How To Fix “Valorant Not Opening”

Valorant is currently one of the most popular competitive shooters out there, with millions of active players tuning in to the title each day. With the growing player base of Valorant, many users are also encountering various issues while attempting to play the game.

Suppose Valorant just won’t open when you click the icon or hit Play in the Riot Client (no error, no splash screen). In that case, there are a few usual suspects. In this article, we will explain all the possible fixes that can help you right now.

Kill Stuck Riot / Valorant Processes

Sometimes Valorant is “half-open” in the background and blocks a new launch.​​

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
2. Under Processes, end anything related to:
   • VALORANT
   • Riot Client / RiotClientServices
   • Vanguard / VGC / vgc tray
3. Close Task Manager and try launching Valorant again.

Make Sure Vanguard (VGC) Is Running

Valorant will not start if the VGC service is disabled.​​

1. Press the Windows key, type Services, and open it.
2. Find VGC in the list.
3. Right‑click → Properties.
4. Set Startup type to Automatic.
5. Click Start, then Apply → OK.

Then:

1. Press Windows key, type msconfig → open System Configuration.
2. Go to the Services tab, tick VGC if it’s unchecked → Apply → OK.
3. Restart your PC and launch Valorant.

Clear Riot Client Cache

A corrupted Riot Client config often causes the “click Play, nothing happens” bug.​​

1. Press Windows + R, type %%appdata%%, and press OK.
2. In the address bar, click AppData → open Local.
3. Go to Riot Games → Riot Client → Data.
4. Delete the settings/cache files (for example RiotClientPrivateSettings.yaml).
5. Restart the Riot Client and try again.

Fix Compatibility / Admin Settings

Wrong compatibility flags can silently block launches.​​

1. Right‑click your Valorant shortcut → Properties → Compatibility tab.
2. Uncheck:
   • Run this program as an administrator (if enabled).​​
   • Any unnecessary compatibility mode (Windows 7/8) unless you explicitly need it.​​
3. Click Apply → OK, then retry.

Disable Conflicting Apps and Overlays

Third‑party tools like firewalls, Citrix, MSI Afterburner, RivaTuner, or aggressive antivirus software can stop Valorant from launching.​​

1. Temporarily disable:
   • Extra firewalls (COMODO, etc.).
   • Citrix Workspace (uninstall or disable at startup).​​
   • Overlays and monitoring tools (MSI Afterburner, RivaTuner, Discord/GeForce overlays).​
2. Restart your PC and test Valorant.

If none of these work, repair Valorant from the Riot Client or, as a last resort, reinstall the Riot Client and Valorant completely.