You may see the “Valorant not opening Windows 10/11” issue being heatedly discussed on Reddit. It can be a real headache because the Riot client displays no error messages when Valorant fails to launch. Well, why is Valorant not opening? What can be done? There is no need to worry! In this post, we will provide eight effective solutions to help you get Valorant up and running smoothly again in no time. Without further ado, let’s get started!
Part 1: Why Is My Valorant Not Opening?
In fact, there is no universal reason for the ‘Valorant not launching’ error to occur. Therefore, you have to consider multiple solutions before resolving the issue. Here are the most common ones:
- Antivirus or firewall interference.
- Outdated graphics card drivers.
- Corrupted game files.
- Missing or damaged DirectX files.
- Server maintenance.
- Software conflict.
- Incompatible graphics cards or insufficient system resources.
Part 2: Preparation Before Fixing Valorant Not Launching
Before delving into fixes for Valorant not opening or launching, it is crucial to check whether your computer meets the game’s system requirements. Here are the minimum requirements for running Valorant:
- OS: Windows 7 64-bit
- CPU: Inter Core 2 Duo E8400; AMD Athlon 200GE
- GPU: Inter HD 4000; AMD Radeon R5 200
- RAM: 4GB
Everything seems fine, but you still can’t launch the game? Let’s take a look at how to fix Valorant not starting!
Part 3: How to Fix Valorant Not Opening or Launching?
Fix 1: Turn off your antivirus or firewall
The first solution to fix the “Valorant not opening” issue is to temporarily disable your antivirus and try launching the game again. This is because it may mistakenly identify certain components of Valorant as threats. Here is a guide on how to turn off built-in antivirus software on Windows 10/11:
Step 1: Open “Settings” by pressing the Windows + I keys. Then, select “Update & Security” from the list.
Step 2: In the left-hand menu, choose “Windows Security” to proceed.
Step 3: Navigate to the “Virus & threat protection” tab. Under “Virus & threat protection settings”, click on “Manage settings”.
Step 4: Finally, turn off the “Real-time protection” toggle.
Fix 2: Repair corrupted DirectX files
If DirectX files are corrupted or missing in Windows, most games like Valorant may fail to launch properly or encounter various issues during runtime. That’s where 4DDiG Dll Fixer comes in. With its huge database, this powerful tool can help you automatically fix damaged DirectX files with just a few clicks. Whether you’re a beginner or a tech-savvy user, you’ll find the software easy to navigate and use. Follow the steps below:
Step 1: Begin by downloading and installing the 4DDiG DLL Fixer tool on your Windows PC. Launch the program, select “DirectX Repair” from the left sidebar and click on “Full Scan.”
Step 2: After the scan is complete, the tool will list any issues related to DirectX. To fix them, simply click the “Repair” button.
Step 3: Once the repair process is finished, reopen the game to check if the issue of Valorant not starting has been resolved.
Fix 3: Disable conflicting services
As mentioned before, software conflicts can be the culprits of the ‘Valorant not opening Windows 10/11’ issue. In such cases, you need to disable any services that may interfere with the normal operation of Valorant through system configuration. Follow the steps below:
Step 1: Start by pressing the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog. Type “msconfig” and press Enter.
Step 2: Go to the “Services” tab. Then, tick the box that says “Hide all Microsoft services.”
Step 3: Now, click on the “Disable all” button to deactivate all non-Microsoft services.
Step 4: Scroll through the list of services, locate “VGC” (Valorant Game Client), and check the box next to it.
Step 5: Click on the “Apply” button to save all changes.
Step 6: Restart your computer and launch Valorant again.
Fix 4: Upgrade graphic driver manually
Graphics drivers are essential for delivering an enjoyable gaming experience. Unfortunately, many gamers often overlook updating their graphics drivers, which is why Valorant is not opening. If you’re one of them, we strongly recommend that you manually download and install the latest graphics card drivers. Let’s take Nvidia as an example:
Step 1: Open your browser, go to Nvidia’s official website and click on “Drivers” in the top menu.
Step 2: In the “Manually search for drivers” section, enter your graphics card details. Click on the “Search” button to proceed.
Step 3: Click on the “Download” button to start downloading the driver installation file.
Step 4: Follow the on-screen instructions to install the latest graphics driver. Finally, restart your computer to apply the changes.
Fix 5: Reduce the resolution
If your current graphics driver is no longer receiving updates, lowering the computer’s resolution can be an alternative solution for Valorant not starting. Here is how to do it:
Step 1: Perform a right-click on an empty area of your desktop. Then, choose “Display settings” from the menu.
Step 2: Scroll down until you find “Display resolution.”
Step 3: Click on it and select a lower resolution than your current one.
Step 4: Test if the game opens properly now.
However, it is not a long-term fix. Upgrading to a better graphic card if possible.
Fix 6: Run Valorant as administrator
Sometimes, running Valorant as a regular user might encounter permission-related issues that prevent it from launching. In such a scenario, you should try running the game with administrator rights. To do so, right-click on the Valorant shortcut and select “Run as administrator.” If this solution does not work for you, read on to obtain more fixes.
Fix 7: Run Valorant in compatibility mode
Running the game in compatibility mode is another simple solution for Valorant not launching. While the success rate is not high, it’s still worth a try.
Step 1: On your Desktop, right-click on the Valorant shortcut, and select “Properties” to proceed.
Step 2: Navigate to the “Compatibility” tab. Check the box next to “Run this program in compatibility mode.”
Step 3: If you’re a Windows 10 user, set it to Windows 8. If you’re on Windows 8, select Windows 7 from the drop-down menu. Finally, click on “Apply” ＞ “OK.”
Fix 8: Check the Valorant servers
It is possible that Valorant is not opening on Windows 10/11 because of server issues. There is nothing you can do but wait. To assess the server situation, visit the official Valorant website or any other third-party website like Downdetector. If the issue of Valorant not launching persists, consider submitting a ticket to Riot Games support.
