If you’re just booting up League of Legends for the first time, or even if you’ve been playing for a few years and lost track of new releases, you’ve probably wondered how many legends are in League of Legends. Riot Games has been adding new champions at a steady clip for over a decade, so the number shifts every few months, and each new addition brings unique abilities, lore, and playstyles to the rift. It can feel overwhelming to keep up, especially if you’re trying to learn every champion’s kit to climb ranks or just have more fun in casual matches. We’ve broken down the current count, plus everything you need to know about the full roster to make your LoL journey easier.
How Many Legends Are in League of Legends Right Now?
As of the latest roster update, there are 166 playable legends (champions) in League of Legends. That number will keep growing over time, but Riot has slowed down its release cadence a lot in recent years. Back in the early 2010s, the team released 10 to 12 new champions every year, but now they only put out 4 to 6 new additions annually. I’ve been playing since 2017, when there were only 138 champions, and I still find myself surprised by how unique each new release feels, even after 10+ years of roster expansions. Riot now prioritizes reworking outdated old champions just as often as adding new ones, so the roster stays balanced and feels fresh without growing too fast for new players to keep up.
You might hear other players use “champions” and “legends” interchangeably, they mean the exact same thing. The term “legends” comes from the game’s name itself, and it’s most often used by newer players or casual fans who don’t know the standard community terminology yet.
Breakdown of LoL Legends by Class and Role
With how many legends are in League of Legends, it’s totally normal to not recognize every champion you face in your first few months of play. All 166 legends are split into 6 core classes, and fit into 5 standard roles on the rift. You don’t have to memorize every class right away, but knowing the basics will help you pick champions that match your preferred playstyle.
- Tank: High health and damage resistance, built to soak up damage for the team and initiate team fights. Most tanks play in the top lane or support role.
- Mage: Ranged ability power users that deal high burst or sustained magic damage, typically played in the mid lane or support role.
- Assassin: High mobility, high burst damage champions designed to take out high-priority enemy carries quickly, usually played in mid lane or jungle.
- Marksman: Also called ADC (attack damage carry), these ranged physical damage dealers scale hard into late game and are the primary damage source for most teams, played exclusively in the bot lane paired with a support.
- Fighter: Also called bruisers, these champions balance damage and durability, able to both deal damage and soak up hits, most commonly played in top lane or jungle.
- Support: Champions built to heal, shield, and provide utility for their team, with low individual damage but high team impact, played in the bot lane alongside the ADC.
You’ll find that some champions fit into multiple classes, depending on how you build them. For example, Shyvana can be built as a full tank or a burst damage fighter, depending on your team’s needs. That flexibility is part of what makes the large roster so fun to play around with, even if you stick to one main role. Over 60% of the roster can be played in at least two different roles, so you don’t have to learn 166 separate kits to be a versatile player.
Why Riot Keeps Adding New Legends to LoL
A lot of long-time players complain that the roster is already too big, but Riot has a few clear reasons for continuing to add new champions. First, new releases keep the meta fresh, so the game doesn’t feel stale for players who have been around for years. New champions often introduce entirely new ability mechanics that shake up how matches are played, which keeps ranked play interesting for casual and pro players alike.
Riot’s current development priority is balancing existing champions and refining older kits before adding new ones, so the roster growth rate has slowed down significantly since 2020. That means every new champion that comes out gets months of playtesting to make sure they don’t break the game, and older champions that feel outdated get full reworks to make them fun to play again. I’ve noticed a huge difference in the quality of new releases over the last few years. Older champions like Sion or Karma got full reworks that made them feel modern and fun to play, instead of just adding a dozen new champions that feel half-baked.
New champions also tie directly into the game’s overarching lore of Runeterra. Each new release comes with backstory, voice lines, and ties to existing characters, which makes the game’s world feel more alive for players who care about the story side of LoL. New champions are also often the center of limited-time in-game events, which bring in lapsed players and give long-time fans new content to enjoy.
Tips for Navigating the Large LoL Legend Roster as a New Player
The 166+ champion count can feel really intimidating when you’re first starting out, but you don’t have to learn every single kit to have fun or climb ranks. There are a few simple tricks to make the roster feel way less overwhelming, even if you’ve only played a handful of matches.
First, don’t try to learn every champion immediately. Most pro players only main 2 to 3 champions, so you don’t need to know every ability to climb to Platinum or Diamond. Sticking to 3 to 5 main champions for your first 6 months of play will help you climb ranks faster than trying to play every new release. Once you’re comfortable with your mains, you can start testing other champions slowly if you want to branch out.
Second, pick one role to focus on first. If you decide you want to play support, you only need to learn the 30 or so champions that work well in that role, instead of all 166. You can branch out to other roles later once you have a good grasp of the game’s basics.
You can test any champion for free in the practice tool, even if you don’t own them, so you don’t have to waste blue essence on a champion you end up hating. When I first started playing, I wasted so much blue essence on champions that looked cool but didn’t fit my playstyle. Now I always test them in practice tool first, and I only buy a new champion if I’ve won at least two practice matches with them. You can also test champions during free rotation weeks, which let you play 10 random champions for free every Tuesday.
Whether you’re a new player trying to wrap your head around the game’s massive roster or a veteran who lost track of new releases, knowing how many legends are in League of Legends can help you plan your learning journey and get more out of every match. The roster will keep growing as Riot expands the Runeterra universe, but you don’t have to keep up with every new release to have fun or climb ranks. Focus on finding champions that fit your playstyle, and you’ll have a great time on the rift, no matter how many champions get added down the line.