Riot Games Announces Transition from Summoner Names to Riot IDs
In a major announcement, Riot Games revealed its plans to phase out the usage of "Summoner Names" and shift all players exclusively to "Riot IDs" starting on November 20, 2023. This significant change is aimed at creating a more unified experience across all of Riot's games and aligning with the evolving lore of Runeterra, League of Legends, and Summoner's Rift.
The decision to make this transition stems from the shifting narrative in the world of League of Legends. In the game's early days, players were referred to as Summoners, responsible for bringing the original roster of Champions to the Rift. Over time, this concept became outdated, and the focus shifted to the Champions themselves rather than the Summoners. While the word "Summoner" still appears in some places within the game, it no longer aligns with the lore or the player experience.
Riot Games aims to bring greater consistency to the gaming experience across its titles and streamline the technical aspects of player names with this update. Importantly, players do not need to take any action themselves, as Riot IDs have already been assigned to all players who have previously played a Riot Game.
Riot Games Announces Transition from Summoner Names to Riot IDs
With the transition to Riot IDs, Riot Games is also introducing changes to the frequency at which players can change their names for free. Players will receive one free name change every 365 days. If players wish to change their names more frequently, a fee will apply, similar to the existing Summoner Name system.
The decision to implement a 365-day cooldown for free name changes was made to ensure that players' chosen identities in the game carry weight and to avoid disruptions caused by frequent name changes on friends lists.
Players will have the opportunity to change their names for free immediately after the transition to Riot IDs on November 20. Additional name changes can be purchased on the accounts page for approximately $10 USD in in-game currency, which will initially support Riot Points and Legends of Runeterra Coins. Other Riot titles, such as VALORANT, Wild Rift, and TFT, will have pathways for name changes using their respective currencies in the future.
Source: Riot Games