Installing Valorant should be a straightforward process, but for many players, the progress bar often crawls at a frustrating pace. The culprit isn’t always Riot’s servers—more often, the slowdown comes from local bottlenecks such as internet instability, background programs, or system congestion.
Understanding the common causes can help speed things up and get you into the game faster.
Common Reasons for Slow Installation
Several factors can contribute to sluggish installation times:
- Weak internet connection: Unstable Wi-Fi, low download speeds, or bandwidth shared with multiple devices can drastically slow the Riot Client’s progress.
- Background applications: Streaming platforms like Twitch, voice chat apps like Discord, or other game launchers often hog bandwidth and compete for resources.
- Firewall or antivirus interference: Security programs may misidentify Riot Client downloads as suspicious, slowing or blocking them until whitelisted.
- Resource or disk congestion: High disk usage, outdated network drivers, or simultaneous Windows updates can bog down installation—even if your internet speed is fine.
- DNS issues: Slow or unreliable DNS servers may disrupt download efficiency. Switching to public DNS options like Google DNS (8.8.8.8) can improve speeds.
Troubleshooting & Fixes
Fortunately, there are several ways to tackle a slow Valorant installation:
- Restart your router and, if possible, connect via Ethernet for a stable, wired connection.
- Close bandwidth-hogging apps in Task Manager before installing or updating.
- Whitelist Riot Client and Valorant in antivirus software and Windows Defender Firewall.
- Prioritize Riot Client: In Task Manager, set the client’s priority to High for better performance.
- Check disk space and drivers: Free up storage and ensure your network adapter drivers are updated.
- Restart the Riot Client or pause/resume the update if progress stalls.
By systematically removing these bottlenecks, most players find their installation speeds improve significantly.
The Bottom Line
A slow Valorant install doesn’t usually mean something’s wrong with Riot’s servers. More often, it’s a matter of internet stability, background interference, or local system congestion. With the right adjustments—from using Ethernet to managing apps and whitelisting Riot Client—players can eliminate the slowdown and get into matches without the wait.
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Written by:
Christian