League of Legends consistently pulls over 100 million players monthly even 15+ years after launch, making it one of the most-played PC games globally. Riot Games stopped publishing exact numbers years ago, which means most “official” stats you’ll find online are educated guesses at best.
This guide breaks down the actual player count data we have, what those numbers mean for matchmaking and game health, how League compares to other major titles, and why the “Is League dying?” debate keeps resurfacing despite strong population numbers.
How many people play League of Legends right now?
League of Legends maintains around 117-135 million monthly active users as of late 2024 and early 2025. This sits below the pandemic peak of roughly 180 million in 2022, but that higher number included the entire “League universe” – League PC, Teamfight Tactics, Wild Rift mobile, and Legends of Runeterra combined.
Riot Games doesn’t release frequent updates on exact player counts anymore. The last confirmed standalone figures showed 100 million monthly active users in 2016 and 8 million peak concurrent players in 2019. Everything since then comes from third-party estimates or occasional milestone announcements.
Monthly Active Users (MAU) counts unique players who log in at least once during a 30-day period. Peak Concurrent Users (PCU) measures how many players are online at the exact same moment. At any given time during prime hours, over 1 million players are online simultaneously across all regions, with daily peaks climbing much higher during major patch releases or esports events like Worlds.
China accounts for almost half of League’s total player base. Korea, Europe West, and North America make up most of the remainder, though regional server splits make it nearly impossible to get a perfect global count without Riot’s internal data.
Here are the Top 5 regions that hold the biggest LoL player base:
| Region | % of Global Player Base | Est. MAU Range |
| 1. China (CN) | 40–45% | 70+M |
| 2. South Korea (KR) | 12–15% | 20+M |
| 3. Europe (EUW/EUNE) | 15–18% | 15+M |
| 4. North America (NA) | 8–10% | 15+M |
| 5. Brazil (BR) | 6–8% | 6–9M |
What League of Legends player count actually means
The term “player count” gets thrown around a lot, but it means different things depending on who’s talking. Monthly Active Users (MAU) tracks unique players who log in at least once during a 30-day period, including everyone from hardcore ranked grinders to casual ARAM players who hop on once a week.
Daily Active Users (DAU) counts players logging in each day. League’s DAU typically sits around 10-11 million according to some sources, however, other sources suggest higher numbers like 30-40 million, though Riot hasn’t updated this publicly in over a decade.
Peak Concurrent Users (PCU) shows the maximum number of players online at the exact same moment. This number spikes during new champion releases, major patches, or when big esports tournaments drive interest back to the game.
Different metrics paint different pictures. High MAU with low DAU might suggest players check in occasionally but don’t stick around. League maintains strong numbers across all three, which indicates consistent engagement rather than just curiosity logins.
League of Legends player count over the years
League’s growth follows a clear arc from competitive niche game to global phenomenon:
- 2011: 11.5 million active players, still building momentum two years after the 2009 launch
- 2014: 65 million MAU, 27 million DAU, 7.5 million PCU during the explosive growth phase
- 2017: 100 million MAU confirmed by Riot as the game hit mainstream success
- 2019: 117 million MAU reported, showing sustained high engagement
- 2021: 149 million “League universe” MAU during the pandemic-era peak across all titles
- 2024-2025: 117-135 million estimated MAU after post-pandemic stabilization
The 2020-2021 spike makes sense when you think about it. Lockdowns pushed people toward online games, and League already had robust infrastructure and regular content updates ready to absorb the influx. The decline back to 117-135 million isn’t a collapse – it’s a return to pre-pandemic trends with natural player churn factored in.
Riot stopped publishing frequent player count updates after 2016, likely because investors and competitors pay close attention. When you’re already the biggest PC game in the world, there’s less incentive to keep proving it publicly every quarter.
How League stacks up against other games
League remains one of the most-played PC games globally, though direct comparisons get tricky since different games use different metrics. Here’s how the numbers look:
- League of Legends: 117-135 million MAU (estimated 2024-2025, PC only)
- Fortnite: 80+ million MAU across all platforms as of June 2020
- Minecraft: 190+ million MAU (includes console, mobile, PC)
- Counter-Strike 2: 25+ million MAU in 2025
- Valorant: 20-25 million MAU (estimated)
League dominates the PC-exclusive competitive space. Cross-platform titles like Fortnite and Minecraft pull bigger total numbers by including console and mobile players, but among games focused primarily on PC, League sits at the top alongside CS2.
The esports viewership tells another story. League’s 2023 World Championship pulled over 6.4 million peak concurrent viewers, dwarfing most other games’ competitive scenes. That kind of engagement matters for long-term health since esports drives interest back into the game itself.
Why player count numbers vary so much
You’ll find wildly different League player counts depending on where you look. Some sites claim 150 million, others say 90 million, and a few show real-time counters that update every 30 seconds. Here’s why the confusion exists:
- Different metrics mixed up: Sites confuse MAU, DAU, and PCU without clarifying which they’re actually tracking
- Regional server splits: Tencent runs League in China through a different system, making unified counts nearly impossible
- Third-party estimates: Tracking sites use API data, player surveys, or pure guesswork since Riot doesn’t share official numbers
- “League universe” vs PC only: That 180 million figure includes TFT, Wild Rift, and LoR, not just the main game
Third-party trackers can access some regional data through Riot’s API, but they can’t see China’s numbers or accounts set to private. They fill in gaps with statistical modeling, which introduces error margins that can swing by tens of millions. Some sites inflate numbers to drive traffic or appear more authoritative than they actually are.
NOTE: If a site claims to show “live” League player counts updating in real-time, they’re making educated guesses at best. Riot doesn’t provide that level of public access to server populations.
The most reliable numbers come from Riot’s official announcements, though those arrive infrequently. Everything else sits somewhere between “reasonable estimate” and “complete fabrication.”
What the player count means for you
A massive player base directly impacts your daily League experience in ways you might not think about. Matchmaking finds games faster when millions of players are queuing simultaneously, especially for less popular modes or off-peak hours. You’re not sitting in queue for 10+ minutes hoping anyone else wants to play Twisted Treeline at 3 AM.
High player counts also mean more diverse skill levels in ranked. You’re more likely to get matched with players near your actual MMR rather than getting thrown into wildly unbalanced games because the system can’t find anyone else within reasonable range.
The in-game economy thrives on population size too. Skin sales fund ongoing development, which means regular champion releases, balance patches, and new game modes. League’s consistent player numbers let Riot invest in long-term projects like the MMO they’re currently developing. Without that revenue stream, you’d see slower updates and less ambitious content.
Esports viewership and player count feed each other in a cycle. Big tournaments drive interest from casual viewers who then try the game, while active players tune in to watch pros play champions they’re learning. This keeps League culturally relevant even 15+ years after launch.
Is League dying or still thriving?
The “Is League dead?” debate pops up on Reddit and Twitter constantly, usually after a controversial patch or when another hyped game launches. League’s not dying – it’s just not growing at the explosive rate it did between 2011-2016.
Player count fluctuations happen for predictable reasons. Broken champions or unfun metas drive temporary drops. New champion releases bring back lapsed players who want to try the latest kit. Esports events like Worlds and MSI spike interest and daily logins. Competing game launches like Valorant or Elden Ring temporarily pull players away. Seasonal patterns matter too – summer and holiday breaks boost numbers while exam periods drop them.
One Reddit user on r/leagueoflegends summed it up perfectly: “League will never die, it just takes a nap between metas.” The game’s core loop remains engaging enough that players return even after extended breaks.
Compare League to actual dying games. Titles that can’t fill lobbies, where matchmaking takes 10+ minutes, or where developers stopped releasing updates. League gets major patches every two weeks, new champions quarterly, and massive seasonal updates. That’s not what a dying game looks like.
The 117-135 million MAU range represents stabilization, not collapse. Games don’t grow infinitely – they eventually plateau at their natural audience size based on genre appeal and market saturation. League reached that point and maintains it through consistent content and competitive integrity.
Where to check League player statistics
Riot’s official channels provide the most accurate information, though updates arrive infrequently. The League of Legends Dev Blog occasionally shares player count milestones during major announcements or anniversary posts. You won’t find quarterly reports anymore, but you’ll catch the big numbers when Riot wants to celebrate achievements.
Third-party sites like ActivePlayer.io offer estimates based on API data and statistical modeling. The numbers work fine for spotting general trends – like whether the game’s growing or shrinking month-to-month – but you can’t treat them as exact figures. Different sites show different numbers because they’re all working from incomplete data.
Reddit’s r/leagueoflegends community discusses player count trends regularly, often pulling data from multiple sources and comparing them. The subreddit’s huge pool of members represent a tiny fraction of the actual player base but provide useful community perspective on whether the game feels more or less populated than previous seasons.
NOTE: Steam Charts won’t help here since League doesn’t run through Steam. The game uses Riot’s proprietary launcher, which means no public Steam concurrent player tracking like you’d see for Dota 2 or CS2.
League accounts and progression in 2026
League’s longevity means some accounts carry years of exclusive content – limited skins, vintage icons, and ranked borders from past seasons. New players starting in 2026 face a massive content library of 160+ champions but also miss out on time-limited cosmetics that haven’t been available for years.
Account progression hasn’t changed much over the years. You level up through experience, unlock champions with Blue Essence or RP, and climb ranked ladders across multiple queues. The barrier to entry for ranked play requires reaching level 30 and owning at least 20 champions, which takes a fair amount of grinding for brand new accounts.
Some players prefer buying established accounts rather than grinding through the leveling process again, especially if they’re creating smurfs or returning after years away. Eldorado.gg offers League accounts with various levels and champion pools if you want to skip the early grind and jump straight into ranked or access specific champion collections.
The player count staying strong means your account retains value over time. A healthy population keeps the ranked ladder competitive and makes rare skins more prestigious since new players can’t obtain them through normal means.
