You can change your Riot username once every 90 days through the Riot Games website
Log into your Riot account at account.riotgames.com, go to the "Username" section under Account Settings, and click "Change Username". Type your new name, confirm it does not violate Riot's naming policy, and submit. The change takes effect when ready in Valorant, League of Legends, and all other Riot games tied to that account. You cannot change it again for 90 days after the change goes live.
The username you choose must be between 3 and 16 characters, contain only letters, numbers, hyphens, and underscores, and cannot start with a number or hyphen. Riot will reject names that contain slurs, impersonations of Riot staff, or strings of numbers that look like account IDs. If your chosen name is already taken, the system will tell you when ready and you can try another.
Your Riot username is different from your in-game display name (also called your summoner name in League or player card name in Valorant). Changing your Riot username does not change your display name, and you can change your display name as often as you want without waiting 90 days.
Key Takeaways
- You change your Riot username at account.riotgames.com under Account Settings, and the change applies to all Riot games on that account at once.
- Usernames must be 3 to 16 characters and can only contain letters, numbers, hyphens, and underscores, with no numbers or hyphens at the start.
- You must wait 90 days between username changes, so choose carefully the first time.
- Your Riot username is separate from your in-game display name, which you can change without any waiting period.
What happens to your account when you change your username
Your Riot username is the account identifier you use to log in. When you change it, your login email address stays the same — you still sign in with your email, not your username. Your password does not change. Your rank, skins, Blue Essence, VP (Valorant Points), and all other account data remain exactly as they were.
Friends who have you added will still see you in their friends list under your new username. Your match history and statistics do not reset. If you were in a ranked queue or a game when you changed your username, you stay in that queue or game — the change does not log you out or interrupt play.
The 90-day waiting period and what to do if you need to change sooner
Riot enforces a 90-day cooldown between username changes to prevent account takeovers and reduce spam. If you change your username today, you cannot change it again until 90 days have passed. The system will show you the exact date you can change it next.
If you need to change your username before 90 days have passed — for example, because the name you chose violates Riot's policy and you did not catch it before submitting — you cannot bypass the cooldown through the website. Your only option is to contact Riot Support through the support portal at support.riotgames.com. Explain your situation and ask whether they can reset the cooldown. Riot may grant exceptions for names that were flagged as policy violations, but they rarely override the cooldown for other reasons.
Usernames that Riot will reject or punish
Riot's naming policy prohibits usernames that contain slurs or hate speech in any language, impersonate Riot staff or professional players, consist entirely of numbers (like "123456"), or use special characters outside of hyphens and underscores. The system checks your name against a filter before you submit, so you will see an error message if your choice violates the policy.
If you successfully create a username that later violates the policy — for example, if a word becomes recognized as a slur after you chose it — Riot may force you to change it without waiting 90 days. They will notify you by email and give you a important date to pick a new name. If you do not change it by the important date, Riot will assign you a temporary username and you will need to contact support to choose a permanent one.
Changing your display name instead of your username
If you want to change how your name appears in-game to your friends and opponents, you are changing your display name, not your username. In Valorant this is called your "player card name". In League of Legends it is called your "summoner name". You can change your display name as often as you want without any waiting period.
To change your display name in Valorant, open the game, go to Settings, select "Account", and click "Edit Name". Type your new name and confirm. The change takes effect when ready. In League of Legends, log into the game client, click your profile icon, select "Edit Summoner Name", and follow the same steps. Display names have the same character restrictions as usernames (3 to 16 characters, letters, numbers, hyphens, underscores only) and are also subject to Riot's naming policy.
What to do if someone else is using your old username
Once you change your username, that old name becomes available for anyone else to claim. If you change your mind and want it back, you cannot reclaim it if someone else has already taken it. Riot does not hold old usernames in reserve or allow you to reclaim them after the 90-day cooldown expires.
If you are concerned about account security and changed your username because you thought your account was compromised, also change your password when ready at account.riotgames.com. If you believe someone has accessed your account without permission, contact Riot Support and describe what happened. They can review your account activity and help you find it.
Troubleshooting common username change problems
If the website says your chosen username is already taken, that name belongs to another account. Try a variation — add a number, use an underscore, or pick a different word. If the system rejects your name without saying it is taken, your name likely violates Riot's policy. Check for slurs, numbers at the start, or special characters outside hyphens and underscores.
If you cannot access the username change page, make sure you are logged into your Riot account at account.riotgames.com. If you are logged in but the page does not load, try a different browser or clear your browser cache. If the problem persists, contact Riot Support and describe what you see on the screen.
If you changed your username but it has not updated in-game after 10 minutes, restart your game client. The change should sync when ready after you log back in. If it still has not updated after restarting, wait another 30 minutes — sometimes the change takes longer to propagate across Riot's servers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change my username if my account is banned or suspended?
No. If your account is suspended or banned, you cannot access account settings or make any changes until the suspension or ban is lifted. If the ban is permanent, you cannot change your username on that account at all. You would need to create a new account.
Does changing my username affect my rank or MMR in Valorant or League?
No. Your rank, rating, and all competitive statistics stay exactly the same. Changing your username is purely cosmetic and does not reset or alter any game data.
What if I change my username and then want to change it back?
You can change it back, but you must wait 90 days from your first change before you can make a second change. If someone else claims your old username in the meantime, you cannot reclaim it.
Can I have different usernames for Valorant and League of Legends?
No. Your Riot username is shared across all Riot games on that account. When you change it, the change applies to Valorant, League of Legends, Teamfight Tactics, and any other Riot game you play on that account. Your display names (summoner name, player card name) can be different per game, but your login username is the same everywhere.
How do I know if my username change went through?
Log back into account.riotgames.com and check the Username field under Account Settings. If it shows your new username, the change is complete. You can also open Valorant or League and check your profile — your new username will appear there too.