot Client again.
Sign in with your Riot account (or create one free) and click Play to jump into Valorant.
Tips for a smooth installation
- Use a wired connection if you can. The game client is large; a stable ethernet connection keeps the download from stalling or corrupting partway through.
- Disable VPNs during installation. Some VPNs interfere with Riot's CDN, causing slow speeds or broken downloads. Turn the VPN off, install the game, then re-enable it afterward if you want to.
- Check disk space first. Valorant needs at least 30 GB of free space. The installer will warn you if you are short, but it's better to clear room before you start.
- Antivirus alerts are usually false positives. Some antivirus software flags Vanguard because it runs at the kernel level. If your AV blocks it, add an exception for the Riot Games installation folder rather than disabling your AV entirely.
- One Riot account works for all Riot games. If you already play TFT, League, or Wild Rift, you don't need a second account for Valorant.
Troubleshooting
The installer opens, then closes immediately
This usually means your system doesn't meet the minimum requirements, or an older version of the Riot Client is already installed. Try uninstalling any existing Riot Client from the Windows Settings app and then re-running the fresh installer you downloaded.
Vanguard says my PC isn't supported
Valorant requires Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 to be enabled in your BIOS/UEFI on most modern systems. Search your motherboard manufacturer's support page for instructions on enabling these settings, then restart and relaunch the game.
The download is stuck or extremely slow
Pause and resume the download from inside the Riot Client, or close and reopen the client. If that doesn't help, check whether a firewall or corporate network is blocking Riot's servers — Valorant uses ports 2099 and 5222–5223, among others. Switching to a different DNS server (such as 1.1.1.1) can sometimes resolve stubborn download issues.
Frequently asked questions
Is Valorant free to download?
Yes. Valorant is completely free to download and play. You will never be charged for the base game or the installer. Paid content is limited to cosmetic items such as weapon skins, cards, and sprays, none of which affect gameplay.
Can I download Valorant from Steam?
No. Valorant is not available on Steam. It uses Riot's own launcher, the Riot Client, and must be downloaded from playvalorant.com or riotgames.com. Any "Valorant" listing on Steam is a third-party tool or a scam.
Is the Valorant download safe?
When downloaded from the official Riot Games website, yes. The installer is digitally signed by Riot Games, Inc., and Windows will verify that signature before running it. The accompanying Vanguard anti-cheat is also a signed, legitimate driver — not malware, despite what some websites claim.
Do I need Riot Vanguard to play?
Yes. Vanguard is mandatory and runs whenever you play Valorant. You can uninstall it when you're not playing if you prefer, but you will need to reinstall and restart your PC before each session. Vanguard starts automatically with the Riot Client on most setups.
Can I download Valorant on Mac or Linux?
Not officially. Valorant only supports Windows 10 and Windows 11. There is no macOS or Linux client, and Riot has stated that Vanguard's requirements make a native Mac or Linux port unlikely in the near future. Some players use Boot Camp on Intel Macs to run the Windows version, but this is not officially supported.
The bottom line
Getting Valorant safely on your PC is a straightforward process when you stick to the source: type playvalorant.com into your address bar, verify the HTTPS padlock, click Play Free, run the official installer, and approve Riot Vanguard. The whole process from first click to the character-select screen takes under an hour on a decent connection. Bookmark the official site and you will never need to think twice about where the next update or reinstall comes from.
