Do you want to remove Riot Games’ MOBA, League of Legends (LoL), from your device? I get it. Maybe you’re tired of playing the game, or you may want to sell your gaming PC/laptop and need to wipe the hard drive. Whatever your reason for wanting to know how to uninstall League of Legends, it’s well within your rights, so we’ll guide you through the process.
Take a seat, champions of Runeterra. In this step-by-step guide, we’ll explain how to uninstall LoL, delete any additional files from your Windows PC, and even remove the Riot Client and Vanguard. And don’t worry MacOS users, we’ve got you covered, too.
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Steps To Uninstall LoL
Unlike many other launchers on PC, the Riot Client does not have the option to uninstall any applications or games. Instead, you must follow the steps outlined below to uninstall LoL from Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices.
- In the desktop taskbar, select the “Windows” icon (also known as the Start menu) or press the “Windows” key on your keyboard. Alternatively, you can use the Windows Search function.
- Type in the following: “Add or remove programs,” and then press the Enter key. (note: the option should appear as soon as you finish typing “add.”)
- Alternatively, you can navigate to the “Programs and Features” option via your Control Panel.
- Use the search bar function and type “League of Legends,” or find the game in the list of apps.
- Select “League of Legends,” then select “Uninstall,” and then select “Uninstall” again via the pop-up menu.
- Windows will prompt you to make changes to your device. Click “Yes” to uninstall LoL.
Your next step is to ensure the uninstall process is fully completed without issue.
Please note: Thunderpick is not responsible for issues that may occur (as highly unlikely as they are) when software is uninstalled, including League of Legends, Riot Vanguard, or the Riot Games launcher.
Make Sure You Deleted Every LoL File
Even if you uninstalled LoL using the steps we outlined, you may find some leftover files on your device. Follow the steps below to check for those residual files and promptly delete every LoL file.
- Open File Explorer.
- Navigate to the C:\Riot Games folder (default installation folder).
- Check if there’s a C:\Riot Games\League of Legends folder. If there is, delete it.
- Next, enable “view hidden files and folders” in File Explorer.
- Check C:\users\YOURUSERNAME\AppData\Local\Riot Games for additional LoL files or folders on your hard drive.
Troubleshooting Tips When Uninstalling LoL
One or more of the steps in this guide may fail, and there can be various reasons why. That’s where our quickfire troubleshooting tips come into play!
- Always close LoL before attempting to uninstall the game or delete any files.
- Don’t try to uninstall a program as a Guest. Log in as Administrator, or run your Windows File Explorer/Control Panel programs as Administrator.
- Close the Riot Games client and the Vanguard program before making changes to LoL files.
- Run a third-party registry cleaner program.
- Turn your device off and back on again. This works more often than you may think!
We suggest contacting Riot Games support and submitting a ticket if issues persist and these steps don’t get the job done.
How To Repair LoL Installation
If you want to uninstall LoL not to get away from Summoner’s Rift, but instead due to crashing or other technical issues with the game, you can always repair your LoL installation instead.
Repair your LoL installation via the following steps:
- Open the Riot Games client.
- In the top-right corner, select your profile.
- From the drop-down menu, select “Settings.”
- Select “League of Legends” from the right-hand sidebar.
- Right at the bottom, select “Repair.”
The Riot Games client will repair your LoL installation if necessary, downloading and adding additional files. In the same menu, you can enable or disable auto-updates (it’s on by default) and change the LoL install path on your device.
Uninstalling Riot Vanguard & Riot Games Launcher
If you want to remove the Riot Vanguard kernel-level anti-cheat software or the Riot Games launcher, you can do this, too! It is important to note that titles installed via the Riot Games launcher require Vanguard to actively run on your device, including VALORANT.
With the disclaimer out of the way, follow the quick and painless steps below to uninstall Riot Vanguard.
- Select the Riot Vanguard System Tray icon and then click on “Exit Vanguard.”
- On your taskbar, select the “Windows” icon.
- Type in the following: “Add or remove programs,” and press the Enter key.
- Find “Riot Vanguard” in the list of apps.
- Select “Riot Vanguard,” then select “Uninstall,” and in the pop-up window, select “Uninstall” again.
- Select “Yes” to allow the app to make changes to your device, then select “Yes” again on the following prompt to uninstall Riot Vanguard.
You can uninstall the Riot Games launcher by following the same basic steps outlined above. You’ll have to reinstall the launcher to play LoL again. Remember to close the programs before attempting removal, or your OS may block you from doing so.
How To Uninstall League Of Legends on Mac
We’ve focused on uninstalling LoL on Windows PCs in this tutorial, but what about Apple MacOS? To remove LoL from your Mac, follow the steps below.
- Open the Finder program and navigate to the “Applications” folder.
- Select League of Legends, then drag the application to Trash.
- Empty Trash to permanently remove the League client.
You can follow the same steps for the Riot Client and Riot Vanguard.
Like on PC, some residual files may still be on your Mac. We suggest checking the default folder (/Applications/League of Legends.app/Contents/LoL) and removing any leftover game files.
Your System Is Now LoL-Free
Uninstalling League of Legends, Riot Vanguard, and the Riot Games launcher is a simple process as long as you follow the steps carefully. Just remember that you should also remove all game-related files to make sure no leftover files are taking up space on your hard drive. And if you have any lingering issues, be sure to reach out to Riot Games’ support team for more help.
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