Yes, League of Legends is free to play. You can download it, create an account, and play every game mode without spending money or entering payment information.
The game makes money through optional cosmetic purchases (skins, emotes, battle passes) that change how things look but do not affect gameplay. Champions can be bought with real money to save time, but every champion is also unlockable for free through Blue Essence earned by playing.
What You Get for Free
Everything that affects gameplay is free:
- All game modes (Summoner's Rift, ARAM, Arena, rotating modes)
- All ranked queues
- All runes and summoner spells
- A free champion rotation (changes weekly)
- The ability to unlock all 172 champions through Blue Essence
Champion Blue Essence costs range from 225 BE for beginner-friendly champions up to 3150 BE for new releases. For a full breakdown of how to earn Blue Essence, see our guide to getting Blue Essence.
What Costs Money
Everything you can buy with real money (Riot Points) is either cosmetic or a convenience shortcut:
- Skins — change how your champion looks, no stat changes
- Chromas — recolor a skin you already own
- Emotes and icons — in-game expressions and profile badges
- Battle passes — unlock cosmetic rewards through play during an event
- Champions with RP — skip the Blue Essence grind, but the same champions are earnable for free
Is It Pay to Win?
No. You cannot buy stronger stats, higher damage, or any in-match advantage. Riot's policy is that cosmetics never affect gameplay mechanics. Spending money lets you unlock champions faster and look different, but not play better. For the full picture, see is League of Legends pay to win?
Where Can You Play League for Free?
| Platform | Available? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PC (Windows/Mac) | Yes, free | Download from leagueoflegends.com using the Riot Client |
| Xbox PC Game Pass | Yes, free | LoL is free regardless, but Game Pass includes bonus rewards like XP boosts and champion access |
| Mobile (iOS/Android) | Separate game | Wild Rift is a free, standalone mobile version with its own champion roster and progression |
How to Download League of Legends
- Go to leagueoflegends.com
- Click "Play Now" and create a free Riot account
- Download and install the Riot Client
- Open the client, find League of Legends, and install it
- Log in and play — no payment info required
The installer is ~65 MB; the full game unpacks to about 22-24 GB. LoL runs on most hardware — see the system requirements if you're unsure your PC qualifies.
