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How to Solve "Please Close Other Riot Games Products Before Signing Out" in Valorant

As a competitive Valorant player, few things are more frustrating than being met with the vague but ominous error message "Please close other Riot Games products before signing out." Preventing you from connecting to matches, this bug has impacted gamers worldwide – but luckily, there are a few proven steps you can take to get back in the game.

In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll leverage my expertise as a longtime gamer to walk you through everything you need to know to troubleshoot and resolve the "Please close other Riot Games products" error.

Understanding Valorant Gameplay and the Annoying Error

Before diving into fixes, let‘s quickly cover what makes Valorant so addictive and why this error ruins the experience. Valorant is a team-based 5v5 first person shooter where tactical gameplay reigns supreme. With a Counter Strike inspired system, you play offense and defense over 24 rounds per match, with no respawns allowed. The game thrives on coordination, skillful gunplay, and clutch moments of glory.

But you can‘t coordinate with your team if you get knocked offline by the "Please close other Riot Games products" message. This widespread bug prevents logging in and is related to conflicts between simultaneous Riot game clients running. Based on player complaints across Reddit and Riot‘s forums, it‘s impacted gamers globally since at least 2020.

Exactly What the Error Means

When the error pops up, it seems pretty straightforward – you likely have another Riot Games product open, like League of Legends or Legends of Runeterra. However, many users encounter it with no other Riot games open at all.

This suggests there are a few potential causes:

  • Corrupted cached files related to the Riot game client or Valorant itself. When launching Valorant, it detects these corrupted files and thinks other Riot products are still open.

  • Conflicts between background processes and services related to Riot games. The Riot Client service might be running into issues even with games closed.

  • Driver conflicts or software incompatibilities creating confusion around active Riot processes.

  • Overall bugginess in Valorant‘s coding when checking for other Riot products on launch.

So in summary, even if you don‘t have any other Riot games open, the error can still appear and lock you out of Valorant. The good news is there are ways to resolve it quickly.

Step-By-Step Troubleshooting Guide

I‘ve encountered this frustrating error myself many times, but through trial and error found a few reliable solutions. Follow these steps to get Valorant launching again:

Temporary Workaround: Sign Out of Riot Client

This simple fix works as a quick bandage solution to get you back in the game fast.

  1. Open the Riot Client app on your computer. You can search for it or navigate here: Valorant Folder > Riot Client Folder > RiotClientServices.exe

  2. In the Riot Client, click your profile icon in the top navigation bar.

  3. Select Sign Out to fully sign out of your Riot account.

Riot Client Sign Out

  1. Launch Valorant again. The error should be gone and you can sign in normally.

This forces a full reset of your Riot account connection, resolving any confusion around active Riot products. You‘ll likely have to sign back into the client after playing, but it‘s a small price to pay to access Valorant again quickly.

Temporary Workaround: Delete Cache Files

If signing out doesn‘t work, deleting Valorant‘s cache files might do the trick:

  1. Press Windows Key + R to open the Run prompt.

  2. Type %LOCALAPPDATA%\Riot Games and hit Enter. This will open your Riot Games local data folder.

  3. Delete the following folders:

    • VALORANT
    • Riot Client
    • Install VALORANT

  4. Next, open Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features.

  5. Right click on Riot Vanguard and select Uninstall.

Uninstall Riot Vanguard

  1. Launch Valorant again. The deleted files will automatically reinstall themselves.

  2. Once installation completes, restart your PC and try launching Valorant again.

Deleting these cached folders forces Valorant to fully reinstall them and ideally correct any corrupted files causing the error. Coupled with a reboot, it gives your PC a fresh start, which has resolved the issue for many players.

Advanced Troubleshooting Steps

If neither workaround fixes it, we‘ll need to dig a bit deeper:

  • Update Graphics Drivers: Outdated GPU drivers can cause conflicts with games. Head to Nvidia or AMD‘s driver download page to install the latest.

  • Scan and Repair Game Files: In the Riot Client, go to Valorant > Settings > Manage Install > Repair to check for file corruption.

  • Close Background Apps: Shut down any overlays, recording software, or peripherals running processes in the background that could conflict with Valorant.

  • Reboot Router/Modem: If playing Valorant over WiFi, restart your networking equipment to refresh connections.

  • Reinstall Valorant: Uninstall and reinstall Valorant as a last resort to completely eliminate any corrupted files.

  • Submit Support Ticket: If all else fails, contact Riot Support with your issue directly so they can investigate and recommend other fixes.

Avoiding the Error in the Future

While we await an official patch from Riot Games, there are things you can do to prevent this pesky error going forward:

  • Launch Valorant First: Don‘t open multiple Riot games at the same time. Launch Valorant separately before any other Riot titles.

  • Log Out Properly: Always properly quit and sign out of Riot games rather than closing incorrectly or force closing them.

  • Keep Drivers Updated: Check for graphics driver updates regularly and install them to prevent version conflicts.

  • Don‘t Change Install Directories: Keep Valorant installed in its default folders to prevent file path issues.

The Waiting Game Continues…For Now

Riot Games has acknowledged the ongoing issues with this error message and assured players they are working on a fix. However, no definitive patch has been rolled out yet.

Until then, the workarounds outlined in this guide should get you back in the game quickly when the pesky "Please close other Riot Games products" error strikes again. Just stay calm, methodically try each solution, and before you know it you‘ll be clutching rounds and dominating the competition once more!

Let me know in the comments if you have any other tricks for resolving this issue fast. And be sure to share this guide with any fellow Valorant players suffering from the same frustrating bug. Happy gaming!