Can’t Hear Anyone In Valorant? Try these Solutions

Valorant Players have been experiencing a lot of technical issues, including not being able to communicate properly via in-game voice chat. This has been the case for a long time, but recently, the reports about this voice bug in valorant have ramped up quite a bit. Below, we have compiled a list of the possible reasons which often lead to this issue in Valorant.

Note: If you are from Pakistan specifically and are facing this issue, then it might not be from Riot’s end, as one user Zeshan Ramzan reached out to Riot Support and tried to inform them about the issue. In return, this is the statement he received from Riot’s official Support:

The reply is in Turkish, which roughly translates to:

Due to the uncertainty in the legal environment in Pakistan, we are currently unable to support in-game voice chat for VALORANT in Pakistani territory. This is not a direct decision of VALORANT or Riot Games; However, if the situation changes in the future, we will, of course, inform you about this situation.
But that doesn’t mean we don’t have a solution. VALORANT players in Pakistan can handle this with a voice communication application while playing VALORANT. ^^, Especially Discord is leading the way in this regard, and on top of that, we also have an official server: https://discordapp.com/invite/valorant – come and join if you want.
Take care of yourself, my friend. See you.

Now, this reply is mostly specific to Pakistan’s audience, but if you are from a similar country where Internet infrastructure isn’t optimal for playing competitive online games, then it might also cater to your situation as well.

Please ensure that your telecommunication authority or any other Internet-related regulatory authority has allowed proper access to video game servers. You can also try to change your DNS server to either Google or Cloudflare, which in many cases helps the overall Internet access and stable connectivity. We have discussed this thoroughly below.

1. Valorant In-Game Settings

The first thing to troubleshoot is to check if your Valorant in-game settings are configured properly, as often, it is the most common cause behind the voice bug. Make sure that you have in-game Valorant settings configured optimally and have selected the right Input/Output devices by following the steps below:

2. Check Windows Input/Output Device Settings

After you have checked and configured the Valorant’s in-game audio settings, it is highly recommended that you also check the Windows Audio settings. This is, in many cases, quite easy to miss as Windows Audio Input/Output devices don’t change randomly out of the blue. Sometimes a third-party application can change the Windows Input and Output device settings, which can lead to this issue. To check it, follow the instructions below:

1. Click on Start Menu and type Settings
   

   

2.  Click Sound Settings from the System tab

   

3. Navigate down to the Advanced section and select More Sound Settings
   

   

4.  Go to both Playback and Recording tabs and make sure the right Input and Output devices are selected.

   

3. Power Cycle Your Router

On most old routers, it is recommended that you power cycle your router at least once a day as they become inefficient if they keep them on for several days, preventing them from working efficiently. To power cycle your router, you can simply turn your Wi-Fi router off for roughly 20 seconds, then turn it back on.

Many Valorant players have also reported that restarting the Rebooting of the router has helped their game to become lag-free and stable.

4. Perform A Clean Boot

If you still have network-related errors or voice bugs in Valorant, try to perform a clean boot of your PC as it clears the Random Access Memory (RAM) and removes unnecessary third-party applications from running, which helps the game to perform better and without any glitches overall.

5. Change Windows Compatibility Settings

Windows Compatibility settings can oftentimes fix this issue as Valorant requires some special system permissions from the System Administrator to execute its functions properly, including the in-game voice game. It is recommended that you run Programs and Games that require special permissions to execute properly via Administrator privileges so they aren’t limited by limited system permissions and can function to their full capacity. Follow the steps below to do so:

1. Navigate to Valorant’s installation location (Default: C:\Riot Games\VALORANT\live)
2. Right-click on VALORANT.exe and select Properties
   

   

3. Click on the Compatibility tab and tick both options, Disable Fullscreen Optimizations, and Run This Program As An Administrator.

   

4. Check if the problem is fixed; if it is still not fixed, then you can tick Run This Program In Compatibility Mode For: and select older versions of Windows from the drop-down list to troubleshoot.

   

5. Now Navigate further down the Valorant installation folder and repeat the same steps for: VALORANT-Win64-Shipping.exe (Default: C:\Riot Games\VALORANT\live\ShooterGame\Binaries\Win64)

   

6. Update Audio And Network Drivers

Having Outdated Audio And Network Drivers can also be the main culprits behind this issue, as Valorant requires updated Audio And Network Drivers to execute its functions accurately. It’s always a good idea to update all your drivers to the latest versions provided by your system manufacturer (for laptops) or Motherboard manufacturer (for Desktop PCs).

Below we have added the steps to update your Audio and Network Drivers via Windows Device Manager, but it is always recommended to update your drivers via your respective device manufacturer as they are more compatible.

1. Click on Start Menu and type Device Manager
   

   

2.  Navigate to Sound, Video, And Game Controllers, then right-click on your Device and go to properties.

   

3. Go to the Drivers tab, and click on Update Driver

   

4. Click on Search Automatically For Drivers and let it search the latest version of the respective driver if available

   

5. If the setup finds any updated drivers, install and reboot your PC for the updated drivers to take effect.

7. Update Windows Operating System

Not having the latest stable build of Windows Operating System running on your Laptop or Desktop PC can have a lot of negative impacts and can cause many issues in and outside the game. To have an error-free experience, it is recommended that you always keep your Windows updated to its latest stable build.

1. Click on Start Menu and Type Settings

   

2. Navigate down to the Windows Update tab and click Check Now
   

   

3.  Let it check for any updates available for your Windows and if it finds any update, Make sure to install it and Reboot the PC afterward.

8. Add Windows Security/Defender Exception

Most of the time, Windows Security/Defender also flags either Valorant or Vanguard as potentially harmful programs, affecting the Game’s functionality and creating multiple errors and glitches. It is always a good idea to Add the Games and Programs from trusted sources to Windows Security/Defender exception list, so it doesn’t limit their functionality in any way possible.

1. Open Start Menu and type Security
   

   

2.  Select Virus And Threat Protection Settings
   

   

3.  Click on Manage Settings under Virus And Threat Protection Settings tab

   

4. Navigate to the bottom and click Add Or Remove Exclusions under the Exclusions section

   

5. Click on Add An Exclusion and select Folder

   

6. Locate and add the Valorant and Vanguard installation folders to Exclude them from the Microsoft Security list.

The default location of them are as follows:

Valorant: C:\Riot Games\VALORANT\

Vanguard Anti-Cheat: C:\Program Files\Riot Vanguard

9. Turn Off Any VPN

If you are using Windows built-in or any third-party VPN while trying to play Valorant, you are prone to many glitches and errors, including not being able to hear anyone in Valorant via in-game voice chat.

Valorant, by default, doesn’t allow you to play the game while using any VPN as it interferes with the Valorant’s Vanguard Anti-cheat and often connects you to different regions and servers, creating many other network-related issues.

Many users reported that while using a VPN, they couldn’t use the in-game voice chat to communicate, so it is recommended to turn off any VPN while playing Valorant.

1. Click on Start Menu and type Settings
   

   

2.  Go to Network from the left-hand navigational panel and select VPN

   

3. Click on Disconnect over any Windows built-in VPN that is currently connected

   

10. Disable Windows Auto Proxy Settings

If properly configured, Proxy servers often help to increase network stability, speed, and overall security. But often, some malicious program or application can misconfigure it, which often decreases network speed, not being able to load webpages fully, or even temporary disconnection of your whole network.

While playing multiplayer games, it is recommended to turn off this setting completely to maximize the compatibility and stability of the network.

1. Click on Start Menu and type Settings
   

   

2.  Click on Network & Internet from the left-hand navigation pane and select Proxy
   

   

3.  Turn off Automatically Detect Settings

   

11. Allow Access Via Windows Firewall

Usually, the games and applications you install on your PC will have unrestricted access over the internet, which in some rare cases can be a privacy risk as well. So, as a precaution, sometimes Windows blocks unverified applications from having full access to the internet to keep your PC safe.

It is a good practice but can hurt your online game performance and stability as it sometimes blocks fundamental components of Valorant and other games from freely communicating over its game servers. So, as a solution, it is quite a general consensus to allow your Valorant and Vanguard to allow complete access over the internet so it can function as it’s supposed to.

1. Click on Start Menu and Type Windows Defender Firewall
   

   

2. Click on Allow An App or Feature Through Windows Defender Firewall

   

3. Click on Allow Another App
   

   

4. Click Browse and select these 4 files to add to the list:
   – C:\Riot Games\Riot Client\RiotClientServices.exe
   – C:\Riot Games\VALORANT\live\Valorant.exe
   – C:\Riot Games\VALORANT\live\ShooterGame\Binaries\Win64\VALORANT-Win64-Shipping.exe
   – C:\Program Files\Riot Vanguard\vgc.exe
5. Ensure that both the Public and Private tick boxes are checked for these 4 applications.

12. Change Default Network DNS Server

Changing your Network DNS Server from default to a Google or Cloudflare can significantly impact the accessibility and stability of daily Internet usage and gaming. Windows automatically sets your default Network DNS server depending on many factors like your location, Internet Service Provider (ISP) etc.

The default DNS works fine in many cases, but it is still recommended to change your DNS to a stable and better one, which will enhance your Internet Stability, Speed, and Accessibility. Follow the steps below to do so:

1. Click on Start Menu and type Settings
   

   

2.  Select Network & Internet from the left-hand navigation pane and click on Advanced Network Settings

   

3. Click on More Network Adapter Options under Related Settings
   

   

4. Right-click on your respective Network and select Properties
   

   

5.  Click on Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and select Properties

   

6. Check Use The Following DNS Server Addresses and type in the following IPs:
   – Google DNS Server: 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4
   – Cloudflare DNS Server: 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1

   

7. Press OK.

13. Reinstall Valorant And Vanguard

If all else fails to solve this issue for you, you can try to uninstall the game completely and install a fresh copy of Valorant. In many scenarios, it can solve the issue as if it fixes the issue by installing the fresh files that were either corrupted or accidentally removed from Valorant and Vanguard.

To Uninstall Vanguard Anti-Cheat

1. Right-click on the Vanguard icon from the taskbar notification area and click More > Uninstall Vanguard
   

   

2. Press Yes to Uninstall Vanguard Anti-Cheat from your System

   

3. Then Navigate to the Vanguard Anti-Cheat installation folder and delete any residual files.

   

To Uninstall Valorant:

1. Click on Start Menu and type Settings in there

   

2. Click on Apps from the left-hand navigation pane and select Apps & Features
   

   

3.  Type Valorant in the search bar, Right click on the 3 dot menu, and click Uninstall.
   

   

We have compiled a list of solutions that are sure to fix any Network and Audio related issues you might be facing. If even after performing all the steps, your issue doesn’t resolve then it might be a good idea to consult a professional and have him/her diagnose your PC completely.