If you’ve ever tried to download League of Legends last minute before a group game with friends, you’ve probably paused mid-click to check if you have enough free storage left. I’ve lost count of how many times my ranked teammates have texted me 20 minutes before queue time asking how many GBs is League of Legends, and if they need to delete old game files to make space. The answer isn’t as straightforward as a single number, because total storage depends on your device, how long you’ve played, and extra content you’ve saved. This guide covers exact base sizes for every device, hidden storage costs you might miss, and easy tweaks to save space without ruining your play experience.
How Many GBs Is League of Legends for PC and Mac?
As of the latest game update, the base install size for League of Legends on Windows is 23 GB, while the Mac version sits at 25 GB. The slight size difference for Mac comes from extra compatibility files built into the download to support different macOS versions and hardware configurations. Riot’s official system requirements list 16 GB of free space as the minimum, but that number is outdated and doesn’t account for post-install patches. You should always have at least 30 GB of free space cleared before you start the download to avoid installation errors.
If you already have other Riot Games titles like Valorant or Teamfight Tactics installed on your device, you’ll save roughly 2 GB of space. That’s because all Riot games share the same core client files, so you won’t have to download a separate copy of the Riot Client for LoL. The shared client also cuts down on update time for all your installed Riot titles, since client patches only need to download once.
You can check your current LoL install size at any time by right-clicking the game folder on your hard drive and selecting “Properties” on Windows, or “Get Info” on Mac. It’s normal for your folder size to be a few GB larger than the base install size if you’ve had the game for more than a few months. That extra space is from temporary files and saved content, which we’ll cover next.
Hidden Storage Costs That Increase LoL’s Total File Size
Most new players are surprised when their LoL install grows to 30 GB or more within six months of play. That’s because there are several hidden storage costs that aren’t listed in the base download size. These factors won’t affect your initial install, but they will add up over time if you don’t clean up your files periodically:
My roommate learned this the hard way last season. He cleared exactly 25 GB of space to install LoL, played for three months without clearing any files, and then couldn’t download the 6 GB season start patch. He had to delete half his photo library mid-queue to make space, and we ended up missing our first ranked flex game of the new season. Save yourself the headache and leave extra free space from the start.
League of Legends Storage Requirements for Consoles
League of Legends launched for Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 in 2024, and the console install sizes are slightly smaller than the PC versions. The base download size for both console platforms is 21 GB, which is smaller because console versions don’t need extra configuration files to support hundreds of different hardware builds like PC versions do.
Console patches are also usually 30 to 40% smaller than PC patches, since console operating systems are more standardized. Major season patches for consoles typically range from 1 to 3 GB, so you won’t need as much extra free space reserved for updates as PC players do. If you have an Xbox Game Pass subscription, you’ll save an extra 1 GB of space too, since the Game Pass champion unlock perk doesn’t require you to download separate champion preview files that come with the standard free-to-play install.
One thing to note for console players: If you install the League of Legends Wild Rift mobile port on your console via cloud gaming, it takes up almost no local storage space. But the cloud version has higher input lag, so it’s only worth using if you’re extremely low on storage and only play casual game modes.
Easy Tips to Reduce LoL’s Storage Footprint Without Breaking the Game
If your LoL install has grown larger than 35 GB, you don’t have to uninstall the game to free up space. There are simple, safe tweaks you can use to cut down the file size by 5 to 10 GB in just a few minutes, with zero impact on your play experience.
First, delete old replay files every three months. You can mass delete them directly from the match history tab in the LoL client, or navigate to the “Replays” folder in your game install directory to delete them manually. If you have a replay of a really good play you want to keep, record it as a 1080p video clip and store it on a free cloud drive instead of keeping the raw replay file. That way you can watch it even after new patches break compatibility with old replay files.
Second, clear your Riot Client cache every six months. Close the Riot Client fully (make sure it’s not running in the background), navigate to your main Riot Games folder, and delete the “Cache” and “Logs” folders. These folders will regenerate automatically the next time you open the client, and you’ll usually free up 1 to 3 GB of space instantly. This process also fixes common client bugs like slow load times and missing shop items, so it’s worth doing even if you’re not low on space.
Don't install LoL on your solid state drive (SSD) if you're low on space. Unlike graphically intensive AAA games, LoL runs almost identically on a standard hard disk drive (HDD) and an SSD. I moved my LoL install to an old 1 TB HDD last year, and my in-game load times only increased by 3 to 5 seconds, which I never notice during normal play. Moving the game to an HDD will free up valuable SSD space for games that actually benefit from faster load speeds.
Never delete core game files to save space. It might be tempting to delete folders for game modes you never play, like ARAM or Teamfight Tactics, but the anti-cheat system will flag missing core files as a potential cheat. You could get a temporary account ban or be forced to reinstall the entire game to fix the issue. Stick to deleting only replays, cache, and mod files if you want to avoid problems.
So if you’ve been wondering how many GBs is League of Legends before you hit download, the short answer is 23 to 25 GB for base install, but you should clear at least 30 GB of free space to avoid issues with patches and extra content down the line. If you follow the simple storage tips we shared, you can easily keep your total install size under 30 GB even after a year of regular play. Once you’ve got the game installed, take a few games of normal blind pick to get comfortable before you jump into ranked, and don’t forget to clear out old replays every few months to save space.