If you’ve ever sat in champion select, scrolling through pages of unique characters while your team spams “lock in” in chat, you’ve probably wondered how many champs are in League of Legends. I’ve been playing LoL since Season 3, and I still lose count sometimes when new champions drop every few months, or when old favorites get full reworks that feel like entirely new characters. This guide breaks down the exact current count, how Riot manages the ever-growing roster, and what that huge selection means for your gameplay, whether you’re a first-time player or a veteran climbing ranked.
How Many Champs Are in League of Legends Right Now?
As of late 2024, the official count of playable champions in standard League of Legends game modes (Summoner’s Rift, ARAM, Arena, and rotating modes) is 168. The current official count of playable champions in standard League of Legends modes sits at 168 as of late 2024. That number does not include scrapped concept characters, mode-exclusive variants that don’t appear in standard play, or cancelled champion releases that never made it to the live server.
For context, that’s 128 more champions than the original 40 that launched with the game back in 2009. It also makes League’s roster one of the largest of any mainstream MOBA, beating competitors by 30 to 40 playable characters. That size is part of the game’s appeal for long-time players, but it can feel totally overwhelming for new players who are just learning the ropes.
You might see slightly different numbers floating around online, but that’s usually because some counts include scrapped champions or temporary event characters that are no longer available. Riot’s official developer resources only count characters that are permanently playable across standard live modes, so the 168 number is the most accurate count for regular players.
How Riot Games Expands the League Champion Roster Over Time
Riot’s release schedule for new champions has changed a lot over the years. Back in the 2010s, the studio released a new champion every 2 to 3 months, hitting 6 to 8 new characters per year. That fast pace led to a lot of overlapping kits and balance issues, so they slowed down significantly starting in 2020. Riot currently releases 4 to 5 new champions per year, down from the 6 to 8 they put out annually in the 2010s.
The slower schedule lets the dev team spend more time refining each champion’s kit, lore, and visual design to make sure they fill a unique gap in the roster instead of feeling like a copy of an existing character. They also spend months testing each new champion on the Public Beta Environment to fix bugs and balance issues before they hit live servers.
Riot also regularly releases full reworks of older champions that feel outdated or don’t fit the current game meta. Reworked champions don’t add to the total count, even if their kit, lore, and visual design are completely different from the original version. Recent reworks have updated underplayed characters like Skarner and Swain to make them more viable and fun for modern players.
Breaking Down the Full LoL Champion Roster By Class
All 168 champions are split into 6 core classes, each with a specific role in team compositions and standard play. Some champions fit into multiple classes depending on their build and playstyle, but every character has a primary class assigned by Riot for sorting and balance purposes.
Most new players stick to one or two classes when they first start, which is a great way to build muscle memory without feeling overwhelmed by the huge roster. You don’t need to learn every champion to be good at LoL, but learning the basics of each class will help you counter opponents more effectively. For example, if you main a marksman, knowing the basic range and cooldowns of common assassin champions will help you position more safely in team fights.
Tips for Navigating the Huge Champion Roster As a New Player
168 champions sounds like a lot to learn, but you don’t have to master all of them to have fun or climb ranked. The key is to narrow down your focus to characters that fit your preferred playstyle, and learn the rest slowly over time as you play against them.
First, take advantage of the weekly free champion rotation before spending any blue essence on new characters. Every week Riot makes 10 to 15 champions free for all players, so you can test them out in normal matches without spending any in-game currency. That’s the best way to figure out if you enjoy playing a certain class or champion without wasting the blue essence you earn from matches.
Stick to 2 to 3 main champions for your primary role if you want to climb ranked quickly. You’ll learn their matchups, cooldowns, and power spikes far better if you play them consistently, instead of switching to a new champion every match. Even high-ranked players usually only have 3 to 5 champions they play regularly for their main role.
Avoid buying newly released champions right away. New champions cost 6300 blue essence for the first few weeks after release, which is the highest price tier, and they almost always get heavy balance changes within the first month of launch as Riot adjusts them to fit the live meta. Wait 2 to 3 weeks, read the patch notes, and watch a few gameplay videos before you decide if a new champion is worth investing in.
If you want to learn new champions without the pressure of ranked or normal matches, play ARAM. The random champion select forces you to play characters you would never pick on your own, and the faster pace makes it low-stakes to test out kits and combos. Always check the patch notes before investing in a new champion, as balance changes can shift a champion’s viability drastically overnight. A champion that’s top tier one patch can be unplayable the next, so don’t waste your essence on a character that’s about to get nerfed.
Whether you’re just making your account or you’ve been playing for a decade, knowing how many champs are in League of Legends helps you understand just how much variety the game has to offer. The 168+ roster means there’s a character for every playstyle, from high-skill assassins that let you pull off flashy outplays to laid-back supports that focus entirely on helping your team win. Take your time exploring, don’t pressure yourself to learn every character, and you’ll find the champions that feel made for you in no time.