League of Legends SEA Migration - Important Dates & FAQ (Southeast Asia)

Major Updates!

We have updated this page to address various issues and announce new features as they become available, so be sure to take another look even if you've already been here before.

Event Dates
(UTC +8 // SEA)
Account Linking Begins 11/18
Progression Freeze 1/4–1/5
Riot Server Launch 1/6
New Ranked Season 1/12 
Welcome Event 1/13

If you haven't already heard the news, League of Legends (League) and Teamfight Tactics (TFT) will now be published by Riot Games in Southeast Asia!

As part of the transition, we're launching new Riot Games League and TFT servers for you all to join once Garena's servers cease operations on January 6th, 2023 (UTC+8). These new Riot-hosted servers will not only enable you to get support directly from us in Riot Games supported languages, but will also open the door to the same in-game events and cross-franchise campaigns already available in the rest of the world. Welcome to the party!

But as hyped as we are to greet you with a suite of welcome events and rewards, we're sure you have some questions about what this means for your existing League/TFT accounts and your experience in those games going forward. Including…

How do I keep my Garena League/TFT account progress and content?

Great question! But before we get too deep, let's cover two key terms you're going to see a lot of:

Account Linking - Connecting your Garena League/TFT Account to your Riot Account. We've made a guide to help lead you through the account-linking process, but this step must be completed if you want to participate in the data migration process. 

Data Migration - The actual transfer of the League/TFT game data from your Garena Account to your Riot Account. Curious what happens to duplicate content, or which account is prioritized? Check out our Migration Guide!

As you might've guessed, the first step to preserving your hard-earned League content is to link your Garena League/TFT Account to a Riot Account. After that, you'll be able to sit back and wait for the data migration, assured that your progress and purchases will continue to track—at least up until the progression freeze, which we cover below!

Following the progression freeze, Garena's League/TFT servers will shut down for good—but don't worry if you're late to the party! You'll still be able to link and migrate your Garena League/TFT data even after the Garena servers are no longer active, setting the stage for you to continue your gaming journey with us at Riot (which includes a fresh start with the 2023 Ranked season!).

Now, let's take a look at the timeline.

Important Dates

The Rift wasn't coded in a day, and neither was the framework for this transition. That's why we're giving you several weeks to make the preparations needed for a smooth hand-off.

November 18th, 2022, 10am (UTC+8) - 
Account Linking Begins

Where to play League/TFT in SEA: Garena Client
What's happening: Account Linking has begun!

Starting this November 18th, 2022, you'll be able to start linking your Garena League/TFT Account(s) to your Riot Account(s). However, you'll still only be able to play both games on the Garena Client while we are doing the finishing touches for our League Riot Client. Don't have a Riot Account yet? Don't sweat it! You can make one at any time. 

For a step-by-step guide on linking, hop onto our SEA Account Linking FAQ. If you're curious about exactly how certain duplicate or differing items/progress will be handled, check out our Migration Guide.

If you're keen on interrupting your playtime as little as possible, we recommend linking your accounts as soon as you can. But don't worry if you simply cannot find the time, as account linking will continue after the migration.

January 4th–5th, 2023 (UTC+8) - 
Progression Freeze 

Where to play League/TFT in SEA: Garena Client (PROGRESS NOT TRACKED) 
What's happening: SEA Garena League server progression/content will NOT BE TRACKED and the Store will be shut down while we prepare for the migration. 

We repeat: NO ACCOUNT PROGRESS WILL BE TRACKED AND THE STORE WILL BE CLOSED DURING THIS PERIOD!

Seriously, A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G that you do with your account during this time—whether it's climbing through ranked or unlocking steps on an event pass—will NOT be tracked and won't come with you to Riot's servers. 

We realize this is a heckuva long time, but consider this progression freeze the cost of ensuring the transfer of years of play time.

If you wish to say your last goodbyes to the Garena client, this will be your last opportunity. 

January 6th, 2023 (UTC+8) - 
Riot SEA Servers Live

Where to play League/TFT in SEA:  🎉Riot Client🎉
What's happening: From here on out, all SEA League players will be playing on Riot Client! 

This will mark the first of many days we hope you'll join us on the Riot Client.

Your account migration will become official the first time that you log into League through Riot Client. In fact, Riot Client will be your one-stop shop for League, TFT, VALORANT, and LoR going forward. You can even link your account there, and will still be able to link your accounts in-client and on League Link following the migration.

It's the dawn of a brand new day!

As a quick note: Your Monsters Attack! TFT season rank will join you in the transfer, so you'll be able to leap back into the Convergence without missing a step.

January 12th, 2023 (UTC+8) - 
2023 Ranked Season 

Where to play League/TFT in SEA:  Riot Client
What's happening: A new ranked season begins with patch 13.1, along with the ranked reset and re-calibration.

This is when your new League Ranked season will start, and also marks the first day that you'll be able to play League Ranked on our servers! You'll have to play a few games to complete your start-of-season placements, but once that's done, it'll be business as usual.

gold_page_breaker.png

Non-SEA League or TFT Data Updates

non-sea-error-gray-EN.png

When account linking was first enabled, many players ran into the error shown above. Some never completed linking as a result, while others linked to an account they would have preferred not to. We've since created a few ways for all players to either continue their linking journey with the correct Riot Account or have a post-migration plan.

Riot/Garena Account Unlinking No Longer Available

Account unlinking has been removed as of until January 4th, 2023 (UTC+8).

Post-Migration Server Transfer

Non-SEA Riot Accounts can transfer to the SEA servers at any time for the standard 2600 RP fee. We recommend this option if you live in SEA but have a non-SEA Riot Account with League/TFT progress or content you would like to preserve. After your Riot Account has been transferred to SEA, you will have the option of continuing to play that account as-is locally or linking it to your Garena League Account. But remember—if you choose the latter option, some of your data/progress may be overwritten/combined per our Migration Guide. For more information about this transfer, check the bottom of our Account Linking Guide.

Link NOW, But Delete Riot Account League/TFT Data

If the Non-SEA Riot Games League/TFT Account you're attempting to link has League/TFT data you don't care about, you can link to your Garena Account immediately by selecting Clear This Riot Account's Data while linking on League Link. But be forewarned: this will permanently delete your linked Riot Account's League/TFT Data, and cannot be reversed. Do not choose this option unless you are absolutely sure you don't need/want to preserve your Riot Account League/TFT Data and are okay with keeping only your Garena Account League/TFT Data.

Create a New Riot Account and Link Now

If you don't mind having your Riot Games progress live across two or more different accounts, you can create a new Riot Account to receive your Garena progress.

Account Linking FAQs

Help! I can't link my Garena Account!

If you're getting stuck at an error regarding non-SEA data on your Riot Account, check here for a quick guide on what to do. If that doesn't address your concern, write a ticket to our player support and we'll get you sorted!

How can I just transfer my Garena League/TFT Account over to the new Riot server?
You'll need a new Riot Account or a Riot Account without any League or TFT data/login history to properly receive all the content. Thankfully, they're free and easy to make! Just follow our account linking guide and you'll be set in no time.
I mistakenly transferred my account, how do I return to my original server?
This transfer is permanent and we are unable to manually move you back to your original server. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Will ALL of my Garena League/TFT data be transferred to my Riot Account, or just some of it? What are the exceptions?
We're looking to help players retain key account content like emotes, skins, champions, and in-game currency through the migration process. Some of these items include but are not limited to:

Cosmetic Content: Don't worry, your skins are safe! All cosmetic content will be transferred. If you already have a certain skin on both accounts, we'll provide you with a loot reward equivalent to the value of your cosmetic content. You'll keep your skins, plus something extra!
Loot Inventory: All loot items and essence balances will be transferred and added to any existing loot inventory if you already have a Riot Account.
RP: All RP purchases will be added to the Riot Account. If you have already made RP purchases on your Riot Account, your final RP balance will reflect the sum of your Garena and Riot RP purchases.
Champion Mastery, Eternals, Level: You'll still be able to carry your team with your favorite mains! Your personal champions' specific stats will carry over in the transfer as well.
Summoner Name: We know how important it is to keep your in-game identity. That's why your summoner name will be retained if you have played at least one game of either League or TFT in 2021 or 2022.
Friend List: You won't have to leave your team behind! We'll be transferring your friend list to your Riot Account. Just note that your list may not appear complete at the beginning if your friends have not transferred their accounts, but their names will be added as they claim their accounts.

Find out more here: League Content Migration Guide
It's saying my summoner name is taken. Can I get it back?
We realize how important a summoner name can be, which is why we're honoring pre-existing summoner names on our servers. We apologize for any names that have already been taken, but rest assure that A) somebody else shares your impeccable taste, and B) a fresh new identity is just a few characters away!
Can I keep my summoner name?
PROBABLY. In order to reserve your current summoner name, you will need to have played at least one game in the past two years. The only exception is if a player from another server already has the same summoner name, which we outline in the question above. Migrating your account as soon as possible will help you avoid this risk!
I live in Taiwan/Vietnam, can I also migrate my Garena League/TFT Account to Riot? Will I need to create a special account for League in VN or TW?
Yes, players in Taiwan and Vietnam can migrate their Garena League/TFT Accounts to existing or new Riot IDs.
What happens if I have played League on multiple SEA servers with Garena, and they are all tied to one Garena ID?
You will need to create one Riot Account per server if you want to save all of the League accounts for different Garena servers. E.g. If you have a Garena SG server account and a Garena TH server account, you'll need two Riot Accounts to preserve both of them—one for each server.
When does the window for account linking close? Can I still link my accounts after the Riot SEA servers launch?
We currently do not have an end date for account linking, but we are keeping it open for as long as we can. You'll still be able to link and migrate your accounts once the Riot League servers are up either through Riot Client or directly with League Link.
I want to link my Garena Account now and don't care about the League/TFT data on my non-SEA Riot Account. What should I do?
Simply go to League Link and enter in your account information as usual. You'll eventually get to a screen telling you the Riot Account you are trying to link has non-SEA League or TFT data. If you truly do not care about this data, you can select Clear This Riot Account's Data to completely delete that account's League/TFT data and continue linking. Just remember that this will irreversibly delete all the League/TFT data from your selected Riot Account!
I already finished linking, but I want to link a different Riot Account to my Garena Account!
We gotchu, fam! Just go through the linking process again at League Link, and you'll eventually be given the option to unlink. You can also check our Unlinking Guide for step-by-step instructions.

General FAQs

What are the benefits of migrating my Garena League/TFT Account to a Riot Account?

Well for starters, you'll get to keep playing League with all your hard-earned progress intact!

Beyond that, you'll be taken under the Riot umbrella, which includes access to our player support and its fully localized resources. You'll also be greeted with a suite of welcome events and rewards, not to mention being included in other cross-franchise events already enjoyed by the rest of the world.

Will there be any impact to in-game latency?

Our focus in building the new SEA servers was to reduce server performance related lag spikes that often impact players, and less about addressing latency. That said, initial latencies should fall well within competitive expectations for a majority of our players, and we anticipate we’ll be working on improving latency issues in the early months of 2023. Server performance aside, the patching technology we’re introducing with this transition will increase client stability, so you can expect a more well-rounded experience in most aspects. We can't wait to keep raising the bar for y'all!

How many placement matches must I play to get my ranking?
The usual 10 placement matches will get your starting rank. Just remember that you won't be able to do this until January 11th!
What happens if I discover an item is missing from my inventory? Or my entire inventory, for that matter!
While we're hoping this and other SEA Migration support articles will go a long way in ensuring a smooth transition, we are fully prepared to help you get your footing in a new Riot-published world. If you discover certain items are missing from your account despite linking your accounts and completing the migration, contact Player Support and we'll take it from there.
Will there be a single combined SEA Server?

In order to provide optimal latency and fewer language barriers, we've set up local Riot Games servers that match the existing Garena shard structure as outlined below.

Region Riot LoL/TFT Server
Singapore SG
Indonesia SG
Malaysia SG
Thailand TH
Philippines PH
Taiwan TW
Macau TW
Hong Kong TW
Vietnam VN
Can I convert my unused Garena Shells to Riot Points?

Short answer: Unfortunately not.

Long answer: To ensure all players enjoy the benefits of the Riot-published gameplay experience, we're bringing all SEA players to new servers that operate under different monetization. Because of that, Garena Shells cannot be converted into Riot Points. However! You can still use Garena Shells on other Garena games, and you will also have the opportunity to continue spending them on your current Garena League/TFT account up to the progression freeze. Anything you purchase before then will be transferred to your Riot Account once the migration is complete.

Will Riot continue to use the same payment partners that Garena offered?
While there may be slight variations, APAC League players can utilize the same payment methods currently available for VALORANT.
Will any prices change with the relaunch?
As in-game content pricing differs across Garena regions, we will be making some price changes to account for these regional discrepancies and to create consistent pricing across each region. For example, prices for various skin tiers in League will be adjusted, which you can read about in our Skin Tier Pricing article.
Who do I go to with my player support questions?
You and our other players from APAC League can now contact Riot Player Support directly through the in-game player support function. Player Support teams can also be reached via the Riot Player Support website.
When will Riot launch Teamfight Tactics Mobile in SEA?
Since League of Legends and TFT PC share the same client, we're focusing on introducing these two games to Riot's SEA ecosystem first. But rest assured that TFT Mobile is on our list!
Does Riot intend to continue utilizing lootboxes?
It is our goal to deliver a gaming experience that is not contingent on paying to win, and we plan to stick to this philosophy throughout the transition. We are also hyper aware of gamer appetites in the region and are taking special care in considering the role loot boxes play in a Riot-published game economy.
Will Riot take over League esports from Garena too?
Yep! While we appreciate what Garena has done to help SEA's esports scene grow in the past years, we will be assuming ownership and operations of League esports following the transition—including the Pacific Championship Series we established in partnership with Garena, as well as the VCS. More details are to follow as the season carries on.
Will Riot be working with local publishing partners in Vietnam and Taiwan?
Absolutely! Riot will appoint Taiwan Mobile and VNGGames as the new publishers of League and TFT in Taiwan and Vietnam. We're hyped to announce our publishing plans in Vietnam and Taiwan as soon as we've ironed out the details, so stay tuned for the latest news!
Will any features be disabled in Garena League/TFT leading up to the data migration?

Yes. To ensure a smooth migration, certain features will be disabled prior to the migration before resuming on the Riot servers on January 6th.

Starting December 30th, UTC+8, RP will not be available for purchase.

Starting January 4th, UTC+8, the following features will be disabled until the Riot servers go live:

  • The Store and other purchases
  • Loot tab and other loot crafting
  • Star Shard crafting
  • TFT Ranked Queue
  • Eternals progress
  • Challenge progress
  • Champion Mastery progress

In order to make the progression freeze a little less frigid, we're making all champions free-to-play on the Garena League/TFT servers starting January 4th until Riot's SEA servers go online.

Will any events be impacted by the data migration?
The SEA Winterblessed event missions/shop and Yourshop will run a little shorter than usual, wrapping up on December 31st (UTC+8). To ensure players in the region have the same opportunity to earn rewards as the rest of the world, XP rewards from missions will be increased.
What will happen to my TFT Monsters Attack! progression?
Your Monsters Attack! rank will join you on the Riot SEA servers, so climb without fear! Your Monsters Attack! battle pass, on the other hand, will reset back to level 0. HOWEVER! Not only will you be able to keep all the rewards you've already earned, but you'll be given modified missions with accelerated XP gains that will let you complete the pass in record time. That means you can double-dip in certain rewards like Star Shards, and you'll have just as good a shot at finishing the pass as any other player. But keep in mind that this is a one-time boost tied to the SEA Welcome Event. Take advantage of it while you can!
What about my Twitch Prime subscription?
Check out our article on linking your Riot Account to Amazon/Twitch and you'll be able to start claiming your rewards soon after our Riot SEA League servers launch in January! Just remember that your Twitch Prime subscription can only be linked to one account at a time.
Will there be MacOS support for League in SEA after this transition?
We want SEA to enjoy all the same support as other Riot regions, so we plan to make the MacOS client available to players shortly after launch.
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