Is League of Legends dying in 2026?

Is League of Legends dying? The question has been asked for several years already and the answer is… No, it hasn’t. While the game has gone through ups and downs in the past years, and many players of the old guard are no longer here, the reality is that League of Legends is still one of the most popular games in the world and has one of the greatest esports scenes.

Is League of Legends dying?

Part of the reason this question keeps coming up is that every long-running multiplayer game faces the same criticism. Over the years, players have voiced frustration about several aspects of the game, either related to the balancing itself or the lack of enjoyment. This often makes people think the game is fading, when the numbers don’t seem to back that statement.

While it’s unquestionable that the game hasn’t been growing massively in terms of its player base over the past few years, the average remains substantial. According to activeplayer.io, League of Legends continues to have more than 30 million players on average every month, with over 150 million registered players.

The average daily number of players is also around 6.5 million, which is four times more than Counter-Strike 2’s player base and still higher than the number from Riot Games’ other flagship title, VALORANT.

Is League of Legends still popular? Riot’s attempt to make LoL great again

Even though the game continues to live on thanks to a deeply established community, Riot Games has also realized that the game needs more people and new players.

Over the past years, the game devs have been working on adding new features, such as WASD controls and even looking to add voice chat, to make the game more appealing to those who have never touched the game. Moreover, Riot has been working on developing a new client, nicknamed League Next, which is expected to be released sometime in 2027.

In other words, League of Legends is not dying, but it is evolving. Just like most games, the game needs to match what the player base wants if it wants to survive. While it may not be as exciting as it once was, especially for seasoned players, it remains one of the most important titles in the gaming industry and is vital to the esports scene.

FAQ

Is League of Legends still popular?

Yes. League of Legends remains one of the most-played PC games in the world and still has a strong global player base, counting over 150 million players annually.

How many players does League of Legends have?

Exact numbers vary depending on the source and time period, but League is generally estimated to have around 30 million active players every month, with peaks usually between September and January.

Why do people say League of Legends is dying?

Usually, players feel like the game is dying due to frustration with the game and burnout built over time. While some move on, there is still a large majority of players that come back, and Riot has been looking to attract more with better features and in-game experience.