If you’ve grown tired of the cringey summoner name you picked when you were 13, or you’re rebranding your account to match your stream handle, you’ve probably wondered can you change your name in League of Legends. The short answer is yes, but there are specific rules, costs, and limits you need to know before you go through with the process. I’ve changed my own summoner name three times over the last 8 years of playing, so I’ve made all the mistakes you’ll want to avoid, from picking a name that got flagged for violation to wasting RP on a name I regretted a week later. This guide breaks down everything you need to know to make the process smooth and stress-free.
Can You Change Your Name in League of Legends: Core Rules and Requirements
Many new players assume can you change your name in League of Legends is a simple yes/no question without fine print, but the small details can cost you a lot of wasted currency if you skip them. First, Riot does not offer free routine name changes for regular players. The current cost to change your summoner name is 1300 RP, or 13900 Blue Essence if you don’t want to spend real money. That’s roughly the same cost as a new champion skin, so it’s not a trivial expense if you’re saving currency for other in-game items.
You also can only change your name once every 30 days, so if you pick a name you hate right after confirming, you’re stuck with it for a full month. Your old summoner name becomes available for other players to claim after 90 days, so if you have a rare name you want to hold onto, you’ll need to make a separate smurf account to claim it before someone else snatches it up.
One exception to the paid name change rule is if Riot flags your existing name as a violation of community guidelines. In that case, they’ll force you to change it to a random temporary name, and you’ll get one free name change credit to pick an appropriate replacement. That’s the only scenario where Riot offers free name changes for regular players, and support tickets requesting free changes for other reasons are almost always denied.
Step-by-Step Process to Change Your Summoner Name
The actual process of changing your name is pretty straightforward, but it’s easy to make a costly mistake if you rush through the steps. First, log into the League of Legends client with the account you want to update. Navigate to the in-game store, then click the small account icon in the top right corner of the store page, next to your RP and Blue Essence balances.
From the account menu, select the “Summoner Name Change” option. You’ll see a text box where you can type in the name you want to use, and a button to check if it’s available. Take your time typing the name, and double check the spelling before you hit confirm. You cannot undo a summoner name change once you confirm the purchase, even if you misspelled the name you wanted.
Once you confirm the name is available, select whether you want to pay with RP or Blue Essence, then complete the purchase. Your name will update immediately across all your Riot games, including Teamfight Tactics, Legends of Runeterra, and Valorant if you play those on the same account. Riot’s name filter automatically blocks profanity, hate speech, and impersonation of public figures or Riot staff, so don’t waste time trying to sneak past the system with misspelled slurs or fake Riot employee handles. The filter is far more accurate than most players think, and you’ll lose your currency if the name gets rejected later.
Key Restrictions to Avoid Wasting Your RP or Blue Essence
Even if a name shows as available in the client, it can still get flagged for violation after you purchase it. Riot’s human moderation team regularly reviews new name changes, and they’ll remove any name that breaks community guidelines, no matter if it passed the automatic filter. To avoid throwing your hard-earned currency away, make sure your chosen name follows all of these rules:
If your name gets removed for violating these rules, you’ll be assigned a random temporary name like “Summoner12345”, and you won’t get a refund of the RP or Blue Essence you spent on the change. You will not receive a refund if your chosen name is removed for violating community guidelines, even if you claim you didn’t know the rule. You’ll get one free credit to pick a new appropriate name, but you’ll have to pay again if you want to change it a second time after that.
That means it’s worth taking an extra 5 minutes to review your chosen name against these rules before you hit purchase. I learned this the hard way when I picked a name with a stupid inside joke that Riot flagged as inappropriate 3 days after I changed it, and I lost 1300 RP for no reason.
Tips to Pick a Summoner Name You Won’t Regret Later
Most players change their name because they outgrew a silly name they picked when they were younger, so it’s worth putting a little thought into your new name to avoid having to change it again in 6 months. First, avoid overly niche references that will feel dated in a year, like references to a viral meme or a show that’s popular right now. What feels funny today will probably feel cringey a year from now, and you’ll be stuck paying for another change.
If you plan to stream, make content, or join competitive teams with your account, pick a name that’s easy to spell and pronounce. You don’t want viewers fumbling to find your social media pages, or your teammates struggling to type your name in chat to call you for plays. Try testing your chosen name with friends for a few days before you purchase the change – they’ll tell you if it sounds silly, has an unintended double meaning, or is hard to remember.
It’s also a good idea to avoid adding random numbers to the end of your name unless you absolutely have to. Numbers make it harder for people to add you as a friend, and they make your name look less polished if you’re trying to build a personal brand. If your first choice of name is taken, try adding a relevant word before or after instead of numbers, like “Official” or “LoL” if you’re making a content account.
If you’re rebranding for content creation, make sure the name is available across all social platforms you use, not just League of Legends. There’s no point in picking a great summoner name if the same handle is already taken on Twitch, Twitter, and TikTok, and you have to use a different name for every platform. There are free tools you can use to check handle availability across hundreds of sites in a few seconds, so it’s worth taking the time to check before you commit.
At the end of the day, if you’re asking can you change your name in League of Legends, the process is straightforward as long as you follow the rules and plan ahead. Don’t rush the decision, double check that your chosen name meets all guidelines, and make sure it’s something you’ll be happy to see pop up in lobbies and on leaderboards for at least a month before you can change it again. A good summoner name is part of your identity in the game, so taking an extra 10 minutes to pick the right one is always worth the effort.