When Did League of Legends Come Out: Discover the origins of LoL, its release date, and how it evolved from DotA inspiration into a global gaming phenomenon. Explore its early development, eSports growth, and lasting impact on the MOBA genre and gaming culture.
League of Legends was released on October 27, 2009. The game has been live for over 17 years as of 2026, and it remains the most-played MOBA in the world.
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Announced | October 7, 2008 |
| Closed beta (invite-only) | April 11 - October 20, 2009 |
| Open beta | October 21 - 26, 2009 |
| Official release (NA & EU) | October 27, 2009 |
| macOS release | March 1, 2013 |
Riot Games developed League of Legends as a standalone successor to the Warcraft III mod Defense of the Ancients (DotA). The game launched with 40 champions, was free-to-play from day one, and reached millions of registered players within its first year. Season 1 began on July 13, 2010, and the first World Championship was held at DreamHack Summer in June 2011, won by Fnatic.
League of Legends is a MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) with 172 champions as of 2026. For a full list of when each champion joined the roster, see our champions by release date page.
