If you’ve spent weeks scrolling short-form clips of outplay montages or watching your friends climb ranked, you’re probably ready to dive into League of Legends for the first time. I remember when I first tried to download LoL back in college, I thought the 100 MB launcher file was the whole game, only to realize I had to wait another hour for the full 12 GB install after that. Don’t make my mistake. Before you hit that download button though, you’ve likely got one pressing question: how big is League of Legends to download, and do you have enough free storage left for it? We’ve tested downloads across every supported platform to give you accurate, up-to-date size numbers, plus extra tips to make the install process as smooth as possible. You won’t have to waste time deleting old games or files just to make space if you plan ahead, which is exactly what we’ll help you do here.
How Big is League of Legends to Download Across All Platforms
The size of your LoL download will vary slightly depending on what device you’re playing on, and which optional add-ons you choose to install. If you’re wondering how big is League of Legends to download for a fresh install with no extra add-ons, you can expect the base file size to land between 12 and 14 GB for Windows PCs as of the latest patch. After you run the first round of post-install updates and load into the client for the first time, that size will usually jump to around 16 GB total. 13 GB on Windows PC is the most common base download size for new players, so aim to have at least that much free before you start.
For Mac users, the base download size is slightly larger, sitting around 14 GB for a fresh install, jumping to 17 GB after initial updates. If you’re playing the console or mobile version of the game, technically classified as League of Legends: Wild Rift, the download size is much smaller. Mobile installs range from 2.5 to 3.5 GB depending on your device, while console installs for Xbox or PlayStation land around 8 GB total, with optional high-resolution texture packs adding another 2 GB if you choose to download them. Keep in mind that the initial 100 MB Riot Client file you first download is just the launcher, not the full game, so don’t get excited when that finishes in 10 seconds. The launcher will automatically start downloading the full game files once you log in with your Riot account.
What Contributes to League of Legends’ Install Size
You might be wondering why a 10-plus year old game takes up so much space, especially compared to newer indie titles that are half the size. The answer comes down to constant content updates and the sheer volume of playable content available in the game today. When LoL first launched in 2009, it only had 40 champions and one main game mode, so the download size was less than 2 GB. Today, there are over 160 champions, dozens of game modes, and thousands of cosmetic skins, all of which add to the total file size.
The biggest contributors to the game’s large install size include:
Core game files and champion assets make up roughly 60% of the total install size, since every champion has multiple unique skins, voice lines, and animation sets that need to be stored locally on your device. Map and game mode assets make up another 25% of the size, with high-resolution textures for Summoner’s Rift, ARAM’s Howling Abyss, and rotating modes like URF taking up a large chunk of space. The remaining 15% comes from patch files, language packs, and optional add-ons like esports spectator tools.
Easy Tips to Reduce League of Legends’ Download and Install Size
If you’re tight on storage space, you don’t have to delete all your old games just to fit LoL on your drive. There are a few simple tweaks you can make to cut the total install size by 3 to 5 GB, without impacting your gameplay experience at all. These tweaks work for both new installs and existing players who want to free up extra space on their device.
Only install the language pack you actually use first. Many players accidentally download multiple language packs when they first install the game, not realizing each pack adds 1 to 2 GB of extra space. You can delete extra language packs through the Riot Client settings by navigating to the “Language” tab and unchecking any packs you don’t need. Second, turn off high-resolution assets if you’re playing on a lower-end PC or don’t care about 4K splash art. You can disable high-resolution textures and splash art in the client’s “Graphics” settings, which will cut around 2 to 3 GB off the total install size immediately.
Third, clear the client cache every 3 to 4 months. Old cached event files, login screen assets, and unused game mode files can build up over time, taking up 1 to 2 GB of extra space for no reason. You can clear the cache directly through the Riot Client’s troubleshooting menu, or delete the cache folder manually from your drive. Fourth, skip optional add-ons like esports spectator packs and replay recording tools unless you actually use them. These optional features are automatically selected for download by default, but you can uncheck them before you start the install to save extra space.
Common Download Issues and How to Fix Them Fast
Even if you have enough storage space, you might run into common issues when downloading LoL for the first time. Most of these issues are easy to fix in a few clicks, so you don’t have to waste hours troubleshooting forums for answers.
If your download is way larger than the size we listed earlier, that’s almost always because you have extra optional add-ons selected for download. Before you hit the “install” button in the Riot Client, double check the optional add-ons section to make sure you’re not downloading extra language packs, high-resolution texture packs, or spectator tools you don’t need. If your download is taking way longer than expected, try pausing and restarting the client first. In many cases, the client gets stuck on a small patch file, and a quick restart will get it moving again. Switching from Wi-Fi to a wired internet connection will also cut download times significantly, since wireless connections often drop speeds when transferring large game files.
Make sure you have at least 5 GB of extra free space on your drive beyond the listed download size. The Riot Client needs temporary space to unpack and install game files, so if you only have exactly the listed download size free, the install will fail halfway through. If you keep getting storage error messages even after clearing space, try moving the Riot Client install folder to a different drive with more free space. The client lets you change the default install location in the settings menu, so you don’t have to install the game on your main C drive if you don’t have space there.
At the end of the day, League of Legends is a relatively small download compared to most modern AAA games, which often take up 50 GB or more of storage. Knowing how big is League of Legends to download before you start lets you plan ahead, so you don't run into annoying storage errors mid-install. Even if you're tight on space, the small tweaks we listed can cut the install size down significantly, so you can jump into your first Summoner's Rift match faster. If you run into any issues during the download, don't panic – most problems are fixed in a few clicks by adjusting your client settings or clearing out old unused files. Have fun on the rift!