The basic process: change it once per year through your account settings

You change your Riot Games username through the account settings on the Riot Games website, not inside League of Legends, Valorant, or any other game client. Go to account.riotgames.com, sign in, and look for the "Username" section — it's usually near the top of your account details. Click the pencil icon or "Change" button next to your current name, type your new username, and confirm the change.

Riot allows you to change your username once every 90 days. If you changed it recently, you'll see a countdown timer showing when you're may be able to access to change it again. The new name takes effect when ready in your account, but it may take a few minutes to update across all Riot games and the client.

Your username is different from your summoner name in League of Legends or your agent name in Valorant. Changing your Riot username updates your account identity across all Riot games at once, but your in-game summoner or agent name stays the same unless you change that separately through each game's settings.

Key Takeaways

  • Change your Riot username at account.riotgames.com under account settings, not inside any game client.
  • You can change your username once every 90 days, and the change takes effect when ready.
  • Your Riot username is separate from your summoner name in League of Legends or agent name in Valorant, and changing one does not change the other.
  • Usernames must be between 3 and 16 characters, contain only letters, numbers, hyphens, and underscores, and cannot be profane or impersonate Riot staff.
  • If your username change fails, check that you're not on cooldown, that the name isn't already taken, and that it meets Riot's content policy.

Username rules and what Riot will reject

Riot has specific rules about what a username can contain. Your username must be between 3 and 16 characters long and can only use letters (a–z, A–Z), numbers (0–9), hyphens (-), and underscores (_). Spaces are not allowed. If you try to use special characters like @, #, $, or periods, the system will reject the change and ask you to pick a different name.

Riot also blocks usernames that are profane, that impersonate Riot staff or famous players, or that violate their content policy. If you submit a name and get an error message saying it's unavailable or violates the policy, try a different combination. The system doesn't always explain why a name was rejected, but usually it's because the exact name is already taken by another account, or it contains language Riot doesn't allow.

What to do if your change fails or won't go through

If you click "Change" and nothing happens, or you get an error message, check three things first. One: make sure you're not on cooldown — if you changed your username fewer than 90 days ago, you'll have to wait. Two: confirm the new name isn't already taken by another player. Three: verify the name follows Riot's rules (3–16 characters, letters and numbers only, no spaces or special characters).

If you've waited 90 days, the name is available, and it follows the rules but the change still fails, try clearing your browser cache and signing out and back in. If that doesn't work, contact Riot Support through the support portal at support.riotgames.com. Have your account name and the username you're trying to change to ready when you reach out.

The difference between your Riot username and your in-game name

Your Riot username is your account identity across all Riot games — it's what appears on your account page and in your profile. Your summoner name (in League of Legends) or agent name (in Valorant) is what other players see in the game itself. These are separate, and changing one does not change the other.

If you want to change your summoner name in League of Legends, you do that inside the League client by purchasing a name change token with Riot Points (the premium currency). Valorant handles agent names differently — your agent name is tied to your account and can be changed through Valorant's settings. Changing your Riot username will not affect either of these in-game names, so you may need to change them separately if you want your identity consistent across all your games.

How long the change takes to show up everywhere

Your new Riot username is active on your account when ready after you confirm the change on the website. However, it can take a few minutes to a few hours to show up everywhere — in the Riot client, in League of Legends, in Valorant, and on your profile page. If you log out and back in, the update usually appears faster.

In rare cases, the change may take up to 24 hours to sync across all services. If your new username still hasn't appeared after a full day, sign out of the Riot client completely, restart your computer, and sign back in. If it's still not showing, contact Riot Support with your account details.

Changing your username if you've been inactive or locked out

If you haven't logged into your Riot account in a long time, you can still change your username — just sign in at account.riotgames.com with your email and password (or through your connected social account if you linked one). The 90-day cooldown applies whether your account has been active or not, so if you changed your username before going inactive, you'll still have to wait until the cooldown expires.

If you can't remember your password or can't access the email address tied to your account, go to the Riot Games sign-in page and click "Trouble signing in?" You can recover your account by answering security questions or verifying your identity through a recovery email. Once you regain access, you can change your username normally through account settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my username more than once every 90 days?

No. Riot enforces a 90-day cooldown between username changes. You can see exactly when you're may be able to access to change again by checking your account settings — it will show a countdown if you're still on cooldown. This limit applies to all accounts, regardless of how long you've been playing.

What happens to my old username after I change it?

Your old username becomes available for other players to claim after you change it. Riot does not reserve old usernames, so if you want to switch back later, you'll have to wait 90 days and then hope no one else has taken it in the meantime. Choose a new username you're comfortable keeping for a while.

Does changing my Riot username affect my rank or match history?

No. Your rank, match history, and all game progress stay exactly the same. Changing your username is purely cosmetic — it only changes how your account is displayed, not any of your in-game data or statistics.

Can I use spaces or special characters in my username?

No. Riot usernames can only contain letters (a–z, A–Z), numbers (0–9), hyphens (-), and underscores (_). Spaces, periods, @, #, and other special characters are not allowed and will cause the change to fail.

What if someone else has already taken the username I want?

You'll get an error message saying the username is unavailable. Try a variation — add a number, use an underscore or hyphen, or pick a different name altogether. If a specific name is important to you, you could try reaching out to that player, but Riot does not force name changes or help transfer usernames between accounts.