If you’ve ever logged into a League of Legends match and cringed at the summoner name you picked when you were 14, you’re far from alone. That edgy meme reference, misspelled anime character name, or inside joke that only made sense to your high school friend group can feel embarrassing when you’re playing with new coworkers or climbing the ranked ladder with a team. Luckily, learning how to change my name in League of Legends is a straightforward process that most players can complete in less than 10 minutes, as long as you know the rules and requirements ahead of time. This guide walks you through every step, from checking name availability to fixing common issues that pop up during the process.
How to Change My Name in League of Legends: Full Walkthrough
The first thing you need to know is that all legitimate name changes happen through Riot’s official account portal, not directly through the League of Legends client. You don’t need to download any third-party tools to change your name, and any site asking for your login info to complete the change is a scam. Start by heading to the Riot Games website and logging into the account linked to your League of Legends profile. Once logged in, navigate to the “Riot ID” tab on the left-hand menu of your account dashboard.
You’ll see your current display name and 3-5 character tagline listed on this page. Click the edit button next to your name, then type in the new name you want to use. The system will automatically check if the name is available, though keep in mind that two players can use the same display name as long as their taglines are different. Once you confirm the name works, you’ll be prompted to pay for the change with either 1300 Riot Points (RP) or 13900 Blue Essence (BE). If you earned a free name change token from a special event or promotion, you can apply that instead of paying at this step.
After you confirm your payment, the name will update across all Riot games linked to your account, including League of Legends, Valorant, and Teamfight Tactics, within 5 minutes. You may need to restart your League client to see the change show up in matches and chat. Riot will also send a confirmation email to the address linked to your account for your records.
Key Eligibility Rules for Summoner Name Changes
Before you spend RP or BE on a name change, there are a few important rules you need to keep in mind to avoid wasting your resources. First, all names have to follow Riot’s terms of service, which means no hate speech, slurs, references to violence or illegal activity, or impersonation of Riot Games staff or public figures. Names that violate Riot's terms of service will be reverted without a refund, and you may face additional account restrictions if the violation is severe.
You also can only change your name once every 30 days, so you’ll be stuck with your new pick for a full month even if you hate it a day after you confirm. If you’re planning to submit a request for how to change my name in League of Legends after a forced name change, you won’t have to pay any fees for the first adjustment. Riot forces name changes when a handle is reported and found to violate terms of service, and you’ll get a notification in your client with instructions for picking a new compliant name for free.
You can't transfer a name between accounts, so if you want a name that’s currently attached to your old smurf account, you’ll need to log into that smurf first, change its name to release the handle, then claim it on your main account. Keep in mind that Riot holds onto recently released names for 24 hours before they’re available to the general public, so you don’t have to worry about someone sniping the name right after you release it from your smurf.
Tips for Picking a Summoner Name You Won’t Regret
The last thing you want is to spend 1300 RP on a new name only to cringe at it three months later. These simple tips will help you pick a handle that fits your playstyle and stands the test of time:
- Pick something that’s easy to type and say, so your friends can add you quickly without asking for spelling help every time you meet new players
- Avoid overly personal info like your real full name, address, or birthday to protect your privacy, especially if you play ranked and interact with lots of strangers
- Steer clear of overly trendy memes or pop culture references that will feel dated in 6 months, unless you don’t mind paying for another name change later
- Test how your name looks in all caps and lowercase, since it will show up in both formats in in-game chat and on the post-match scoreboard
If you’re a content creator or streamer, using your public online handle as your summoner name makes it easier for fans to find you and add you for custom games, just be prepared for random friend requests from viewers after matches. If you mostly play ranked and want to avoid being targeted by players you’ve beaten in previous matches, pick a neutral name that’s not tied to any of your other social media profiles.
You can use spaces and most standard Latin letters, but special characters like emojis, symbols, or non-Latin script may not be allowed depending on your region. If you try to submit a name with unsupported characters, the system will reject it immediately, so you won’t lose your RP or BE over the mistake.
Troubleshooting Common Name Change Issues
Most name changes go through without a hitch, but there are a few common issues that pop up for players from time to time. The most frequent problem is finding a name that the system says is available, but you can’t claim it. This usually happens when the name is reserved for Riot staff, or it’s attached to an inactive account that hasn’t been released yet. Riot releases batches of inactive account names every few months, so you can check back later if the name you want is locked.
If you paid for a name change but it’s not showing up in your client, first log out of your account completely, restart your computer, then log back in. If it still doesn’t update after 24 hours, check your Riot account purchase history to confirm the RP or BE was deducted, then submit a support ticket to Riot with a copy of your purchase confirmation. The support team usually resolves these issues within 2 business days.
If you recently transferred your account to a different region, you have to wait 30 days before you can change your name, even if you have the required RP or BE on hand. This rule is in place to prevent account theft and fraud, so there’s no way around it. You also won’t be able to change your name if you have an active ban or chat restriction on your account, so you’ll need to wait until the restriction expires before you can update your handle.
Changing your summoner name is a small adjustment that can make your entire League of Legends experience feel a lot more personal, especially if you’ve outgrown the handle you picked when you first started playing. The process of how to change my name in League of Legends is simple enough for even brand new players to complete, as long as you follow the official steps and stick to Riot’s content rules. Take your time picking a name you love, and double check the spelling before you confirm your purchase, so you don’t end up stuck with another handle you hate for 30 days. If you run into any snags along the way, Riot’s support team is usually quick to help resolve name change issues with minimal hassle.