Is your Valorant download speed crawling when you're excited to jump into the game? A sluggish Valorant installation or painfully slow patch update download is a common frustration for players trying to access this popular free tactical shooter. Slow downloads can stem from network congestion, server issues, background applications, or even Windows settings interfering with your Riot Games client.
Before you blame your internet connection or ISP bandwidth, try these five proven troubleshooting steps designed specifically for the Riot Client and Valorant’s Vanguard system. These fixes address the most common download speed problems that plague PC gamers worldwide.
Semantic Context: Valorant server maintenance, Riot Games server status, optimal game server selection, download region settings.
Often, the issue isn't on your end. Riot Games servers can experience high traffic during peak hours or new agent releases and major updates.
How to Fix:
Visit the official Riot Games Service Status page. Look for any incidents related to Platform Services or Content Delivery.
Ensure you’re using the correct regional client. Downloading from a server geographically far from you will slow your Valorant download speed significantly.
Pause and restart the download in your Riot Client. Sometimes, this simple reset can reconnect you to a better server node.
Semantic Context: DNS settings for gaming, reduce ping, network optimization for online games, background bandwidth usage.
Your Domain Name System (DNS) translates website addresses. Your ISP’s default DNS is often optimized for browsing, not for gaming downloads. Changing it can improve routing efficiency and potentially boost your download rate.
Step-by-Step DNS Change (Windows):
Open Network and Sharing Center > Change adapter settings.
Right-click your active connection (Ethernet/Wi-Fi) > Properties.
Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) > Properties.
Choose "Use the following DNS server addresses":
Preferred: 8.8.8.8 (Google DNS)
Alternate: 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare DNS)
Click OK.
Concurrently, limit bandwidth-hogging applications:
Pause downloads in Steam, Battle.net, Epic Games Launcher, or Windows Update.
Close streaming apps like Netflix, Spotify, or YouTube.
Avoid cloud backups (Google Drive, OneDrive) and large file transfers during your Valorant install.
Semantic Context: Firewall blocking game client, antivirus slowing downloads, Vanguard anti-cheat conflicts, allow Riot Client through firewall.
Security software is designed to inspect data packets, which can unintentionally throttle your connection speed to the Riot Games download servers. Riot Vanguard, Valorant’s kernel-level anti-cheat, can sometimes conflict with other security programs during installation.
Important: Only do this temporarily and ensure you’re downloading from the official source.
How to Fix:
Add exceptions in your antivirus/firewall for:
RiotClientServices.exe
RiotClientCrashHandler.exe
The Riot Games installation folder (usually C:\Riot Games).
As a temporary test, disable your firewall and real-time antivirus protection for 10 minutes to see if download performance improves. Remember to re-enable them afterward.
Ensure Windows Defender Firewall isn’t blocking the client. Go to Windows Security > Firewall & network protection > Allow an app through firewall and verify Riot Client is allowed.
Semantic Context: Ethernet vs Wi-Fi for gaming, reduce packet loss, router settings for gaming, QoS configuration.
A Wi-Fi connection, while convenient, is prone to interference, signal drops, and higher latency, which directly impacts large game download speeds. For the most stable and fast download, use an Ethernet cable.
Network Hardware Optimization Checklist:
Power Cycle Your Hardware: Unplug your modem and router for 60 seconds, then plug them back in. This clears cache and can resolve many connectivity issues.
Update Router Firmware: Check your router manufacturer’s website for updates that might improve throughput.
Enable QoS (Quality of Service): In your router settings (often at 192.168.1.1), enable QoS and prioritize traffic for your PC or the Riot Client. This tells your router to give Valorant download packets priority over other traffic.
Semantic Context: Windows update delivery optimization, peer-to-peer download slowing internet, update network adapter drivers, TCP optimization.
Windows has a feature called Delivery Optimization that uses your PC to upload parts of updates (including games from the Microsoft Store) to other PCs on the internet. This can secretly consume your upload bandwidth, choking your download.
How to Disable Delivery Optimization:
Press Windows Key + I to open Settings.
Go to Update & Security > Delivery Optimization.
Click Advanced options.
Turn OFF "Allow downloads from other PCs" and limit the background download/upload bandwidth.
Update Your Network Drivers:
Press Windows Key + X, select Device Manager.
Expand Network adapters.
Right-click your network adapter (Wi-Fi or Ethernet) and select Update driver > Search automatically for drivers.
If your Valorant download is still slow, run through this final check:
Server Status is clear.
DNS is changed to 8.8.8.8 / 1.1.1.1.
Background apps and Windows Update are paused.
Firewall/Antivirus has exceptions or is temporarily disabled.
You are using a wired Ethernet connection.
Delivery Optimization is turned off.
Network drivers are updated.
Persistent Issues? Contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to check for throttling or line issues. You can also run a speed test (like speedtest.net) to verify you're getting the bandwidth you pay for.
By following these network troubleshooting steps, you should see a significant improvement in your Riot Games client download speed, letting you get into your next Competitive match or try out the new Agent much faster. Happy gaming