Valorant stuck on the loading screen, black screen or closing by itself
A stuck loading screen, a black screen and a game that closes on its own look like the same problem. Riot handles each one with its own steps. Find out which one you have first, and if you see an error code, start there.
Rise TeamGuide written by the Rise team. The steps work with or without Rise; the facts about the game come from the sources at the end of the page, with the date we checked them.
Short answer
For a stuck loading screen, Riot recommends testing on a wired connection, doing a clean boot, allowing the Riot Client through your firewall and updating or cleanly reinstalling your graphics driver. For a black screen or a game that closes on its own, update your driver and Windows, reset your graphics card software and repair the game in the Riot Client. An error starting with VAN comes from Vanguard: look up the exact code on Riot Support.
First, find out what is holding you back
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Stuck on the loading screen | Unstable connection, conflicting software or graphics driver[1] | Go wired, do a clean boot and update the driver[1] |
| Black screen when launching | Outdated graphics driver or Windows[2] | Update both and reset your graphics software[2] |
| Black screen mid-match, with sound | Driver, integrated graphics in use or overclocking[3] | Use the dedicated GPU, update the driver and return overclocks to default[3] |
| Closes on its own, no error message | Driver, Windows or game files[2] | Restart, update everything and repair the game in the Riot Client[4] |
| Error with a VAN code | A Vanguard warning with its own fix[6] | Look up the exact code on Riot Support[6] |
| VAN 9001 error on Windows 11 | Vanguard didn’t find TPM 2.0 enabled[8] | Turn on TPM 2.0 in the BIOS, as in the main guide[8] |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
Which one is yours
- Stuck on the loading screen: the game or the Riot Client is still open, sometimes with sound, but the screen doesn’t move.
- Black screen at launch: Valorant starts and the screen stays black.
- Black screen mid-match: the game already loaded, the sound keeps going and the image disappears.
- Closes on its own: the game drops to the desktop with no error message.
- With an error code: Riot asks you to search for that code on its support site before any general checklist.
Stuck on the loading screen
- Connect your PC to the router with a cable and test again.
- Do a clean boot and keep the vgc service on, as Riot instructs.
- Allow the Riot Client and Valorant through your firewall, using Riot’s guide.
- Update your graphics card driver.
- If that doesn’t work, cleanly reinstall the driver with DDU, following Riot’s steps.
- Check your connection with Riot’s high latency guide.
- Finally, reinstall the game.
Black screen or closing on its own
For a black screen or a game that closes with no error, Riot recommends one step at a time, launching the game after each one:
- Restart your PC.
- Update your graphics card driver and Windows.
- Reset NVIDIA Control Panel or AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition to default. Profiles in these programs can override the game’s settings.
- Lower Valorant’s video settings to the minimum.
- If the screen goes black mid-match, use the dedicated GPU on a laptop and return any overclock to default.
- Repair the game in the Riot Client: profile icon, Settings, Valorant, Repair. The tool replaces missing or corrupted files.
- If nothing works, reinstall the game and open a ticket with your logs.
Vanguard: only what Riot recommends
What Rise does in Valorant
Everything here shows what changes before you apply it.
- Valorant video presetOnly rewrites settings the game file already has: V-Sync, fullscreen and HDR and, with the Max FPS goal, the quality groups set to Low. Shows what changes first. Riot may overwrite the file from the cloud at your next login.Games › Valorant · Rise Premium
- Windows, graphics card and networkWhat matters in any game: power plan, background programs and your PC’s Windows, graphics card and network settings. Each optimization shows what changes before you apply it.Optimizations · Rise Basic and Premium
What Rise does not do in Valorant
- Doesn’t touch Vanguard and doesn’t inject anything into Valorant.
- Doesn’t turn off TPM or Secure Boot to gain FPS.
- Doesn’t improve your internet’s route to the server.
- Doesn’t promise an FPS number: measure before and after on your PC.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Valorant stuck on the loading screen?
Riot points to four areas: connection, conflicting software, graphics driver and game files. Go wired, do a clean boot with vgc on, update the driver and, as a last step, reinstall the game.
Valorant black screen at launch: what do I do?
Update your graphics card driver and Windows, reset your NVIDIA or AMD software to default and repair the game in the Riot Client. Riot puts these steps in its checklist for crashes with no error code.
Valorant closes on its own with no error. Why?
With no code, Riot treats it as a general crash. Restart your PC, update the driver and Windows, do a clean boot, reset your graphics software, lower your video settings and reinstall the game, testing after each step.
How do I repair Valorant in the Riot Client?
Sign in to the Riot Client, click the profile icon, open Settings, pick Valorant and click Repair. The tool replaces missing or corrupted files.
Can Vanguard make Valorant get stuck loading?
Riot requires Vanguard to be active, and Valorant won’t launch with the vgc service off. If you see a VAN error, look up the code on Riot Support and follow only that article’s steps.
What are the VAN 9001 and VAN 9003 errors?
On Windows 11, VAN 9001 means Vanguard didn’t find TPM 2.0 enabled. VAN 9003 means Secure Boot is off. You turn both on in your PC’s BIOS.
Sources
- Riot: stuck on loading screen (Windows and Mac) (checked on Nov 3, 2026)
- Riot: troubleshoot PC game crashes (checked on Nov 3, 2026)
- Riot: black screen during game (checked on Nov 3, 2026)
- Riot: Riot Client full repair tool (checked on Nov 3, 2026)
- Riot: perform a clean boot (checked on Nov 3, 2026)
- Riot: Vanguard error codes (checked on Nov 3, 2026)
- Riot: what is Vanguard (checked on Nov 3, 2026)
- Riot: error VAN 9001 (checked on Nov 3, 2026)
- Riot: error VAN 9003 (checked on Nov 3, 2026)
Spotted something out of date? Let us know on the Rise Discord and we will fix it. Report on Discord
Want your PC’s Windows and graphics card in shape for Valorant?
See what each plan unlocks and how to pay. On your first purchase, you have 7 days to cancel for a full refund.
More Valorant guides
Valorant low FPS, stuttering or input lag: how to fix it
A fix guide for Valorant low FPS, stuttering or input lag: how to measure, what Riot recommends, Vanguard on Windows 11 and what to change. With official sources.
Valorant stuttering every few seconds, even with high FPS: how to fix it
Valorant stuttering every few seconds, even with high FPS on a good PC? How Riot tells stutter apart from low FPS, how to catch it in the game’s stats and the order of fixes. With official sources.
Valorant lagging with good internet or low ping: network or PC?
Valorant lagging even though your internet is fine and your ping is low? How to read the game’s network indicators, why packet loss causes lag at low ping and what’s your PC versus Riot. With official sources.
Valorant FPS capped at 60 or low Client FPS: why and how to fix it
Valorant stuck at 60, 144 or just below your monitor’s refresh rate? The game’s own FPS limits, V-Sync, your refresh rate in Windows, G-SYNC with Reflex and laptops on battery. Plus what Client FPS means. With official sources.