What is a Riot ID?
Riot ID? Summoner Name? Riot Account?! If you're feeling overwhelmed with some new terminology, don't worry. We're sure you're not alone. As we continue to push into our multi-game future, we want to make sure that your questions are answered and your confusion is cleared. That means it's time for a Riot ID FAQ.
So what is a Riot ID?
Riot IDs will be your in-game name (i.e. the one that everyone can see) in games like Legends of Runeterra, Project A, and Wild Rift, as well as future titles coming to Riot Games (and you!) Unlike your Riot Account username, these do show up-in game. Think of a Riot ID as the Summoner Name...of the future!
A Riot ID is comprised of two parts: your in-game name and a hashtag followed by three-to-five numbers or letters. The characters following the hashtag won't show up in-game, though it will show up on your friends list if you hover over a friend. This will let you have more flexibility when choosing an in-game name since neither the first part nor the hashtag needs to be unique so long as the combination is. That way, even when we move League of Legends over from Summoner Names to Riot IDs (more on that later), you won’t have to change your in-game name.
How do I change my Riot ID?
Currently, Riot IDs can be changed for free once every 30 days on your account page. Not only can you change your in-game name, but you’re also able to customize your tagline as well, which should make them much easier to remember.
Is Riot ID replacing my Summoner Name?
It isn't! At least, not yet. League of Legends is our baby. Our very big, very intricate baby. Switching from Summoner Names over to Riot IDs will take time. But the reality is that it's 2020, which means it's harder than ever to find a truly unique in-game name. Adding the tag at the end allows your name to be globally unique while still preserving the integrity of your long-existing Summoner Name.
Tl;dr
Making the switch to a hashtag system means you can grab pretty much whatever name you want in-game (within the bounds of taste and the rules, of course). Since neither your name nor the hashtag needs to be unique on its own, you'll have access to a wider pool of names!
To start, we’ve given everyone a Riot ID that’s their Summoner Name followed by a tagline (based on their region). If you're in North America, there's a chance you've already seen some of our preliminary tests for Riot IDs (covered in this article here). If you're participating in the Legends of Runeterra Beta, your current username there is already made up of your Riot ID!
If you change your Summoner Name, it will change your Riot ID too, as long as you haven’t changed your Riot ID yet. In other words, your Summoner Name and Riot ID will be linked until you change your Riot ID on the account page. Once you change it, they’re basically two separate in-game names. And then, once we switch Summoner Names to Riot IDs, you’ll keep your current Riot ID.
When will this replace Summoner Names?
Soon™! Can we say Soon™? No? We’re hearing “no” from the front office.
While we can't give an exact date, like we mentioned earlier, we recognize that a switch of this magnitude will take some time. We're hoping for sometime in 2021, but there are approximately a million things that could change that date, so stay tuned for more exact information. That said, because the Riot ID system is more flexible than the current Summoner Name system, you won’t actually lose your current name during this switch - you’ll just get a hashtag after it that only shows up outside of game.