How to Move Valorant to a Different Drive

You can move Valorant from one drive to another using the Riot Client's built-in relocation tool, which takes about 10 to 30 minutes depending on your drive speed and whether you move to an SSD or HDD. The process does not require you to uninstall and reinstall the game — you tell the Riot Client where the game folder currently lives, then tell it where you want it to go, and it handles the transfer. This method preserves your game settings, login information, and in-game progress.

The alternative is manual relocation: you move the Valorant folder yourself using Windows File Explorer, then point the Riot Client to the new location. This works but carries more risk of corruption if the transfer is interrupted. The built-in method is faster and safer.

Key Takeaways

  • The Riot Client has a built-in move feature under Settings that relocates Valorant without requiring reinstallation.
  • You need at least 60 GB of free space on the destination drive, because the game folder is roughly 50 GB and the transfer process requires temporary space.
  • Moving to an SSD from an HDD will reduce load times noticeably, but moving between two HDDs or two SSDs of similar speed will show little difference in gameplay.
  • The transfer can be interrupted by a power loss or system crash, so move Valorant when you have a stable power supply and at least 45 minutes of uninterrupted time.
  • After the move completes, the Riot Client automatically updates its file paths, and you can delete the old Valorant folder to free up space on the original drive.

Using the Riot Client to Relocate Valorant

Open the Riot Client and look for the Settings icon (a gear) in the top right corner. Click it, then select Valorant from the left sidebar. You will see a section labeled Game Installation or Install Location — the exact wording varies by client version, but it shows the current drive and folder path.

Click the Move or Change button next to the installation path. A file browser window opens. Navigate to the destination drive and select or create a folder where you want Valorant to live. The client will create a Valorant subfolder inside whatever folder you choose, so you do not need to create that yourself. Click Confirm or Select Folder.

The Riot Client will display a confirmation screen showing the source folder and destination folder. Review both paths to make sure they are correct — this is your final note to catch a mistake. Click Move or Start Transfer. A progress bar appears. Do not close the Riot Client, restart your computer, or unplug your drive while the transfer is running. The process typically takes 10 to 30 minutes.

When the transfer finishes, the Riot Client will confirm the move and update its internal file paths automatically. You can now launch Valorant from the new location. After you have verified that the game runs and your settings are intact, you can delete the old Valorant folder from the original drive to reclaim the space.

Space Requirements and Drive Selection

Valorant occupies roughly 50 GB on disk. Before you move it, check that your destination drive has at least 60 GB of free space — the extra 10 GB accounts for temporary files the transfer process creates. If your destination drive does not have enough space, the transfer will fail partway through and you will need to free up room and start again.

Moving Valorant to an SSD from an HDD will noticeably reduce load times between matches and when entering the game world. If both drives are the same type (both SSDs or both HDDs), the speed difference will be minimal. The game itself runs the same way regardless of drive type; the difference is purely in how fast files load from disk.

Do not move Valorant to an external USB drive or network drive. The game requires fast, consistent access to its files, and external or network storage introduces lag and connection interruptions that will cause crashes or performance problems during matches.

Manual Relocation if the Riot Client Method Fails

If the Riot Client's move tool does not work or you prefer to move the folder manually, you can do so using Windows File Explorer. First, note the exact path where Valorant currently lives — in the Riot Client Settings, copy the full path shown under Game Installation. Open File Explorer and navigate to that location.

Right-click the Valorant folder and select Cut. Navigate to your destination drive, right-click in an empty area, and select Paste. The folder will begin copying. This can take 15 to 45 minutes depending on your drive speeds. Do not interrupt this process.

Once the paste is complete, return to the Riot Client Settings and click the Move button again. This time, navigate to the new location and select it. The Riot Client will scan the folder, confirm that Valorant is there, and update its file paths. If the client does not recognize the folder, the transfer may have been corrupted — in that case, move the folder back to the original location and use the Riot Client's built-in move tool instead.

What to Do if the Transfer Gets Interrupted

If your computer loses power, crashes, or you close the Riot Client during the transfer, the move will stop partway through. Do not panic — the original Valorant folder on the source drive is still intact. Open the Riot Client and check the Game Installation path in Settings. It should still point to the original location.

If the destination folder contains a partial or incomplete Valorant folder, delete it entirely. Then use the Riot Client's move tool again from the beginning. The client will restart the transfer from scratch. If you keep getting interrupted at the same point, your destination drive may have a hardware problem — try moving to a different drive instead.

Verifying the Move and Cleaning Up

After the transfer completes and the Riot Client confirms the new location, launch Valorant and play a match or two to verify that everything works. Check that your settings, keybinds, and graphics options are still there. If the game runs normally, the move was successful.

Return to the original drive in File Explorer and delete the old Valorant folder. This frees up the 50 GB of space on your original drive. Empty your Recycle Bin afterward to permanently remove the files. Do not delete the old folder until you have confirmed that the game runs from the new location — if something went wrong, you will need it to restore from.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will moving Valorant to another drive affect my rank or account?

No. Your rank, agent skins, and all account data are stored on Riot's servers, not on your local drive. Moving the game folder only moves the files your computer uses to run the game. Your account will be exactly the same when you log in from the new location.

Can I move Valorant to an external SSD to play on multiple computers?

Technically the files will copy, but Valorant will not run reliably from external storage because the game needs fast, constant access to its files. External drives introduce lag and connection delays that cause crashes during matches. Keep Valorant on an internal drive — either your main drive or a secondary internal SSD or HDD.

How much faster will Valorant load if I move it to an SSD?

Load times typically drop by 30 to 50 percent when moving from an HDD to an SSD, depending on your specific drives and system. You will notice shorter waits when entering the game world and between matches. In-game performance during a match is not affected by drive type, only by your graphics card and CPU.

What if the Riot Client says the destination folder is invalid?

Make sure the destination drive is formatted as NTFS (Windows standard) and that you have read and write permissions for that drive. If the drive is formatted as FAT32 or exFAT, reformat it to NTFS first. If it is a secondary drive that you just installed, Windows may not have assigned it a drive letter yet — restart your computer and try again.

Do I need to uninstall Valorant before moving it?

No. The Riot Client's move tool handles the relocation without uninstalling. If you uninstall and reinstall instead, you will have to re-read all 50 GB, which takes much longer than moving the existing folder.