Lots of players reach a point where they want to step away from the Rift for good, whether that’s to cut back on screen time, switch to a new main account, or leave the game entirely for mental health reasons. If you’re one of those players, you’ve probably asked how do you delete a league of legends account without running into unnecessary hoops or losing content you didn’t mean to erase. The process isn’t as hidden as you might think, but there are a few critical steps you need to follow to make sure your request goes through without delays. I’ve walked through this process twice myself, once for an old smurf account I no longer used and once for a friend who wanted to step away from the game to focus on work, so I’ll break down exactly what you need to know from start to finish.
How Do You Delete a League of Legends Account: Official Riot Steps
When you’re figuring out how do you delete a league of legends account, the first thing you need to do is make sure you have all your account details handy, including your login credentials and access to the linked email or phone number. Riot requires full verification to process deletion requests to prevent malicious actors from deleting other people’s accounts. The official process only takes 5 to 10 minutes to complete, as long as you have all your information ready.
First, you must be logged into the exact Riot account you want to delete. I made this mistake once when I was deleting my old smurf, I was logged into my main account by default and almost submitted a deletion request for the account I’d spent 6 years building. Double check the account name in the top right corner of the page before you click any deletion-related buttons, it’s a simple step that can save you years of regret. From there, navigate to the Manage Account tab, select the Delete Account option, and follow the prompts to verify your identity via email or text code. You’ll be asked to fill out a short survey about why you’re deleting the account, and then you can submit your request.
After you submit, you have a full 30-day grace period to cancel your deletion request if you change your mind. All you have to do is log back into your account during that window, and the deletion will be canceled immediately. Once that 30-day period ends, though, the account is gone forever, and Riot support can’t recover it for any reason. Make sure you’re 100% sure about your choice before you let that window close.
Critical Pre-Deletion Checks to Complete First
Before you submit any deletion request, there are a few key tasks you need to take care of to avoid unwanted surprises later. Most players forget that their League of Legends account is tied to their overall Riot account, so deleting it affects far more than just your LoL progress. I’ve seen dozens of players post on Reddit saying they accidentally deleted their Valorant progress when they only meant to delete their LoL smurf, so these checks are non-negotiable.
- Download all your match history and account data if you want to keep records of your past games, rank milestones, or event rewards you earned over the years
- Check if your Riot account is linked to other games like Valorant, Teamfight Tactics, or Legends of Runeterra, because deleting your LoL account will erase all data across all linked Riot games
- Cancel any active subscriptions, including LoL Prime Gaming perks, recurring RP purchases, or battle pass auto-renewals, to avoid being charged for content you’ll never access after your account is gone
- Transfer any unspent RP or giftable loot to a trusted friend’s account if Riot’s policies allow it, or use it on skins you want to enjoy before the deletion goes through
Deleting your LoL account deletes your entire Riot account, not just your LoL progress, so this is the most important check on the list. If you only want to remove LoL access but keep your progress in other Riot games, you don’t need to delete your whole account. You can simply uninstall League of Legends and leave the account active, or reach out to Riot support to see if they can restrict access to LoL specifically without erasing your other data.
Common Issues That Delay LoL Account Deletion
Most deletion requests go through within the 30-day window with no issues, but there are a few common problems that can hold up your request or even get it denied entirely. Knowing these ahead of time will help you avoid unnecessary delays, so you don’t end up waiting months for your account to be deleted.
If your account is currently banned or has an open support ticket, your deletion request will be put on hold until the issue is resolved. My friend ran into this when he tried to delete his account a few years ago. He’d had a temporary chat ban 2 weeks before he submitted his request, and Riot wouldn’t process the deletion until the ban was lifted. If you have an active penalty, you’ll need to wait until it expires or resolve the open ticket before you submit your deletion request.
Another common issue is players who use social logins (Google, Facebook, Apple) for their Riot account run into verification errors. If you use one of these login methods, make sure you have access to the linked social account to complete the verification step, otherwise Riot won’t be able to confirm you own the account. If you lost access to your linked social account, you’ll need to submit a support ticket first to prove you own the Riot account before you can request deletion.
You also won’t be able to delete your account if there are any ongoing purchase disputes or chargebacks linked to it. Riot puts a hold on account actions for any account with open payment issues, so you’ll need to resolve those first before you can move forward with deletion.
Alternatives to Deleting Your League of Legends Account
Deleting your account is a permanent choice, so it’s worth considering less extreme options if you’re on the fence. Most players who request deletion just want a break from the game, not to lose years of progress and skins forever, so these alternatives are worth exploring first.
Riot offers a temporary account disable option that lets you lock your account for 3 to 12 months without losing any of your progress. This is perfect if you just want to take a break to focus on school, work, or mental health without making a permanent choice. When the disable period ends, you can log back in like nothing changed, with all your skins, ranks, and RP still intact. You can request this option through the same Manage Account page you’d use for deletion.
If the issue is toxic players ruining your experience, you don’t have to delete your account to fix that. You can adjust your in-game settings to mute all chat, disable opponent emotes, and turn off rank notifications, so you can play casually without the stress of toxic teammates or ranked pressure. I did this for a few months last year when I was burnt out on ranked, and it made the game fun again without me having to give up the skins I’d spent hundreds of dollars on.
You can also just leave the account inactive if you don’t want to deal with the deletion process. Riot doesn’t delete inactive accounts unless they’re flagged for suspicious activity, so you can always come back years later and pick up where you left off if you change your mind. This is the best option if you’re not 100% sure you never want to play again.
At the end of the day, deciding how do you delete a league of legends account is a personal choice, and there’s no right or wrong reason to walk away. Whether you’re taking a break for mental health, switching to a new main account, or leaving the game for good, taking a few extra minutes to go through the pre-deletion checks and follow the official steps will make the process far smoother. If you run into any snags along the way, Riot’s support team is usually quick to help with deletion requests, as long as you can prove you own the account in question. Don’t rush the decision, though—once that 30-day window closes, there’s no going back.