History of League of Legends in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: July 15, 2026

League of Legends is a globally prominent multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game developed and published by Riot Games. In each match, two teams of five players control unique characters known as 'champions,' each possessing distinct abilities and roles. The primary objective is to destroy the opposing team's 'Nexus,' a critical structure located within their fortified base. To achieve this, players must navigate a map, defeat minions, destroy defensive turrets, and gain gold to purchase items that enhance their champion's power. Beyond the core gameplay, the title features a deep lore ecosystem and a highly competitive professional esports scene that attracts millions of viewers worldwide. Since its release in 2009, it has remained a cornerstone of modern gaming, renowned for its strategic complexity, constant balance updates, and extensive community-driven content.

2007: League of Legends GDC Demonstration

In 2007, a demonstration of League of Legends, which was built using the Warcraft III game engine, was showcased at the Game Developers Conference. During this event, founders Beck and Merill faced difficulty securing investors, as publishers were skeptical of the free-to-play model and the absence of a single-player mode.

October 7, 2008: Announcement of League of Legends

On October 7, 2008, Riot Games officially announced the development of League of Legends for the Microsoft Windows platform.

2008: Tencent and Riot Games Partnership

In 2008, Riot Games successfully entered into a strategic agreement with the holding company Tencent to manage and oversee the official launch of League of Legends within the Chinese market.

April 2009: Commencement of Closed Beta-Testing

In April 2009, the closed beta-testing phase for League of Legends began, featuring an initial roster of 17 playable champions.

October 2009: Official Release of League of Legends

In October 2009, Riot Games officially released League of Legends, a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game inspired by the Warcraft III custom map Defense of the Ancients, marking the beginning of the title's history as a free-to-play service.

October 27, 2009: Full Release in North America

League of Legends officially launched in North America on October 27, 2009, featuring a roster of 40 champions, double the amount Riot initially intended to include at launch.

2013: Launch of Mac Version

While initially restricted to the Microsoft Windows platform at launch, the accessibility of League of Legends was broadened in 2013 with the official release of a dedicated Mac version.

September 2014: Riot Games Reboots League of Legends Lore

In September 2014, Riot Games officially rebooted the fictional lore of League of Legends by removing the concept of summoners to prevent creative limitations. This major shift replaced the Fields of Justice with a new world-building foundation called Runeterra, which incorporates diverse genre elements to facilitate the expansion of the franchise into other media.

2014: Ultra Rapid Fire (URF) Mode Launch

In 2014, Riot Games introduced the Ultra Rapid Fire (URF) game mode as an April Fools' Day prank, which featured significantly reduced cooldowns and resource costs for champions over a two-week period.

2014: Standardization of League of Legends Patch Cadence

In 2014, Riot Games officially standardized the patch update schedule for League of Legends, establishing a recurring release cadence of approximately every two to three weeks to manage game balance and metagame evolution.

2014: Ubisoft Analyst Report on Player Spending

In 2014, an analyst from Ubisoft estimated that only 4% of the League of Legends player base were paying customers, noting that this figure was below industry standards and suggesting the company prioritized player volume over aggressive revenue optimization.

2014: Shift in Narrative and Lore Representation

In 2014, the game moved away from the concept of players acting as "Summoners" who controlled champions within the in-universe Fields of Justice to resolve political conflicts, signaling a major transition in the game's established lore and narrative framework.

April 2015: Riot Games Explains Absence of URF Mode

During April 2015, Riot Games officially disclosed that the URF mode would not be returning to League of Legends due to concerns regarding player burnout caused by its unbalanced design and the high operational costs required to maintain it.

2016: SuperData Revenue Analysis

A 2016 market analysis conducted by SuperData estimated that League of Legends was generating approximately $150 million in revenue on a monthly basis.

2016: Expansion of the Riot Games Music Team

In 2016, the audio production capabilities of Riot Games were expanded, with the music department employing four full-time composers and a dedicated team of producers to craft soundscapes for the game and its marketing assets.

2016: Introduction of Hextech Chests

The loot box system known as hextech chests was originally introduced to the game in 2016, providing players with random cosmetic items for a purchase.

June 2019: Release of Teamfight Tactics

In June 2019, Riot Games released the auto battler game Teamfight Tactics, a strategic title where players build teams to fight automatically, which subsequently became a permanent game mode.

2019: 2019 League of Legends World Championship Success

During the 2019 League of Legends World Championship, the event achieved massive global success, recording over 100 million unique viewers and reaching a peak concurrent viewership of 44 million during the final match in 2019.

2019: League of Legends Peak Concurrent Player Milestone

In 2019, the popular video game League of Legends reached a significant milestone by consistently peaking at eight million concurrent players worldwide.

2020: Original Development of Vanguard

In 2020, Riot Games originally developed and released the kernel-level anti-cheat software Vanguard for their tactical shooter title, Valorant.

May 2023: Deployment of Vanguard Anti-Cheat

In May 2023, Riot Games implemented its custom always-online anti-cheat software, Vanguard, into League of Legends for Windows users, sparking some controversy regarding kernel-level access and reports of device issues.

2023: Implementation of Gacha Mechanics in Teamfight Tactics

Beginning in 2023, Riot Games started utilizing gacha-style mechanics within their title Teamfight Tactics. This approach, which involves random acquisition methods for specific in-game items, set a precedent that would later be expanded upon with the introduction of luxury-tier skins in 2024.

November 2024: Player Rewards Streamlining Controversy

In November 2024, the studio announced plans to simplify player progression and currency systems, but the move triggered significant backlash when a viral Reddit post revealed that free-to-play players would need to grind for over 800 hours to unlock one champion.

2024: Pu Liu Discusses Revenue Generation at Summer Game Fest

During the 2024 Summer Game Fest, game director Pu Liu confirmed that the majority of revenue for League of Legends is derived from a small portion of the player base, often referred to as whales, which accounts for a single-digit percentage of the total active users.

2024: Introduction of Luxury Skin Tier

In 2024, Riot Games introduced a new, high-cost luxury tier for skins in League of Legends, which relies on a random chance mechanism similar to slot machines rather than direct purchase. Players can spend between $200 and $430 to acquire these items, a pricing and distribution model that sparked significant debate and criticism within the community regarding their value and design.

January 2025: Game Director Apology and Reversal of Changes

In mid-January 2025, game director Andrei van Room apologized for the previous update, citing a calculation error regarding experience bonuses. The studio subsequently partially reverted the changes, halving champion costs and reinstating the hextech chests system.

December 2025: Announcement of League Next update

In December 2025, Bloomberg News revealed plans for a significant update to League of Legends known as "League Next." In response, the game's development team confirmed intentions to overhaul the client, enhance new user onboarding, and update game visuals to improve accessibility for beginners.

2025: Champion Roster Expansion and Maintenance

As of 2025, League of Legends features a total of 173 playable champions, with Riot Games continuing to conduct periodic visual and gameplay updates for the oldest characters in the game.

2025: Riot Games Announces New High-Tier Skin

In early 2025, Riot Games announced a new skin for League of Legends that had been long requested by the player base, further fueling ongoing debates regarding the company's monetization strategies.

2026: Transition to Unreal Engine

During mid-2026, Teamfight Tactics is scheduled to undergo a significant technical transition as the game's engine is updated to Unreal Engine to coincide with the premiere of its 18th set.