If you’re ready to jump into one of the most popular multiplayer games of all time with your friends, the last thing you want is to hit snags during the setup process. I’ve installed LoL on half a dozen different devices over the past 8 years, from old college laptops to modern gaming desktops, so I know exactly what mistakes to avoid to get you playing fast. This guide will walk you through how to install league of legends without corrupted downloads, missing file errors, or unnecessary waits, no matter what device you’re using. You don’t need any advanced tech skills to follow along, just a few minutes of free time and a stable internet connection.
What You Need Before You Start Installing League of Legends
Before you click any download buttons, take two minutes to check that your device meets the basic requirements to run the game smoothly. Skipping this step is the number one reason people run into errors mid-install, or end up with a game that lags so bad it’s unplayable. The good news is LoL is optimized to run on most devices made in the last 10 years, so you probably don’t need a fancy gaming PC to play.
First, make sure you have minimum and recommended system specifications that match or exceed the following:
- Windows: 64-bit Windows 10 or later, 4GB RAM, 2GB available VRAM, 20GB free SSD storage (HDD works too, but load times will be slower)
- Mac: macOS 10.13 High Sierra or later, 4GB RAM, Intel HD 4000 or better GPU, 20GB free storage
- Mobile (LoL Wild Rift): Android 8.0 or iOS 14.0, 4GB RAM, 10GB free internal storage
Next, you’ll need a stable, unmetered internet connection with at least 10Mbps download speed. The initial install is around 17GB, so if you’re on a metered mobile data plan, you’ll want to wait until you’re on Wi-Fi to avoid overage charges. Close any background apps that use a lot of bandwidth, like streaming services or file downloaders, to prevent corrupted download files.
You also don’t need to pay for anything upfront. League of Legends is fully free to play, and all you need is a free Riot Games account, which you can create during the installation process if you don’t already have one.
Step-by-Step Process to Install League of Legends on Desktop
Now that you’ve confirmed your device is ready, the actual installation process only takes a few clicks, as long as you follow the right steps. First, never download the game from third-party file sharing sites or random forum links. These often come bundled with malware, outdated files, or region locks that will cause problems later. Only use the official Riot Games launcher to get the latest, safest version of the game.
Start by heading to the official League of Legends download page, and click the “Download” button for your operating system. The Riot Client installer is only around 100MB, so it should finish downloading in under a minute even on slow connections. Once it’s downloaded, open the installer file, and grant it permission to make changes to your device if prompted.
If you already have a Riot account, log in with your credentials. If not, click “Create Account” and follow the prompts to set up your profile – you’ll need to enter a valid email, create a password, and choose your Riot ID, which is what your friends will use to add you in game. Once you’re logged in, you’ll see a list of Riot Games available; select League of Legends from the list.
Next, choose your install location. If you have an SSD, install the game there to cut load times for matches and champion select in half. Make sure the drive you choose has enough free space, as we covered earlier. Once you confirm the location, click “Install” and wait for the download to complete. The time this takes will depend on your internet speed, but most people are done in 10 to 30 minutes. Once it’s finished, the game will automatically launch and install any last-minute patches, and you’ll be ready to go.
How to Fix Common League of Legends Installation Errors
Even if you follow all the steps perfectly, you might run into one of a few common errors that pop up for a small percentage of users. These are almost always easy to fix, no need to panic or give up. I’ve run into every single one of these at least once, so I know exactly what works to get things back on track.
The most common error is the “installation corrupted” pop-up that shows up mid-download. This almost always happens because your internet cut out briefly, or your antivirus software flagged a safe game file as suspicious. To fix it, first pause the download, then temporarily disable your antivirus program for the duration of the install. Don’t worry, the official Riot Client is completely safe, so you won’t be putting your device at risk. Resume the download, and it should pick up where it left off without any issues.
Another frequent issue is the “not enough storage” error, even when you think you have enough space on your drive. The installer needs extra temporary space to unpack files while it’s working, so the 20GB listed requirement is just the minimum for the final installed game. Leave at least 30GB of free space on your drive before you start installing to avoid this problem entirely. If you still get the error, try clearing out your temporary files folder to free up extra space.
If the Riot Client won’t open at all after you finish installing, that’s almost always a permission issue. Right click the Riot Client icon on your desktop or start menu, select “Run as administrator”, and it should open normally. You can set it to always run as administrator in the properties menu so you don’t have to do this every time you launch the game.
Post-Install Setup Tips for New LoL Players
Once the game is installed and launches successfully, there are a few small setup steps you can take to make your first few matches way more enjoyable. Don’t jump straight into a player vs player match right away, take five minutes to tweak these settings first.
First, adjust your graphics settings to match your device. The game will auto-detect your specs and set a default, but you can tweak it to get the best balance of visual quality and performance. If you’re getting less than 60 FPS during the tutorial, turn down shadow quality and character effects first, those make the biggest difference. Turn on "low latency mode" if you have a good internet connection to reduce input lag, which makes controlling your champion feel much more responsive.
Next, run the in-game tutorial before jumping into PvP matches. It only takes 5 minutes, teaches you the basic controls, how to use abilities, and how to win a match, and you’ll get a few free champions as a reward for completing it. It’s way better to learn the basics against AI than to get flamed by more experienced players in your first match.
Finally, add your friends using their Riot ID, not their old usernames. Riot switched to a universal ID system a few years ago, so you don’t have to be in the same region to add each other anymore. You can also link your Discord or social media accounts to find friends who already play LoL automatically, so you don’t have to manually look up their IDs.
At the end of the day, learning how to install league of legends doesn’t have to be a frustrating experience, as long as you follow the steps we covered and avoid common pitfalls like third-party download links. If you run into any rare issues that aren’t covered here, the official Riot Games support site has up-to-date fixes for every possible error, and their support team is quick to respond if you need extra help. I still remember my first install back in college, where I wasted two hours downloading a corrupted file from a random forum, so don’t make that same mistake. Take the extra 30 seconds to use the official site, and you’ll be playing your first match before you know it. Don’t get discouraged if your first few matches are rough, everyone starts out learning, and the fun part is getting better as you go.