Valorant Vanguard "User Mode Service" error: How to fix lags and stutters caused by high CPU usage

Valorant lagging and stuttering in your system may be due to a process called "Vanguard user-mode service," hogging more CPU resources than it should. Fortunately, there are a few ways to tackle the confusing problem.

Riot Games’ patented anti-cheat service, Riot Vanguard, protects the company’s popular tactical shooter from predators who seek to destroy the game's competitive integrity. To keep evolving cheat programs at bay, the developers occasionally deploy updates to Vanguard.

The reason behind Valorant's performance issues isn’t restricted only to Vanguard's woes. However, it is one of the most reported causes and is highly acknowledged after the occasional Vanguard update.

Several players face sudden performance drops after installing a new anti-cheat update in Valorant. If you identify yourself as one of them, the article's next section offers some solutions.

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How to fix high CPU usage issues and performance drops in Valorant after Riot Vanguard update

The most recent patch for Valorant’s Vanguard was deployed on March 15, 2023. To install it, players were directed to launch the Riot Client (or Valorant) and select Yes when the Vanguard pop-up appeared.

Despite following the officially suggested method, players may run into a terrible "high CPU usage" problem after the update, which causes performance drops in the game. To confirm this, readers can open the Task Manager app and check for the "Vanguard user-mode service" process and the CPU percentage it uses.

To fix the problem, gamers can try the following:

1) Force stop the "Vanguard user-mode service" process

To do so, open the Task Manager app, right-click on the process name, and select End task. Now, re-launch the game and the issue should be fixed. If the problem persists, try the next solution.

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2) Reinstall Vanguard

First, close the game and the Riot Client, then open Windows settings. Select Apps > Installed apps, click Riot Vanguard, and select Uninstall. Once the process is complete, reboot the PC to flush the residual files. Next, launch the game, and the Riot Client should install a fresh Vanguard copy.

Make sure to stay connected to a stable network connection during the process. Internet hiccups can cause the installation process to freeze, leading to further issues. Once the update is complete, gamers can launch Valorant and check if the issue persists.

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3) Reinstall the entire game

If reinstalling Vanguard doesn’t work, players must try clean installing the game. To do so, go to Windows settings > Apps > Installed apps and then uninstall the game's executable, Riot Client, and Riot Vanguard. Restart the PC after uninstalling the applications.

Now, download and install a fresh copy of the game from the Riot Games' website. This should fix the lags and stutters caused by high CPU usage.

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4) Check if a third-party overlay is causing the issue

Some players have reported high CPU usage problems in the game when using Discord overlay. Try closing any third-party applications that run in the background and see if the issue persists.

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5) Update Windows and graphics drivers

While this may not be a common solution, updating the operating system and graphics drivers is worth trying if none of the aforementioned workarounds yield a positive result.

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Dissatisfied players can also drop a support ticket describing their issues, and a Riot Agent should get back with a possible solution.