Uninstalling League of Legends completely

To remove League of Legends from your computer, you need to uninstall both the game client and the Riot Client launcher that runs it. straightforward deleting the folder is not enough — leftover files and registry entries will remain. The full removal takes about five minutes and frees up roughly 15 to 20 gigabytes of storage space, depending on your system and whether you have installed additional content.

The process differs slightly between Windows and Mac, but both follow the same basic path: uninstall through your system's built-in removal tool, then delete any remaining files by hand.

Key Takeaways

  • On Windows, use Control Panel to uninstall League of Legends and the Riot Client separately, then delete the remaining Riot Games folder from your drive.
  • On Mac, drag the League of Legends and Riot Client applications to the Trash, then empty the Trash and remove the Riot Games folder from your Library.
  • Uninstalling through your system's removal tool is faster and cleaner than manually deleting folders, which often leaves behind configuration files.
  • After uninstalling, restart your computer to clear any remaining processes from memory.

Uninstalling on Windows

Open the Control Panel by typing "Control Panel" into the Windows search box and clicking the result. Select "Programs and Features" or "Add or Remove Programs" depending on your Windows version. Scroll down the list until you find "League of Legends" and click it once to select it. A button labeled "Uninstall" will appear — click it and follow the prompts to remove the game.

After League of Legends is gone, repeat the process for "Riot Client" in the same Programs and Features list. This removes the launcher that starts the game. Once both are uninstalled, open File Explorer and navigate to C:\Riot Games (or wherever you installed it). Delete the entire Riot Games folder. If you see a message saying the folder is in use, restart your computer and try again.

Uninstalling on Mac

Open Finder and go to the Applications folder. Look for "League of Legends" and "Riot Client" in the list. Click on League of Legends, then press Command+Delete or right-click and select "Move to Trash". Repeat for the Riot Client. Empty the Trash by right-clicking the Trash icon in the dock and selecting "Empty Trash".

Next, open Finder again and press Command+Shift+G to open the "Go to Folder" dialog. Type ~/Library/process Support and press Enter. Look for a folder named "Riot Games" and drag it to the Trash. Empty the Trash again. Restart your Mac to complete the removal.

Removing leftover files and cache

Even after uninstalling, your computer stores game settings and temporary files in hidden folders. On Windows, these are usually in C:\Users\[Your Username]\AppData\Local\Riot Games and C:\Users\[Your Username]\AppData\Roaming\Riot Games. You can delete these folders to remove all traces of the game, though it is not required for the game to stop running.

To see hidden folders on Windows, open File Explorer, click the "View" tab at the top, and check the box next to "Hidden items". On Mac, hidden files are harder to access through the normal Finder interface, but deleting the Library folder mentioned above removes the vast majority of leftover data.

What to do if uninstall fails

If the uninstall process stalls or gives an error, make sure League of Legends is completely closed. Check the taskbar or dock to confirm no Riot Client window is running. On Windows, you can also open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc), search for any process with "Riot" or "League" in the name, click it, and select "End Task". Then try uninstalling again.

If the uninstall still fails, restart your computer in Safe Mode (on Windows, hold Shift while restarting; on Mac, restart and hold Command+S) and attempt the uninstall from there. Safe Mode disables background processes that might be blocking the removal. After Safe Mode uninstall completes, restart normally and manually delete any remaining Riot Games folders.

Freeing up disk space after removal

After you delete League of Legends, your hard drive does not when ready show the freed space. On Windows, open File Explorer, right-click your main drive (usually C:), and select "Properties" to see how much space is now available. On Mac, click the Apple menu, select "About This Mac", and go to the "Storage" tab.

If you want to reclaim space faster, you can run Disk Cleanup on Windows (search for "Disk Cleanup" in the search box) or empty the Trash on Mac. These tools remove temporary files that accumulate over time. Neither is required, but both can give you back several gigabytes if you have not cleaned up in a while.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will uninstalling League of Legends delete my account?

No. Your account remains on Riot's servers and you can log back in and play anytime by reinstalling. Uninstalling only removes the game files from your computer, not your account data.

Do I have to uninstall the Riot Client if I am not playing any other Riot games?

Yes, if you only play League of Legends and no other Riot titles like Valorant or Teamfight Tactics, you should uninstall the Riot Client as well. It serves no purpose without a game to launch and takes up disk space and system memory.

What if I see a "file in use" error when deleting the Riot Games folder?

A background process is still running. Restart your computer completely, then try deleting the folder again. If the error persists, boot into Safe Mode and delete from there.

Can I just delete the League of Legends folder without using the uninstaller?

You can, but it is not recommended. The uninstaller removes registry entries on Windows and preference files on Mac that manual deletion misses. These leftover files take up space and can cause problems if you reinstall later.

How much storage space does League of Legends use?

The game typically uses 15 to 20 gigabytes depending on your region, graphics settings, and whether you have downloaded additional content. The exact amount shows in your Programs and Features list before you uninstall.