If you’re about to download League of Legends for the first time, or freeing up space for a big patch drop, one of the first questions you probably have is how much space does League of Legends take up before you hit that install button. I’ve been there too, once trying to cram LoL onto an old laptop with only 10GB of free space left, only to have the install fail halfway through because I forgot about post-launch updates and optional content. It’s frustrating to wait for a 10GB download just to hit an error, so we’ve broken down everything you need to know about storage requirements for every platform, plus hidden space drains you might not account for on your first install.
How much space does League of Legends take up by platform?
The base installation size for LoL varies slightly depending on what device you’re playing on, but all versions require extra space for day-one patches and regular updates. For Windows PC, the base install sits at roughly 16GB, but after you install the latest mandatory patch on first launch, that number jumps to around 22GB total. Mac users will see almost identical numbers, with a 15GB base install and 21GB total post-patch size. For players on Xbox Series X/S, the base install is around 20GB, with post-patch content pushing it to 24GB total for the full game.
These numbers are the minimum you’ll need to play the core game, but you should never only have exactly that much space free when you start downloading. We recommend leaving at least 30GB of free space before starting your install to avoid mid-download errors, even if you only plan to play the core Summoner’s Rift mode without any extra optional content. If you play other Riot Games titles like Valorant or Teamfight Tactics through the same client, you’ll need even more space to accommodate those game files too.
Hidden storage drains that increase LoL’s file size
Most new players are shocked when their 22GB install balloons to 30GB or more after a few months of play, and that’s because there are lots of small, hidden file additions that add up over time. Riot doesn’t always advertise how much extra space these add-ons take up, so it’s easy to run out of space unexpectedly right before a big ranked match. The most common hidden space drains include:
On top of all that, the Riot Client itself takes up roughly 2GB of extra space separate from the core LoL game files, which most players forget to account for when calculating how much space they need. The client also stores temporary cache files that can build up to 1GB or more over time if you don’t clear them out regularly.
Tips to reduce LoL’s storage footprint without breaking the game
If you’re working with limited storage space, you don’t have to delete other games or personal files just to fit LoL on your drive. There are plenty of safe ways to cut down the game’s file size without risking crashes or account bans from Riot. Delete old replay files every 1 to 2 months if you don’t plan on revisiting them, you can always re-download replays of your best ranked games for up to 30 days after you play them anyway, so there’s no need to hoard them long term.
Next, uninstall the high-resolution texture pack if you’re playing on a 1080p screen or lower-end device, most players can’t tell the difference between the standard and high-res textures on smaller screens, and you’ll free up 4GB to 6GB of space instantly. You can also clear your Riot Client cache every few months through the client settings menu, which removes leftover temporary files from old patches and login sessions that serve no purpose.
Make sure you don’t have extra game modes installed that you never play, like Arena or URF, when they’re available. You can toggle optional game modes on and off through the Riot Client install menu to free up extra space when those modes are not in rotation. Just don’t delete any core game files manually, as that can cause the game to crash on launch or trigger anti-cheat flags that get you temporarily locked out of your account.
What happens if you don’t have enough storage for LoL?
You might be tempted to squeeze LoL onto an almost full drive just to play faster, but that choice will cause you way more frustration down the line. The most common issue is failed patch installations, which can force you to re-download the entire 10GB+ patch from scratch if your drive runs out of space halfway through the update process. I’ve had this happen before when I forgot to clear space before a pre-season patch, and I missed the first 12 hours of the new update waiting for the download to restart.
You may experience random in-game crashes or performance drops if your drive is almost full, as the game can’t save temporary files needed to run smoothly during matches. This is extra frustrating during ranked play, as a crash mid-game can lead to a loss of LP or even a temporary queue penalty if you can’t reconnect fast enough. You also might not be able to download new champion releases or limited-time game modes, which often add small amounts of extra content that push the file size over your available space limit.
If you’re running LoL on a traditional HDD instead of an SSD, having less than 10% of your drive free can also slow down load times significantly, making you wait 2 to 3 times longer to get into champion select or load onto the Summoner’s Rift map. In extreme cases, you might even see long delays when your game is trying to load champion abilities or map assets mid-match, leading to lag that has nothing to do with your internet connection.
At the end of the day, planning for extra space instead of just meeting the minimum requirements will save you a ton of frustration when you’re eager to jump into your first match. Knowing how much space League of Legends takes up, plus the extra hidden content that adds to the file size over time, means you won’t have to pause your download last minute to delete old photos or unused apps to make room. If you’re still running into storage issues after following our tips, consider moving LoL to an external SSD if you play on PC or console, they’re affordable now and will even make your load times faster than running the game off a traditional HDD. Just make sure you double check your available space before you hit install, and you’ll be queuing up for your first Summoner’s Rift match in no time.