How to Fully Uninstall Valorant?
Valorant, a free-to-play multiplayer first-person shooter developed by Riot Games, has gained immense popularity among gamers. While many players are enjoying the game, some might want to fully uninstall it due to various reasons such as moving to a different platform, experiencing game crashes, or just wanting a change of pace. Regardless of the reason, uninstalling Valorant completely can be a challenging task. In this article, we will guide you on how to fully uninstall Valorant from your computer.
Why Fully Uninstall Valorant?
Before we dive into the process, let’s briefly discuss the importance of fully uninstalling Valorant:
- Residue files left behind: Partial uninstallation of Valorant might leave behind unwanted files, directories, and registry entries, which can clutter your computer and cause problems with future game installations.
- Improved system performance: By removing the entire game directory, you can free up storage space and prevent resource conflicts with other games or programs.
- Preventing conflicts: Partial uninstallation can lead to conflicts with other games or applications, causing performance issues or errors. A clean uninstallation helps prevent such conflicts.
Step-by-Step Process to Fully Uninstall Valorant
Follow these steps to fully uninstall Valorant from your computer:
- Go to the Add/Remove Programs page: Depending on your operating system, you can:
- Windows: Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog box, type control and press Enter to access the Control Panel. Navigate to Programs and Features.
- Mac (via macOS Sierra or earlier): Click on Applications in the Launchpad, then scroll down to the Utilities folder. Double-click on Apple Menu Style and enter the following command in the terminal:
/Library/Frameworks
Then, you will see the Game Center application. - Mac (via macOS High Sierra or later): Go to Finder, navigate to the Applications folder, click on Utilities and then launch the Terminal app.
- Locate the Valorant game icon: Scroll down and locate the Valorant game icon. Select it and click on Uninstall/Remove/Change. Follow the uninstallation prompts.
- Uninstall additional packages: Valorant requires additional packages like the Wilds and Agent skins, which also need to be uninstalled separately:
- For Wilds, right-click on the folder in the Packages section of the Files panel, then select Remove from the dropdown menu.
- For Agent skins, click on the folder and select Remove.
- Delete the installation directory: Go to the Downloads or Files section, navigate to the folder containing the Valorant game installation, and delete it entirely.
- Verify files: Run the Windows Disc Cleanup (Search for
Disk Cleanup
in Windows Search and then follow the prompts) or OSX Disk Cleanup (Go to the About This Mac, then click on Storage, select the Manage Storage window and then click on theFree Up Storage
button.) to ensure you don’t miss any residual files or data.
Removing Valorant Files and Registries (Optional but Recommended)
For an even deeper clean uninstallation, you can use the following additional steps:
- Windows:
- Go to
C:UsersYOUR_USERNAMEAppDataLocal Valorant
and delete the entire folder. - Go to
C:Program Files Valorant
(orC:Program Files (x86)
for 32-bit systems) and delete theValorant.exe
file and any associated directories. - Delete the
Value of Valorant
registry entries using the Windows Regedit (C:WindowsRegedit.exe
) or use a reliable registry cleaning tool.
- Go to
- Mac: To manually remove leftover files and folders:
- Locate the
~/Library/Application Support
and~/Library/Saved Application State
folders in the Users directory and delete them if present. - Right-click (or Control-click on a Mac) the
Valorant
folder inside~/Library
and choose Move to Trash or userm
in the terminalrm -rf /path/to/folder/
.
- Locate the
Checking for Remaining Valorant Files and Registries (Optional)
Verify the removal of Valorant files and registries by following these additional steps:
- Windows: Run
Disk Cleanup
or an alternative third-party tool to search for any leftover files and registry entries. - Mac: Open the Console application in the
/Applications/Utilities
directory and search for Valorant-related error messages, crash logs, or error reports to confirm the deletion of residual data.
Additional Steps for Mac (High Sierra and Later)
If you have a macOS High Sierra (10.13) or later, complete the following:
- Erase leftover System Files: Go to
System Preferences > Apple ID, iCloud > iCloud Backup > Manage Backups
and then check for any Valorant-related backups and delete them. - Remove Language files: Go to
/Library/Application Support/Riot Games/
and remove any language files namedvalordictionary_(language).strings
. - Clear Apple Cache: Reset the Apple system cache by running the Terminal command
purge
and follow the prompts. - Use a third-party clean uninstallation tool: Consider using third-party tools specifically designed to fully remove games like Valorant from your computer.
Fully Uninstall Valorant Verification Table
Method | Windows | macOS (Sierra or Earlier) | macOS (High Sierra or Later) |
---|---|---|---|
Remove Valorant from Program List | |||
Uninstall additional packages | |||
Delete Installation Directory | |||
Verify Files with Disc Cleanup | |||
Optional (Manual Registry Cleaning) |
Conclusion
Fully uninstalling Valorant may require some patience and care, but following this step-by-step guide should help you accomplish the task with minimal effort. Always remember to take necessary precautions when performing these steps to avoid any issues or damage to your system.