If you’ve ever wanted to try out a reworked champion before it hits the live servers, or test balance changes that haven’t been rolled out to regular players, you’ve probably wondered how to get PBE on League of Legends. The Public Beta Environment, or PBE, is Riot’s dedicated test server where players can try unreleased content, report bugs, and give feedback that shapes the final version of updates. I’ve been using the PBE on and off for 6 years, and it’s one of the best ways to stay ahead of the meta and get a sneak peek at what’s coming to LoL next. I still remember logging on for the first time to test the original Ahri rework, and being shocked at how different her abilities felt before the devs adjusted them based on player feedback. But getting access isn’t as simple as just clicking a download button, and there are a few eligibility rules you need to meet first before you can jump in.
Eligibility requirements for LoL PBE access
Before you waste time trying to sign up for the PBE, you need to make sure you meet Riot’s basic eligibility rules first. These rules are in place to reduce troll accounts and make sure the test server population is made up of active, invested players who will give useful feedback, rather than people who just want to grief games or leak unannounced content. Your main League of Legends account must be in good standing with no permanent bans or ongoing restrictions first and foremost. That means no current chat restrictions, ranked suspensions, or bans for cheating, scripting, or severe toxicity.
You also need to have at least honor level 3 on your main account at the time of your application. Riot wants players who are respectful to others in the community, and honor level is their easiest way to measure that consistently over time. If your honor level is currently below 3, you can raise it by playing games without getting reported, being positive in chat, and honoring your teammates after matches. Most players can get back to honor level 3 within 2 to 4 weeks of consistent positive play. Some regions have extra requirements, but for most major regions like NA, EUW, EUNE, and OCE, those two rules are the only hard requirements you need to meet. You don’t need to be a high rank, and you don’t need to have spent money on the game, so don’t let those common myths stop you from applying.
Step-by-step process: how to get PBE on League of Legends
Once you’ve confirmed you meet the eligibility rules, signing up and downloading the PBE client takes less than 10 minutes if you follow these steps correctly:
- First, go to the official Riot PBE sign-up page and log in with your main League of Legends account credentials. Double check you’re logging into the correct account, as your PBE access will be tied directly to this main account.
- Next, the page will automatically run a check of your account’s eligibility. If you meet all the requirements, you’ll see a confirmation message that your PBE account has been created. If you don’t, it will tell you exactly what requirement you’re missing, like a low honor level.
- Finally, download the PBE client through the link provided on the confirmation page. You can log into the PBE client using the same Riot account details you use for your main live server account, though your PBE profile will be separate from your live profile.
When you first log into the PBE, you’ll notice you have a ton of in-game currency available to unlock all champions, skins, and runes immediately. This currency resets every time the PBE is updated, so don’t get attached to any skins you unlock there – they’ll disappear after major patches. You also don’t need to worry about transferring any progress from your live account to the PBE, as everything is separate. That means your ranked rank, mastery scores, and skin collection from live won’t carry over, and vice versa. If you run into any issues during the sign up process, you can submit a ticket to Riot support for help, as long as you can prove you meet all eligibility requirements for accessing the PBE. It’s rare to run into issues, but if you meet the requirements and still get rejected, support can usually fix the problem within a few business days.
Key rules to follow to keep your PBE access active
Getting PBE access is the easy part, but keeping it requires you to follow Riot’s specific rules for the test server. A lot of players get their PBE access revoked within a few weeks because they don’t take these rules seriously, so it’s worth paying attention to them. First, you should never use the PBE to grind for stats or win at all costs. The whole point of the server is to test content, so Riot prioritizes players who report bugs and give constructive feedback over players who only play ranked on PBE to pad their win rate. You also can’t share your PBE account with anyone else, just like your main live account. Riot regularly checks for account sharing, and it’s an instant ban from both the PBE and potentially your main account if you get caught.
One rule a lot of new PBE players miss is that you can’t leak unreleased content that hasn’t been officially announced by Riot. While most PBE content is eventually made public, posting about unannounced champions or skin lines before Riot reveals them can lead to your access being removed immediately. You don’t have to spend every day on the PBE to keep access, but logging in at least once every few months and submitting a bug report every now and then will make it far less likely your account gets flagged as inactive. I’ve seen players lose access after 6 months of not logging on, so it’s worth popping in for a game or two every patch even if you’re only there to test new skins.
Top perks of using the LoL PBE regularly
If you’re on the fence about going through the process of getting PBE access, there are a ton of perks that make it worth the small amount of effort it takes. The most obvious perk is getting to try new champions and reworks weeks or even months before they release to live servers. This gives you a huge leg up when the content drops live, because you’ll already know how to play the new champion or play around its abilities. You also get to help shape the future of League of Legends by giving direct feedback to Riot’s dev team. I’ve submitted feedback on multiple champion reworks over the years, and I’ve seen several of my suggestions make it to the final live patch, which is a really cool feeling for any long-time LoL fan.
You also get to test every skin in the game for free, including limited edition and prestige skins that are impossible to get on live servers without spending hundreds of dollars. Even if you only log in once a patch to try out new skins, that perk alone makes signing up worth it. You’ll also get early access to balance changes, so you can start practicing new meta builds before other players even know the changes are coming. That’s a huge advantage if you play ranked seriously, as you’ll be ahead of the curve as soon as the patch drops live. If you’re a content creator, learning how to get PBE on League of Legends also lets you make early content about new updates that will get a lot of views when the content goes live, as long as you follow Riot’s content guidelines for PBE footage.
At the end of the day, getting access to the PBE is a straightforward process as long as you meet the basic eligibility requirements. Whether you want to test new content, give feedback to devs, or just mess around with every skin in the game for free, it’s well worth taking 10 minutes to go through the sign up process. Now that you know how to get PBE on League of Legends, you can jump in and start exploring all the unreleased content Riot is working on before it hits the live servers. Just remember to follow the rules, report any bugs you find, and have fun testing everything the PBE has to offer.