Riot Games is testing a new launch flow for League of Legends that routes some players through the Riot Client before opening the game’s main client. A Riot employee confirmed the change affects a small percentage of players and is part of a broader plan tied to a future in-game client update.
The test means affected players now see Riot Client as their first stop when launching League. After opening Riot Client, they then launch into the League client from there. This adds an extra layer to what was previously a direct path from desktop icon to game client.
Riot explained the change serves multiple goals. The company wants to keep actual game clients lightweight and focused on gameplay while using Riot Client as the central hub for updates, events, esports coverage, and social features. The new flow also aims to create a simpler path for players to launch Teamfight Tactics, which currently runs through League‘s infrastructure on PC.
The test ties into Riot’s plans for what they describe as a “new in-game client experience” for League of Legends. No release timeline was provided for this updated client, but Riot indicated the launcher change is an early step in that direction.
Players in the test group have reported significant launch issues beyond just the extra click. Common complaints include needing multiple launch attempts before anything opens, encountering blank or black screens with only the friends list visible, and the League client failing to open after Riot Client closes.
Riot acknowledged these problems aren’t intended behavior. The company stressed that while routing through Riot Client first is the planned experience for test participants, the various launch failures and blank screens are bugs. Riot is asking affected players to submit bug reports as they work to fix these issues.
