League of Legends Not on Steam | Generated by AI
Question: Can you play League of Legends on Steam?
Answer:
No, you cannot play the main League of Legends (LoL) MOBA game natively on Steam. It is not available for purchase, download, or launch directly from the Steam store or library. Riot Games distributes LoL exclusively through their own Riot Client, which you must download from the official League of Legends website.
Key Reasons:
- No Official Steam Release: LoL has never been officially released on Steam as a current, supported title. There was a very brief, limited-time availability years ago (Steam App ID: 20590), but it only downloads an outdated, unplayable version of the game and is effectively obsolete—fewer than 3,000 people reportedly own it.
- Riot’s Policy: Riot has repeatedly confirmed there are “no current plans” to bring LoL to Steam. They prefer their unified Riot Client for LoL, Valorant, and other titles.
- Spin-Offs Only: Steam does host Riot Forge spin-off games like Ruined King: A League of Legends Story, CONVERGENCE: A League of Legends Story, and Bandle Tale, but these are single-player RPGs, not the core multiplayer LoL experience.
Workaround: Add as a Non-Steam Game
You can add LoL to your Steam library for convenience:
- Install LoL via the Riot Client.
- In Steam, go to Games > Add a Non-Steam Game to My Library.
- Browse to the LoL executable (usually
C:\Riot Games\League of Legends\LeagueClient.exe). - Add it, then launch from Steam to use features like the overlay, friends list, or controller support.
This doesn’t make it a “Steam game”—it still requires the Riot Client and account—but it’s a popular way to integrate it.
Note: On devices like Steam Deck, LoL faces additional hurdles due to Riot’s Vanguard anti-cheat, which doesn’t support Linux (SteamOS). Dual-booting Windows or remote play from a PC is required.
References:
- Is League of Legends on Steam? (PCGamesN)
- League of Legends Official Homepage & Download
- Steam Store Search for “League of Legends”
- League of Legends Old Steam Page (Unplayable)
- Reddit Discussion on Rare Steam Version