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League of Legends Offline? What You Can—and Cannot—Play Solo

By Freedom251 Team · · 9 min read

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No. The League of Legends MOBA cannot be played offline. Every mode, including Practice Tool, needs a live connection to Riot’s servers; the client has no offline, LAN or local-hotseat mode. It also has no single-player campaign.

You can still play alone while online. Practice Tool is a sandbox, Co-op vs. AI lets you queue solo for a full match against bots, custom games can be filled with bots, and the tutorial is designed for one player. If you want a completable single-player story in the League universe, that is a separate Riot Forge game such as Ruined King: A League of Legends Story, not offline Summoner’s Rift.

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At a glance

Name Best for Key spec Platforms Checked
League of Legends offline play None; not supported Constant connection; no LAN or local mode Windows and macOS client Oct 2026
Practice Tool Learning champions, combos and map mechanics One human or up to 10 players; sandbox controls Windows and macOS Oct 2026
Co-op vs. AI A complete match without PvP pressure Solo queue into a 5v5 Summoner’s Rift game against bots Windows and macOS Oct 2026
Custom game with bots Private practice with controlled roles and difficulty No XP; normally can be started alone Windows and macOS Oct 2026
Tutorial First-time onboarding Three online missions Windows and macOS Oct 2026
Ruined King: A League of Legends Story A true solo League-universe story Completable, turn-based RPG; separate game Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/Series Oct 2026

Does League of Legends have an offline mode?

It does not. The shipped client requires a Riot Client login, a regional server connection and an active session for every game mode. PCGamingWiki summarizes the requirement plainly: This game requires a constant internet connection for all game modes. Its user verification on 17 August 2023 is specific about the mode people most often mistake for offline play: Practice tool cannot be played in offline mode. Requires internet connection.

There is no supported LAN mode, local hot-seat mode, peer-to-peer match or self-hosted server. A planned LAN feature was cancelled, and the live game uses developer-hosted servers. Tournament direct-IP functionality is not a general offline option: it uses a pre-generated code to reach a server rather than letting a player host a match locally.

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Is there a single-player campaign in the MOBA?

No. League of Legends is a multiplayer action-strategy game, not a campaign game with a story mode that can be completed without other players or Riot’s services. New accounts begin with online Co-op vs. AI and custom matches, then unlock player-versus-player queues; Teamfight Tactics is also available early, but it remains an online mode rather than an offline campaign.

Riot’s own new-player guidance says, At first, you’ll be able to participate in Co-op Vs. AI matches on Summoner’s Rift and custom matches to get a better feel for the game. That wording describes solo access to online lobbies, not a local or disconnected version of the game.

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How can I play League alone while online?

Choose the mode based on whether you want mechanical practice, a full bot match or a private lobby. All three options still authenticate with Riot and exchange game data with its servers.

Practice Tool: the sandbox

Practice Tool is the closest substitute for “solo League.” It places you on Summoner’s Rift with training dummies, optional bots and controls that let you test a champion without waiting for a match. Riot originally described its purpose this way: As League gains more and more similarities to a sport, it makes sense that there be a place where you can go to shoot hoops!

The mode unlocks at summoner level 9. Since patch V25.S1.1, a Practice Tool lobby can contain up to 10 players, so it is no longer restricted to one human. Since V25.21, a lobby with exactly one human unlocks every champion for that session; bots and spectators do not remove that eligibility, and the lobby shows a padlock when the condition is not met.

Useful controls include Auto-Refresh Cooldowns (Shift+X), Auto-Refresh HP (Shift+Z), Add Gold 10,000 (Shift+T), Level Up (Shift+Y), Teleport to Cursor (Shift+S), an enemy dummy (Shift+B), an allied dummy (Shift+N), Reset Game and Win The Game. You can also spawn dragons, Baron, Herald and voidgrubs, and set game speed from 0.25× to 2×. These are training controls; their results do not always match a live match.

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Practice Tool supports up to nine bots with the available introductory, beginner and higher-difficulty settings. It is ideal for last-hitting drills, testing item interactions, rehearsing jungle routes and learning an ultimate, but it does not create an offline copy of the game.

Co-op vs. AI: a full match against bots

Co-op vs. AI is a five-versus-five Summoner’s Rift match against computer-controlled champions. You may queue alone or with a group; matchmaking can place other people on your side, while the opposing team is controlled by AI. The mode is available from level 1, offers First Win of the Day progress and does not change normal or ranked MMR. It does not award Champion Mastery points.

Riot’s Bots Team introduced updated AI in patch 14.6. Darcy “DashiJador” Ludington wrote, After sashaying away last September, our bots are back and here to stay starting in patch 14.6! The stated aim was for bots to jungle, rotate and contest objectives more like human teams. Ludington also described the goal as giving new players “a space to learn and grow” and experienced players a lower-stress mode.

Community references use the names Intro, Beginner and Intermediate, while Riot’s 2024 announcement called the three queues Intro, Beginner and Advanced. Because the live label can change, look at the names shown in the current client rather than relying on an older guide.

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Custom games with bots: a private lobby

Custom games let the host choose the map, invite players, add bots and set bot roles or difficulty. They are available from level 1 and do not award XP; leaving one does not count as a normal match leave. If every real player leaves, the game ends and no one can reconnect.

Riot’s own minimum-configuration instructions tell players to “Start a Custom Game by yourself,” which is the normal solo troubleshooting route. A League wiki documents an older load-shedding rule under which very busy days can require two real players before a custom lobby starts. That exception does not turn the mode into offline play; it is still a server-created match.

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Tutorial: online onboarding

The tutorial is a one-player online mode with three missions. Completing those missions is one route to the level-3 gate for normal PvP. It teaches the interface and basic objectives, but it still needs the client’s connection to Riot.

What level unlocks each mode?

Riot Games Support’s 29 May 2026 unlock guide lists these gates:

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  • Level 1: Co-op vs. AI on Summoner’s Rift and custom games; Teamfight Tactics is also available.
  • Level 3: Normal 5v5 Summoner’s Rift (Swiftplay) and ARAM 5v5.
  • Level 9: Practice Tool.
  • Level 10: Normal 5v5 Summoner’s Rift Draft.
  • Level 30: Ranked Solo/Duo and Ranked Flex, plus at least 20 champions and 10 Swiftplay or Normal Draft games.

Older guides may mention Blind Pick or different Draft requirements. Blind Pick was replaced by Quickplay and then Swiftplay, so the current Riot support page is the safer reference for account gates.

Why does even Practice Tool need the internet?

The client is built around a live service rather than a self-contained executable. Riot Client authentication, regional matchmaking, game-server sessions, account settings and anti-cheat checks all happen through Riot’s infrastructure. PCGamingWiki notes that settings and keybindings are account-bound and stored on Riot’s servers, while the global client also uses Riot Vanguard anti-cheat.

Riot’s connection guide defines latency as the amount of time it takes data packets to travel from your computer to Riot game servers and back in milliseconds. Its reconnect screen and support documentation assume the session will reach those servers; there is no local fallback if that path disappears.

What happens when your connection drops?

The client enters an “Attempting to Reconnect” state instead of switching to an offline save. A brief interruption may recover the live session, but a completely unavailable connection prevents launching or continuing a mode that requires server authorization.

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For a more reliable solo session, Riot recommends a wired Ethernet connection when troubleshooting lag. Its official repair path is the Riot/Hextech Repair Tool. Do not copy the install folder, use a crack, disable Vanguard or install a supposed private-server “offline fixer”: none of those is a supported way to run the shipped game and they can compromise an account or violate its rules.

What hardware and operating system does the online client support?

These requirements do not create an offline option, but they explain why an old or unsupported machine may fail before a match starts:

  • Windows 10 build 19041 or newer, or Windows 11; Windows 11 is recommended with TPM 2.0 enabled.
  • DirectX 11 feature level 11_0 is required since patch 25.21. Without it, the Play button is greyed out.
  • Memory: 2 GB minimum, 4 GB recommended.
  • Storage: 16 GB on an HDD minimum, with an SSD recommended.
  • League is supported on Windows and macOS. Riot does not provide support for Linux, SteamOS or Bazzite.

Does “appear offline” let you play without internet?

No. “Appear offline” is a separate social-presence question: hiding your status from friends would still require an online League session. Riot has not shipped an official appear-offline switch in the League or VALORANT clients, and third-party presence spoofers are not a substitute for offline gameplay.

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What is the real single-player League game?

Ruined King: A League of Legends Story is the clearest official answer for someone who wants a solo story in Runeterra. Riot Forge’s Steam FAQ calls it “a single player turn-based RPG” with no multiplayer. It is a separate, completable game developed by Airship Syndicate, set in Bilgewater and the Shadow Isles, with a configurable party drawn from champions including Pyke, Braum, Miss Fortune, Illaoi, Ahri and Yasuo.

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The game released on 16 November 2021 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows and Xbox One; PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions followed on 2 March 2023. Other Riot Forge story games include Hextech Mayhem, The Mageseeker, CONV/RGENCE, Song of Nunu and Bandle Tale. They are separate products, not modes that appear inside the League client. Riot Forge describes its mission as working with outside studios to create “bespoke ‘completable’ games set in the League of Legends universe.”

You can find the official Ruined King site for its story and platform information. It should not be described as offline League of Legends: it is a different game that uses the same universe.

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Which option should you choose?

  • Want to practice a champion or combo? Use Practice Tool once the account reaches level 9.
  • Want a normal-length match without human opponents? Queue Co-op vs. AI alone.
  • Want to control the lobby, roles or bot setup? Create a custom game, remembering that XP is not awarded.
  • Want story, exploration and a finishable solo adventure? Choose a separate Riot Forge title, with Ruined King the most direct match.
  • Want to play with no internet at all? League of Legends itself is not an option.

FAQ

Can I play Co-op vs. AI with no human teammates on my side?

You can enter the queue alone, but matchmaking may place other players alongside you. The opposing team is computer-controlled; a guaranteed all-bot lobby is better handled through a custom game, subject to the occasional busy-day requirement for two real players.

Can tournament direct-IP play be used as a home LAN mode?

No. The tournament path uses a pre-generated access code and Riot-hosted infrastructure. It does not let players type a peer’s IP address, self-host a server or continue when Riot’s service is unreachable.

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Does a Riot Forge game open from the League client?

No. Riot Forge titles are separately installed games with their own executables and progression. Owning or launching one does not provide an offline Summoner’s Rift client.

Can I play League on Linux if I only want Practice Tool?

Riot officially supports Windows and macOS, not Linux, SteamOS or Bazzite. Practice Tool still uses the same supported client and server stack, so choosing it does not bypass the platform-support limitation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I play Co-op vs. AI with no human teammates on my side?

You can enter the queue alone, but matchmaking may place other players alongside you. The opposing team is computer-controlled; a guaranteed all-bot lobby is better handled through a custom game, subject to the occasional busy-day requirement for two real players.

Can tournament direct-IP play be used as a home LAN mode?

No. The tournament path uses a pre-generated access code and Riot-hosted infrastructure. It does not let players type a peer’s IP address, self-host a server or continue when Riot’s service is unreachable.

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Does a Riot Forge game open from the League client?

No. Riot Forge titles are separately installed games with their own executables and progression. Owning or launching one does not provide an offline Summoner’s Rift client.

Can I play League on Linux if I only want Practice Tool?

Riot officially supports Windows and macOS, not Linux, SteamOS or Bazzite. Practice Tool still uses the same supported client and server stack, so choosing it does not bypass the platform-support limitation.

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