If you’ve ever found yourself scrolling through your game library after a frustrating ranked loss, or just realizing you haven’t logged into LoL in over a year, you’ve probably wondered how to deactivate league of legends account to take a break or clear up your digital profile. A lot of players mix up deactivation and permanent deletion, so it’s easy to make a mistake that costs you years of skins, ranked progress, and friend lists if you don’t follow the right steps. I’ve gone through this process myself last year when I took a 6-month break from the game to focus on work, so I know exactly what pitfalls to avoid and how to make the process as smooth as possible. This guide will walk you through every step, clarify the difference between temporary and permanent account changes, and answer the most common questions players have before they hit submit.
How to Deactivate League of Legends Account: Official Riot Steps
First, never use third-party sites to request deactivation—all account changes have to go directly through Riot’s official support or account settings to avoid scams that could steal your login information or lock you out of your account permanently. The official process takes less than 10 minutes if you have all your account details on hand, and you’ll get a confirmation email as soon as your request is processed. Here’s the step-by-step breakdown:
- Log into your Riot account on the official Riot Games website, not the LoL client directly. You’ll need to verify your login with two-factor authentication if you have it enabled, so have your phone or authenticator app nearby.
- Navigate to the “Support” section, then search for “account deactivation” in the help bar. Select the League of Legends tile when prompted to specify which game your request is for.
- Fill out the deactivation request form, including a reason for your request (you can select “other” if you don’t want to share details) and confirm that you are the owner of the account. You’ll need to enter the email associated with the account and any other verification details Riot asks for, like your original account creation date or first champion you purchased.
- Submit the form and wait for a confirmation email from Riot, which usually arrives within 15 minutes. You’ll have a 14-day grace period to cancel the request if you change your mind.
It’s important to note that deactivation is not the same as a permanent ban, and you won’t lose any of your in-game content if you choose to reactivate later. If you have an active battle pass or unclaimed loot, it will stay in your account exactly as you left it until you log back in. I made the mistake of thinking I’d lose my 2019 Worlds pass skins when I deactivated, so I held off for months before I realized all my content was safe.
Temporary Deactivation vs Permanent Account Deletion: What’s the Difference?
A lot of players use “deactivate” and “delete” interchangeably, but Riot has very different rules for each process, and mixing them up can lead to you losing your account forever if you’re not careful. Deactivation is designed for players who want to take a break for a few months or years, with no intention of losing their progress, while deletion is for players who want to wipe their Riot account entirely across all games. If you only want to take a break from LoL but still play Valorant or TFT, you can select game-specific deactivation so you don’t lose access to your other Riot game profiles. Permanent deletion, on the other hand, wipes all data across every Riot game linked to your account, and there’s no way to recover it once the 30-day grace period ends. That means you’ll lose all skins, ranked progress, friend lists, purchase history, and even your account name, which will be released back into the pool for other players to claim. I’ve had friends who accidentally requested deletion when they just wanted a break, and they lost 7+ years of progress because they didn’t read the fine print on the request form. If you’re not 100% sure you never want to play LoL again, deactivation is almost always the better choice, since you can reactivate it at any time just by logging back into your account after the initial 14-day processing window ends.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Requesting Deactivation
Even if you follow the official steps, there are a few common errors that can delay your request or lead to unintended consequences. Most of these are easy to avoid if you know what to look for before you submit your form. First, don’t submit a deactivation request if you have an active account ban or appeal in process. If your account is currently restricted, submitting a deactivation request can make it impossible to appeal the ban later, even if the ban was issued in error. Wait until your appeal is fully resolved before you request any account changes. Second, don’t use a shared or temporary email to submit your request. Riot will send all confirmation and cancellation links to the email on file, so if you don’t have access to that email, you won’t be able to cancel the request if you change your mind. I recommend updating your account email to one you use regularly at least 24 hours before you submit your deactivation request, to avoid any delivery delays. Third, don’t assume deactivation will fix ongoing account issues like hacked login credentials or unauthorized purchases. If your account has been compromised, contact Riot support directly to resolve those issues first, before you request deactivation. Otherwise, the person who has access to your account can cancel your deactivation request and lock you out entirely. Another common mistake is forgetting to link your account to a social login if you plan to reactivate later, so you don’t have to remember a long password you haven’t used in months. So, if you haven’t linked your Google or Apple ID to your Riot account yet, do that before you submit your request to make reactivation much easier down the line.
What to Expect After You Submit Your Deactivation Request
Once you hit submit on your deactivation form, you don’t have to do anything else unless you want to cancel the request. The 14-day grace period starts as soon as you get your confirmation email, and during that window, any login attempt to your LoL account will automatically cancel the deactivation request. You won’t receive any marketing emails from Riot about LoL while your account is deactivated, which is a big plus if you’re taking a break to reduce screen time or focus on other priorities. If you decide you want to reactivate your account after the 14-day processing window ends, all you have to do is log into your Riot account as normal, and your account will be restored instantly, with all your content and settings exactly as you left them. There’s no limit to how many times you can deactivate and reactivate your account, so you can take breaks as often as you need without worrying about losing progress. If you don’t log back in for 3 years after deactivation, Riot may permanently delete your account due to inactivity, so if you think you might want to come back after that, set a reminder to log in once every couple of years to keep your account active. I set a calendar reminder on my phone for 2 years after I deactivated my account last year, just to make sure I don’t lose all my limited-edition skins from past events.
At the end of the day, taking a break from LoL is a healthy choice for a lot of players, whether you’re burnt out from ranked grind, busy with work or school, or just ready to try new games. Knowing how to deactivate league of legends account correctly means you can take that break without stressing about losing years of progress or falling victim to scams. Always stick to Riot’s official process, double-check that you’re requesting deactivation not deletion, and make sure you have access to your account email before you submit your request. If you change your mind during the grace period, just log in and pick up right where you left off, no questions asked.