You launch Valorant, ready to rank up, and instead you're staring at a black screen. Maybe you hear the menu music playing, or maybe the game just freezes completely. Either way, you're stuck watching darkness instead of clutching rounds. The frustrating part? Your PC runs other games just fine.

I've been there. Valorant's black screen is annoying because it's often not your hardware—it's Vanguard's anti-cheat getting in the way, or some graphics driver weirdness, or Windows just being Windows. The fixes are pretty straightforward once you know what to look for. Let me walk you through what actually works.

Quick Check: Is Your Display Actually Working?

Before troubleshooting Valorant specifically, let's rule out a monitor or graphics card issue:

Test Your Display (Takes 30 seconds)

If you see colors on the test screen, your hardware is fine and this is a Valorant-specific issue. If the screen stays black everywhere, check your GPU and cables first.

Why Does Valorant Show a Black Screen?

Here's what I've found causes most Valorant black screens. It's usually one of these:

Vanguard Being Overprotective

Riot's anti-cheat runs at the kernel level, which means it has more control than most software. Sometimes it blocks things it shouldn't—like your graphics driver, Discord overlay, or even certain Windows services. I've seen it block perfectly safe software just because it looked "suspicious."

Graphics Driver Issues

Valorant can be picky about GPU drivers. I've had cases where the latest driver works for every game except Valorant, or where an older driver suddenly stops working after a Valorant update. It's frustrating.

Windows Fullscreen Quirks

Windows 10 and 11 have this "fullscreen optimization" feature that's supposed to help, but it actually breaks Valorant sometimes. Laptop users with both Intel and NVIDIA/AMD graphics get hit with this a lot.

Overlays Getting Blocked

Discord overlay, GeForce Experience, Medal, OBS—Vanguard doesn't like any of them during game launch. You might be able to turn them back on once the game loads, but during startup they'll cause problems.

Less Common Stuff

TPM/Secure Boot not enabled in BIOS, corrupted game files, bad Windows updates, or having multiple monitors set up weird.

Quick Fixes (Try These First)

Start with these. They're simple and fix most black screen issues:

Solution #1: Alt+Tab and Wait

This sounds dumb, but just wait it out. Sometimes Valorant takes a minute to load, especially after updates:

When you see the black screen, press Alt + Tab to minimize
Wait 30-60 seconds (Vanguard might be doing its thing)
Click on Valorant in the taskbar to bring it back
Still black? Press Alt + Enter to switch to windowed mode

I've had this work more times than I'd like to admit. Vanguard can be slow, especially on the first launch after patching.

Solution #2: Restart Riot Vanguard

Vanguard can get stuck in a bad state. A quick restart usually fixes it:

Close Valorant completely
Right-click the Vanguard icon in your system tray (bottom-right, near clock)
Select "Exit Vanguard"
If you don't see the icon, open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), find "vgc" and end the task
Restart your PC
Launch Valorant again

Vanguard loads at Windows startup. Restarting ensures it initializes cleanly.

Solution #3: Run as Administrator

Sometimes Valorant needs elevated permissions to work with Vanguard:

Close Valorant and Riot Client
Find the Valorant shortcut on your desktop
Right-click → Properties
Go to the "Compatibility" tab
Check "Run this program as an administrator"
Click "Apply" then "OK"
Launch Valorant

Solution #4: Disable Fullscreen Optimization

Windows has this "fullscreen optimization" thing that's supposed to make games run better. For Valorant, it does the opposite:

Go to your Valorant folder (usually C:\Riot Games\VALORANT\live\ShooterGame\Binaries\Win64)
Find VALORANT-Win64-Shipping.exe
Right-click → Properties → Compatibility tab
Check "Disable fullscreen optimizations"
While you're here, also check "Run this program as an administrator"
Click "Apply" → "OK"

Laptop users, this one's for you. If you have both Intel and NVIDIA/AMD graphics, this fix alone might solve it.

Vanguard Anti-Cheat Issues

If the quick stuff didn't work, Vanguard is probably being difficult. Here's what to try:

Solution #5: Disable Overlays and Recording Software

Vanguard hates overlays. Close everything before you launch Valorant:

Discord: User Settings → Overlay → Turn off "Enable in-game overlay"
NVIDIA GeForce Experience: Settings → General → Turn off "In-Game Overlay"
Xbox Game Bar: Windows Settings → Gaming → Xbox Game Bar → Off
OBS/Medal/Outplayed: Don't just minimize—close them completely
MSI Afterburner/RivaTuner: These need to be closed too

Once Valorant loads, you can usually turn Discord overlay back on. It's just the startup that's the problem.

Solution #6: Reinstall Riot Vanguard

If Vanguard's acting weird, nuke it and start fresh:

Close Valorant
Open Control Panel → Programs → Uninstall a program
Find "Riot Vanguard" in the list
Right-click and uninstall it
Restart your PC
Launch Valorant again—Vanguard will reinstall itself automatically
Restart one more time when it asks

This is Riot Support's go-to fix, and it actually works pretty well. Fixed it for me twice.

Solution #7: Enable TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot

Vanguard now requires these Windows 11-style security features:

Restart PC and enter BIOS (usually by pressing F2, Del, or F10 during boot)
Find "TPM" or "Security Device" settings
Enable TPM 2.0 (might be called "PTT" on Intel, "fTPM" on AMD)
Find "Secure Boot" option (usually in Boot or Security menu)
Enable Secure Boot
Save changes and exit BIOS

Note: Enabling Secure Boot might prevent dual-boot setups (Windows + Linux) from working. Check if TPM alone fixes it first.

Graphics Driver Solutions

Valorant can be weird about GPU drivers. Let's make sure yours are working right:

Solution #8: Update Graphics Drivers (Clean Install)

For NVIDIA:

Download latest NVIDIA driver
During installation, select "Custom" installation
Check "Perform a clean installation"
Complete installation and restart

For AMD:

Download latest AMD driver
Use "Factory Reset" option during install
Restart and test Valorant

For Intel (laptops):

Visit Intel Driver Support
Download latest graphics driver
Install and restart

Don't use Windows Update for this—it often installs the wrong version. Get drivers straight from NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel.

Solution #9: Set Preferred Graphics Processor (Laptops)

If you have a laptop with dual GPUs, force Valorant to use the dedicated GPU:

Method 1: Windows Settings

Settings → System → Display → Graphics settings
Click "Browse" and navigate to VALORANT-Win64-Shipping.exe
Click "Options" → Select "High performance"
Save and launch Valorant

Method 2: NVIDIA Control Panel

Right-click desktop → NVIDIA Control Panel
Manage 3D settings → Program Settings
Add Valorant.exe
Set "Preferred graphics processor" to "High-performance NVIDIA processor"
Apply and test

Advanced Troubleshooting

Still stuck? These take a bit longer but they dig deeper:

Solution #10: Repair Valorant Game Files

Close Valorant
Open Riot Client
Click your profile icon (top right)
Settings → Valorant → "Repair" button
Wait for verification to complete (5-15 minutes)
Launch game after repair finishes

Solution #11: Reset Graphics Settings (Blind Navigation)

If you can hear the game but can't see anything, you can reset the graphics settings without seeing the menu:

Launch Valorant (yes, even with the black screen)
Wait 10 seconds for the menu to load in the background
Press Esc → Arrow Down three times → Enter (this opens Settings)
Press Tab then Arrow Down to reach Video
Press R to reset everything to default
Press Esc to close

Yeah, it feels weird typing blind, but it works. The game's running, you just can't see it.

Solution #12: Disable Multi-Monitor Setup Temporarily

Right-click desktop → Display settings
If you have 2+ monitors, set "Multiple displays" to "Show only on 1"
Launch Valorant
If game works, the issue is multi-monitor related
Re-enable second monitor, and in Valorant settings, manually select your primary monitor

Solution #13: Complete Reinstall

Last resort—wipe everything and start fresh:

Uninstall Valorant through Control Panel
Uninstall Riot Vanguard
Delete leftover files: C:\Riot Games
Also delete C:\ProgramData\Riot Games (it's a hidden folder, you might need to show hidden files first)
Restart your PC
Download Valorant again from playvalorant.com

Takes 20-40 minutes with download time, but it works when everything else fails.

How to Prevent Future Valorant Black Screens

Keep Vanguard Running

Don't close Vanguard after playing. Let it run in background. Constantly starting/stopping causes issues.

Update Drivers from Manufacturer

Check NVIDIA/AMD/Intel sites monthly for driver updates. Valorant patches often require newer drivers.

Close Overlays Before Launch

Make a habit: close Discord overlay, GeForce Experience, etc. before clicking Play.

Don't Alt+F4 During Load

Let Valorant fully load before closing. Force-quitting during startup corrupts settings.

Keep Windows Updated

Vanguard requires certain Windows security features. Install Windows updates regularly.

Test Display Health

Use our free display testing tool monthly to catch hardware issues early.

Still Having Issues? Test Your Hardware

If none of the solutions above worked, your GPU or display might have a hardware problem. Our free tool helps diagnose:

✓ Graphics card failures
✓ Monitor compatibility issues
✓ Display cable problems
✓ Screen refresh rate conflicts

Start Free Hardware Test

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Valorant show a black screen but I can hear audio?

The game's running, but the video isn't working. This happens when your graphics driver crashes, Windows fullscreen optimization messes things up, or you've got multiple monitors confusing it. Try disabling fullscreen optimization (Solution #4) first, then check your GPU settings if you're on a laptop (Solution #9).

Does Vanguard cause black screen issues?

Yeah, Vanguard causes a lot of black screen problems. Because it runs at the kernel level, it can block graphics drivers or other software it thinks is suspicious (even when it's not). Reinstalling Vanguard (Solution #6) usually fixes it.

Can I play Valorant without TPM and Secure Boot?

Not anymore. As of 2024, Riot requires both TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot to be enabled. If they're disabled, you'll get black screens or "VAN9003" errors. You need to turn them on in your BIOS (Solution #7).

Why does Valorant black screen only on startup?

That's almost always Vanguard having trouble starting up. Restart Vanguard before you launch the game (Solution #2), or try running Valorant as administrator (Solution #3). If those don't work, reinstall Vanguard (Solution #6).

Does Discord overlay cause Valorant black screen?

Yep, all the time. Vanguard doesn't like overlays running when the game starts. Turn off Discord overlay (Solution #5) before you launch Valorant. Once the game's loaded, you can usually turn it back on.

How do I fix Valorant black screen after Windows update?

Windows updates love breaking graphics drivers. Do a clean driver install (Solution #8), reinstall Vanguard (Solution #6), or turn off Fast Startup in your Windows power settings. One of those usually does it.

Can outdated BIOS cause Valorant black screen?

On laptops, yeah. Old BIOS versions sometimes don't support TPM 2.0 or Secure Boot properly. If you've tried everything else, check your laptop manufacturer's website (Dell, HP, Lenovo, etc.) for a BIOS update.

Why does Valorant work on my desktop but not laptop?

Laptops with dual graphics cards (Intel + NVIDIA/AMD) are picky. Windows might be using the wrong GPU for Valorant. Force it to use your dedicated GPU (Solution #9), disable fullscreen optimization (Solution #4), and make sure both your Intel and NVIDIA/AMD drivers are up to date.

Related Resources

→ Windows Black Screen Fixes

General Windows 10/11 black screen troubleshooting

→ Laptop Black Screen Solutions

Laptop-specific hardware diagnostics

→ Discord Screen Share Black Screen

Fix black screens during Discord streaming

→ Free Display Testing Tool

Test your GPU and monitor for hardware issues

Back in the Game?

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Valorant Black Screen: Complete Fix Guide [2025]