How to uninstall Riot Client from your PC

If you’ve decided to stop playing Valorant or any Riot Games titles, uninstalling Riot Vanguard and all related Riot Games files is a smart step. Riot Vanguard, Riot’s anti-cheat software, runs at the kernel level and can remain active even when Valorant isn’t running. However, uninstalling Riot Client from your platform is easier said than done.

While uninstalling through the regular "Add or remove programs" screen gets rid of most files, remnants can still linger on your PC. There are a handful of methods players can utilize to ensure they can completely uninstall Riot Client from their PC, and we’re here to go through all of them.

So, without any more delays, here’s how you can uninstall Riot Client, as well as any Riot-developed game from your PC.

How to uninstall Riot Client from settings

1. Click the Windows key or Start button and type ‘Add or remove programs’. Afterwards, choose the first result.
2. Scroll to find Riot Canguard in your installed programs. Click Uninstall and follow the prompts that show up.
3. Empty your recycle bin and restart your computer to ensure all remaining files are gone forever.
4. After restarting, search for ‘Riot’ in the Start menu to check for leftovers. If any apps or folders appear, delete them too.

How to remove Riot Games files manually

1. Find the Riot Client Shortcut on your desktop or in the App Library. Right-click it and select Open file location. This will take you to a folder containing the Resources and UX folders.
2. Click Riot Games in the top navigation bar to jump to that directory.
3. From there, navigate up one level by clicking your drive letter (C:, D:, etc) or custom folder name in the address bar. You should now see the main Riot Games folder.
4. Right-click the folder and choose Delete (Windows 10) or click the trash can icon (Windows 11). Note: On Windows 10, the option is near the bottom of the menu, while on Windows 11, the icon appears in the top right corner.

How to remove Riot Games files from your system

Whle the above methods will ensure the actual software gets uninstalled from your PC, it’s recommended that you follow the below steps to ensure all Riot Games files are cleaned.

Access AppData folder:

To access and remove Riot Games’ local data, press ‘Win+R’ to launch the Run dialog, type ‘appdata’, and hit Enter to open your AppData directory. Inside this folder, find and open the ‘Local’ subfolder. You may need to click the “Name” column header to sort the contents alphabetically if they aren’t already. Finally, right-click the Riot Games folder and choose Delete (Windows 10) or the trash can icon (Windows 11) to remove it.

Remove the Start Menu Entries:

Press the Windows Key, type “Riot Client”, and search for it. When you see the result, right-click it and choose ‘Open file location’. This will redirect you to a folder. In the address bar at the top, click ‘Programs’. Inside the Programs folder, find the Riot Games folder, right-click it, and delete it like you’ve done before.

Final Cleanup:

Right-click your Recycle Bin icon and choose "Empty Recycle Bin" to complete the cleanup. This will permanently remove all deleted files, including the Riot Games data you trashed. Just restarting your computer will remove any remaining data. To do this, press the Windows key, click the Power icon in the Start menu, and choose Restart. This ensures any lingering background processes are fully cleared out.

FAQs

Why does Riot Vanguard stay on my system after uninstalling Valorant?

Vanguard runs independently of the Valorant application and is designed to launch with Windows. You must uninstall it separately.

Will deleting Riot Vanguard or Riot Games folders affect other games?

Only if you’re playing a Riot game. If you're done with Riot titles, it’s safe to delete everything. No other games or apps are affected.

Is Vanguard necessary for League of Legends and Valorant?

It is. You won’t be able to play League of Legends or Valorant without Vanguard installed, since it’s mandatory for every player.