Staying up-to-date in Valorant isn’t just about accessing the latest agents, maps, and features—it’s also critical for security, stability, and fair play. Riot Games frequently releases patches to fix bugs, balance gameplay, and introduce new content. If your game isn’t updating, you could be locked out of matchmaking or miss out on key improvements.
The Standard Update Process
Updating Valorant is usually straightforward:
- Open the Riot Games Client: This is the launcher you use to start Valorant. If you don’t see it on your desktop, search for “Riot Client” in your Windows search bar.
- Select Valorant: Click on the Valorant icon within the client.
- Look for an Update Prompt: If an update is available, you’ll see an “Update” button. Click it and wait for the download and installation to finish.
- Enable Auto-Updates: In your client settings, you can enable auto-updates so Valorant updates automatically whenever the client is running.
Troubleshooting: When Valorant Won’t Update
Sometimes, the update process stalls or fails. Here’s how to get things moving again:
- Restart the Riot Client: Fully close the Riot Client (use Task Manager to ensure it’s not running in the background).Reopen the client and try updating again.
- Check Your Internet Connection: Ensure your connection is stable and fast enough for large downloads.Try switching to a wired connection or restarting your router if updates are slow or stuck.
- Free Up Storage Space: Valorant updates can be several gigabytes. Make sure your drive (usually C:) has enough free space before attempting an update.
- Run as Administrator: Right-click the Riot Client and select “Run as administrator.” This can resolve permission issues that block updates.
- Whitelist Valorant in Your Firewall/Antivirus: Sometimes, security software blocks the update process. Add Valorant and Riot Client to your firewall and antivirus exceptions list.
- Fix Riot Vanguard Issues: Vanguard, Valorant’s anti-cheat software, can sometimes interfere with updates. If you encounter errors:Exit Vanguard from the system tray.Uninstall Vanguard, restart your PC, and then launch Valorant to reinstall it.
- Reinstall Valorant: If all else fails, uninstall Valorant completely, restart your computer, and download the latest version from the official website. This can resolve corrupted files or persistent update issues.
Common Update Problems and Solutions
| Problem | Solution |
| Update stuck at 0% or 0.1 kb/s | Restart client, check connection, whitelist in firewall |
| “Update” button does nothing | Run as admin, restart PC, free up storage |
| Vanguard errors or update failures | Reinstall Vanguard, restart system |
| Update fails repeatedly | Uninstall and reinstall Valorant |
Staying Informed
Check Valorant’s official news page or social media for patch notes and update schedules. Sometimes, updates are delayed or servers are down for maintenance, so it’s worth verifying if the issue is on Riot’s end.
Conclusion
Updating Valorant is usually a quick process, but technical hiccups can happen and sometimes Valorant doesn´t get updated or why it pauses or how you can update the game on a different drive.
By following these steps, you’ll ensure you’re always ready to jump into the latest version—fully equipped for the next round. If persistent issues remain, consult Riot’s support site for more in-depth troubleshooting.
Written by:
Christian