You can change your Riot Games username once per year for free through your account settings

Your Riot Games username is the name that appears in League of Legends, Valorant, and other Riot games. To change it, you log into your Riot account on the official website, navigate to your account settings, and use the username change tool. The process takes about five minutes and costs nothing if you have not changed your name in the past year. If you have already used your one free change, you can buy additional changes for 1,300 Riot Points each.

The username change tool does not let you pick a name that is already taken, contains certain banned words, or violates Riot's naming policy. If your desired name is unavailable, you will need to choose something different. Your old username becomes available for other players to claim after you change it.

Key Takeaways

  • You get one free username change per year; additional changes cost 1,300 Riot Points each.
  • Log into your Riot account at account.riotgames.com and go to the Username section under account settings.
  • Your new username must be between 3 and 16 characters, contain only letters, numbers, and underscores, and cannot match a banned word list.
  • After you change your username, your old name becomes available for other players within a few minutes.

Step 1: Go to your Riot account page and sign in

Open your web browser and go to account.riotgames.com. Click the Sign In button in the top right corner. Enter the email address or username you use to log into your Riot account, then enter your password. If you have two-factor authentication turned on, you will be asked to enter a code from your phone or email.

Once you are signed in, you will see your account dashboard. Look for the left sidebar menu — this is where you will find the account settings options.

Step 2: Find the Username section in account settings

In the left sidebar, click on Account. This opens a page with several options including Email, Password, and Username. Click on the Username section. You will see your current username displayed, along with information about when you last changed it.

Below your current username, you will see a button that says Change Username (or Get a New Username if you have never changed it before). Click this button to open the username change tool.

Step 3: Enter your new username and check availability

A text box will appear where you can type your new username. Keep these rules in mind: your username must be between 3 and 16 characters long, can only contain letters (a–z), numbers (0–9), and underscores (_), and cannot start with a number. Spaces are not allowed.

As you type, the tool will tell you whether the name is available. If you see a green checkmark, the name is yours to claim. If you see a red X or a message saying the name is taken or violates the naming policy, you will need to try a different name. Common reasons a name is rejected include: it is already in use, it contains a banned word, or it looks too similar to an existing name.

Step 4: Confirm the change and wait for it to take effect

Once you have chosen an available username, click the Confirm or Change Username button. The system will ask you to confirm that you want to make this change. Read the message carefully — it will tell you whether this change is free or will cost Riot Points.

If this is your first change in the past year, it will be free. Click Confirm to complete the change. Your new username will take effect within a few minutes. You may need to log out and log back in to see the change reflected in your games, or you may need to restart the game client entirely.

What happens if you have already used your free change

Riot Games allows one free username change per year. The year resets on the anniversary of your last change, not on January 1st. If you have already changed your username once this year and want to change it again, you will need to pay 1,300 Riot Points.

To check when your next free change becomes available, go back to the Username section in your account settings. It will show you the date you last changed your username and when you become may be able to access for another free change. If you do not want to wait or do not want to spend Riot Points, you can keep your current username until the year has passed.

Troubleshooting common problems

If the Change Username button does not appear, you may be looking at the wrong account. Make sure you are signed into the Riot account that plays your games, not a different account. If you see a message saying you cannot change your username, check whether your account has any restrictions — accounts that have been suspended or banned cannot change their username until the restriction is lifted.

If your desired username is rejected and you are not sure why, try a completely different name to test whether the tool is working. If other names are also rejected, the problem may be temporary server issues. Wait a few minutes and try again. If the problem continues, you can contact Riot Support through the Help section of your account page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my username back to my old one?

Yes, but only if no one else has claimed it. After you change your username, your old name becomes available for other players. If someone else has taken it, you cannot use it again unless that player changes their name first. You can always try to reclaim it, but there is no may provide it will still be available.

Does changing my username affect my rank or game progress?

No. Your rank, level, skins, and all other progress stay exactly the same. Only the name displayed above your character changes. Your account history and statistics remain linked to your account regardless of what name you choose.

What if I see a message saying my username violates the naming policy?

Riot has a list of words and phrases that cannot be used in usernames. These include profanity, slurs, and references to real people or organizations. If your chosen name is rejected, pick a different name that does not contain any of these terms. The tool will not tell you exactly which word is banned, so you may need to try variations.

How long does it take for my new username to show up in games?

Usually a few minutes. If you are still seeing your old name after 10 minutes, try restarting the game client or logging out and logging back in. In rare cases, it can take up to an hour for the change to sync across all Riot games.

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

No. You must change your username through the Riot account website at account.riotgames.com. The game client and mobile apps do not have a username change tool. You need a web browser and access to your account email to make the change.