How to completely uninstall League of Legends from PC

To completely uninstall League of Legends from a Windows PC, uninstall it from Settings, remove Riot Vanguard, then delete the Riot Games folder in C:\ and the Riot Games folder in %localappdata%.

The removal works the same on Windows 11 and Windows 10, and League of Legends on a Mac needs the app and one shared Riot Games folder deleted instead.

The fastest way to completely uninstall League of Legends from PC

A complete removal covers four things: the game, the Riot Vanguard anti-cheat, the install folder at C:\Riot Games, and the Riot Games folder under %localappdata%.

1. Close League of Legends and the Riot Client. If the Riot Client icon is still in the system tray, right-click it and select Exit.
2. Select Start > Settings > Apps > Installed apps, find League of Legends, then select More > Uninstall.
3. In the same list, find Riot Vanguard and uninstall it, unless you still play another Riot game.
4. Open File Explorer, go to C:\Riot Games and delete the folder. If you keep another Riot game, delete only the League of Legends folder inside it.
5. Type %localappdata% into the File Explorer address bar, then delete the Riot Games folder there, or only its League of Legends folder.
6. Empty the Recycle Bin and restart the PC.

Which uninstall method should you use for League of Legends?

Your situation	Method	Why
You want League gone for good and play no other Riot game	Settings or Control Panel, then remove Vanguard and both Riot Games folders	Removes the game, the anti-cheat and every leftover folder
You also play VALORANT or another Riot game	Uninstall League only, keep Riot Vanguard, and delete only the League of Legends folders	Vanguard is required to play most Riot games, and Riot's clean-removal steps delete only the League of Legends folder in %localappdata% when another Riot game is installed
You only want Vanguard off for now	Right-click the Vanguard tray icon, select Exit Vanguard, then select Yes	Vanguard stays installed, but most Riot games will not start until it runs again
You are reinstalling to fix crashes or a stuck loading screen	Full removal, then a fresh download run as administrator, or the Riot Repair Tool	A clean reinstall is one of Riot's fixes for a black, loading or lobby screen, and the Riot Repair Tool can re-patch and reinstall League automatically
League of Legends is missing from Settings	Control Panel > Programs and Features	Some apps cannot be uninstalled from the Settings app
You play on a Mac	Drag the app to the Trash and delete the shared Riot Games folder	macOS keeps League in Applications and its data in /Users/Shared/Riot Games

Uninstall League of Legends using Settings on Windows

Windows 11 calls the page Installed apps and Windows 10 calls it Apps & features. The uninstall itself is the same.

1. Close League of Legends and exit the Riot Client from the system tray.
2. On Windows 11, select Start > Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
3. On Windows 10, select Start > Settings > Apps > Apps & features.
4. Find League of Legends in the list.
5. Select More > Uninstall on Windows 11, or select League of Legends and then Uninstall on Windows 10.
6. Follow the directions on screen until League of Legends is gone from the list.

The Start menu works too: select Start > All apps, right-click League of Legends and select Uninstall.

Uninstall League of Legends using Control Panel on Windows

Control Panel is the fallback when League of Legends cannot be uninstalled from the Settings app.

1. In search on the taskbar, enter Control Panel and select it from the results.
2. Select Programs > Programs and Features.
3. Right-click League of Legends and select Uninstall, then follow the directions on screen.

Remove Riot Vanguard after uninstalling League of Legends

Riot Vanguard is the anti-cheat League of Legends runs with, and it is listed as its own app with its own uninstall. Use a Windows account with admin access, and close the Riot Client from the system tray first.

1. Find the red Riot Vanguard icon in the system tray in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
2. Right-click it and select Advanced.
3. Select Uninstall Vanguard and follow the on-screen prompts.
4. If the tray icon is missing, press the Windows key, type Add or Remove programs, press Enter, find Riot Vanguard in the app list and uninstall it.
5. Restart the PC. Vanguard is fully uninstalled if its icon does not show in the system tray after the restart.

Removing Vanguard stops most Riot games from starting, including VALORANT, until Vanguard is installed again. Riot's Uninstall and Disable Vanguard page lists the same steps.

Delete a stuck Riot Vanguard from Command Prompt

When Vanguard refuses to uninstall, remove it by hand. Close every Riot program first, press the Windows key, type cmd, right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.

sc delete vgc
sc delete vgk

Type each line on its own and press Enter after each, then restart the computer.

You should see: After the restart, open File Explorer, go to C:\Program Files, and delete the Riot Vanguard folder with any remaining files. The Vanguard icon no longer appears in the system tray.

Deleting residual files on Windows

Riot's clean-removal steps continue after the uninstall with two folders: the install folder and the Riot Games folder in local app data.

1. Open File Explorer and go to C:\Riot Games, the default install location.
2. If League is the only Riot game on the PC, delete the whole Riot Games folder. If another Riot game is installed there, delete only the League of Legends folder inside it.
3. Type %localappdata% into the File Explorer address bar and press Enter.
4. Apply the same rule: delete the entire Riot Games folder if League was your only Riot game, or open it and delete only the League of Legends folder.
5. Right-click the Recycle Bin and empty it, then restart the PC.

Uninstall League of Legends using a Mac and delete its residual files

On macOS, League of Legends sits in the Applications folder and keeps its data in a shared Riot Games folder. Remove both.

1. Quit League of Legends and the Riot Client.
2. Open Finder and select Applications in the left-side menu.
3. Drag League of Legends from Applications to the Trash.
4. Press Command+Shift+C and go to Macintosh HD/Users/Shared/Riot Games.
5. Drag the Riot Games folder to the Trash.
6. Right-click the Trash in the Dock and select Empty.

How to check League of Legends is completely uninstalled

1. Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps and search for League. Neither League of Legends nor Riot Vanguard should be listed.
2. Restart the PC and look at the system tray. No red Vanguard icon should appear.
3. Open C:\Riot Games in File Explorer. The folder should be gone, or hold only folders for other Riot games.
4. Type %localappdata% into the address bar and confirm the Riot Games folder is gone, or holds no League of Legends folder.
5. On a Mac, open Applications and /Users/Shared and confirm neither League of Legends nor Riot Games is there.

How to reinstall League of Legends after a clean uninstall

1. Restart the PC after deleting the Riot Games folders.
2. Open the League of Legends download page and select Download for Windows or Download Mac Installer.
3. On Windows, right-click the downloaded installer and select Run as administrator, then follow the prompts.
4. Open the Riot Client. Launching it, or any Vanguard-dependent game, reinstalls Riot Vanguard automatically.

Fix League of Legends when it will not uninstall

League of Legends does not appear in Settings

Some apps cannot be uninstalled from the Settings app.

1. Open Control Panel from taskbar search.
2. Select Programs > Programs and Features.
3. Right-click League of Legends and select Uninstall.

Windows shows an error message during the uninstall

The standard Windows removal did not finish.

1. Run Microsoft's Program Install and Uninstall Troubleshooter.
2. Retry the uninstall from Control Panel.
3. If it still fails, delete the C:\Riot Games folder by hand and restart.

The Riot Games folder cannot be deleted because a file is in use

League of Legends or the Riot Client is still running in the background.

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
2. Select each Riot Games program in the list, such as League of Legends, and select End task.
3. Right-click the Riot Client tray icon, if present, and select Exit.
4. Delete the folder again.

Riot Vanguard comes back after it was uninstalled

Launching the Riot Client or any Vanguard-dependent game reinstalls Vanguard automatically.

1. Uninstall every Riot game you no longer play.
2. Remove Vanguard, using the Command Prompt method if the normal uninstall fails.
3. Restart the PC and do not open the Riot Client again.

League of Legends uninstall FAQ

Does uninstalling League of Legends delete my account?

No. Uninstalling removes game files from the PC and leaves the Riot Account untouched, and an unused account is not harmed by staying active. Deleting the account is a separate request to Riot that completes 30 days after the request and also removes the VALORANT, Wild Rift and Legends of Runeterra accounts tied to it.

Do I need to uninstall Riot Vanguard separately?

Yes. Riot Vanguard is listed as its own app in Add or Remove programs. Uninstall it from the red tray icon under Advanced > Uninstall Vanguard, or from the app list, unless you still play a Riot game that needs it, such as VALORANT.

Will uninstalling League of Legends remove VALORANT?

Not if you keep Riot Vanguard and the other Riot game folders. Vanguard is required to play most Riot games, so removing it stops VALORANT from starting. Delete only the League of Legends folders and leave the rest of each Riot Games folder in place.

Where are League of Legends files stored on Windows?

The game installs to C:\Riot Games by default, and local data sits in a Riot Games folder under %localappdata%. Delete both after uninstalling for a complete removal, or delete only the League of Legends folder inside each when another Riot game is installed.

Where are League of Legends files stored on a Mac?

League of Legends sits in the Applications folder, and its data sits in /Users/Shared/Riot Games on the Macintosh HD drive. Drag both to the Trash and empty it from the Dock to remove the game completely.

Should I reinstall League of Legends to fix crashes?

A clean removal and reinstall is one of Riot's listed fixes for a black, loading or lobby screen. The Riot Repair Tool, formerly called Hextech Repair Tool, can also re-patch and reinstall League automatically, and it runs on both Windows and Mac.

Can I turn off Riot Vanguard without uninstalling it?

Yes. Right-click the red Riot Vanguard icon in the system tray, select Exit Vanguard, then select Yes on the confirmation window. Vanguard stays installed, but most Riot games will not start until it is running again.

Do I need administrator rights to uninstall League of Legends?

Removing Riot Vanguard needs a Windows account with admin access, and the manual removal needs Command Prompt opened with Run as administrator. Reinstalling also works best with the installer run as administrator, according to Riot's own steps.