You can change your Riot username through the Riot Games website, and it costs 1,300 Riot Points the first time

Log into your Riot Games account at account.riotgames.com, go to the "Username" section under Account Settings, and click "Change Username". You'll see your current name and a field to enter a new one. Riot will check whether the name is available and whether it violates their naming policy — no slurs, no impersonation of real people or Riot staff, no excessive special characters. If it passes, you pay 1,300 Riot Points (about $10 USD, though the dollar amount varies by region and currency). The change takes effect when ready in League of Legends, Valorant, and any other Riot game tied to that account.

After you change your name once, the cost goes up. The second change costs 2,600 Riot Points, and every change after that also costs 2,600 Riot Points. There is no time limit between changes — you can change again whenever you want, as long as you pay. If you change your mind within a few minutes, you cannot undo the transaction, so double-check the spelling and capitalization before you confirm.

Key Takeaways

  • You change your username at account.riotgames.com under Account Settings, not inside the game client.
  • The first change costs 1,300 Riot Points; every change after that costs 2,600 Riot Points.
  • Riot checks new names against their policy — no slurs, no impersonation, no excessive special characters — and rejects names that don't pass.
  • The change takes effect when ready across League of Legends, Valorant, and all other Riot games on your account.
  • You cannot undo a username change once you confirm it, so verify spelling and capitalization before you pay.

What happens to your old username after you change it

Your old username becomes available for someone else to claim after a short waiting period. Riot does not hold it for you, and you cannot reserve it or get it back later. If you want to keep that name in the community's memory, you'll need to tell people your new name through Discord, your stream, or however you communicate with your friends and teammates.

Your match history, rank, and all your in-game progress stay attached to your account no matter what name you use. Other players can still find your old games by searching your new username or your account ID (a number that never changes). The only thing that changes is the name that appears in the client and in-game.

How to check if a username is available before you pay

The Riot Games website will tell you whether a name is taken as soon as you type it into the change field. You don't have to pay to see this — just enter the name you want and wait a second for the system to check. If the name is available and doesn't violate the naming policy, you'll see a green checkmark or a message saying it's available. If it's taken or against the rules, you'll see a red X or an explanation of why Riot rejected it.

Keep in mind that Riot's naming policy is stricter than you might expect. Names that reference drugs, sexual content, or real-world violence get rejected even if they're not obvious slurs. Names that are too similar to Riot employee names or famous players can also be flagged. If your first choice gets rejected, try a variation — add a number, change the spelling slightly, or pick a different word entirely.

Riot Points: how to buy them and what they cost

Riot Points are the premium currency in League of Legends and Valorant. You buy them through the Riot Games website or through the in-game store. The smallest bundle is usually 650 Riot Points for about $5 USD, and the largest is 7,200 Riot Points for about $50 USD. Prices vary by country and region because of taxes and currency conversion.

You can also earn a small amount of Riot Points through the Battle Pass in Valorant, but not enough to cover a username change. If you don't want to spend money, there's no free way to change your username. Some players wait until a sale or promotion to buy Riot Points, but Riot doesn't run regular discounts on the currency itself — only on cosmetics like skins and gun buddies.

What to do if your username change doesn't go through

If you paid but your username didn't change, check your account settings again — sometimes the change takes a minute or two to show up in the client. Close the game completely and log back in. If it still hasn't changed after 10 minutes, go back to account.riotgames.com and check whether the transaction went through. You should see the charge in your Riot Points balance or in your payment history.

If you were charged but the name didn't change, contact Riot Support at support.riotgames.com. Have your account name, the new username you tried to use, and a screenshot of the charge ready. Riot's support team can see whether the transaction completed and can sometimes reverse it if something went wrong on their end. Response times vary, but most tickets get a reply within 24 to 48 hours.

Naming rules Riot actually enforces

Riot rejects usernames that contain slurs or hate speech in any language, names that impersonate Riot employees or professional players, and names with excessive special characters or numbers. They also reject names that are blank, names that are only spaces, and names shorter than three characters or longer than 16 characters.

Names that reference illegal activity, graphic violence, or sexual content get rejected even if they don't use explicit words. Riot's filter catches a lot of edge cases, so if you're trying to be clever with a name that's close to something against the rules, it will probably get flagged. The safest approach is to pick a name that you wouldn't be embarrassed to say out loud in a professional setting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my username if I'm banned or suspended?

No. If your account is suspended or permanently banned, you cannot change your username until the suspension ends or the ban is lifted. Riot locks most account settings during a penalty period. If your ban is permanent, you cannot change anything on that account.

Does changing my username affect my rank or my skins?

No. Your rank, your skins, your Blue Essence, your Riot Points, and everything else on your account stays exactly the same. Only the name that appears in the client and in-game changes. Your match history and statistics are tied to your account, not your username.

What if someone takes the username I want before I can buy Riot Points?

If the name you want is taken, you'll have to pick something else or wait to see if that player changes their name later. Riot doesn't reserve names for you, and there's no way to put a name on hold. Your best option is to buy Riot Points now and change your name when ready if you're worried about someone else claiming it.

Can I change my username on mobile or through the game client?

No. You must change your username through the Riot Games website at account.riotgames.com. The game client and the mobile app don't have a username change option. You need to log into your account on a computer or phone browser to make the change.

Will my friends still be able to find me after I change my name?

Yes. Your account ID never changes, so anyone who has you added as a friend will still see you in their friends list with your new name. Players can also search for you by your new username or by your account ID. The only people who might lose track of you are people who only know your old name and don't have you added.