For many League of Legends players, recording gameplay has become an essential part of the experience. Whether it’s analyzing replays to sharpen skills, creating YouTube content, or sharing highlights with friends, screen recording tools are now standard in the community. Yet, one stubborn problem keeps surfacing: the dreaded black screen.
Players across forums consistently report the issue when using popular software such as OBS Studio, NVIDIA ShadowPlay, or even Microsoft’s built-in Windows Game Bar. Instead of crisp footage, they’re left with a blank recording—raising the question of whether the problem lies with Riot Games’ setup, the recording tool, or the player’s system.
Why Black Screens Happen
The roots of the problem lie in how League of Legends itself is built. Unlike most modern games that run as a single process, League splits into two: the client (the launcher) and the game process.
This dual-system design can easily confuse recording tools, which may try to capture the wrong window or fail to hook into the active gameplay feed.
Beyond this structural quirk, several other factors frequently trigger the issue:
- Graphics capture conflicts: Recording software may not properly hook into DirectX or OpenGL, the rendering backbones of League.
- Fullscreen optimizations: Windows’ fullscreen tweaks, designed for smoother gaming, can block recording hooks.
- Outdated drivers: Old GPU drivers are a notorious source of screen capture bugs.
- Privacy and permissions: Without the right system permissions, Windows may simply refuse to let apps record gameplay.
Fixing the Black Screen Issue
Fortunately, the League community has tested and shared a number of reliable solutions. These fixes vary depending on software, but most players find success with the following adjustments:
- Adjust the capture method: In OBS, switching from Game Capture to Window Capture or Display Capture often bypasses the black screen. Targeting the in-game process rather than the launcher window is key.
- Use Borderless Windowed mode: Running League in borderless windowed instead of fullscreen typically allows recording tools to hook correctly.
- Update GPU drivers: A simple update through NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel software can resolve capture conflicts.
- Run software as Administrator: Elevated permissions give recording tools access to protected applications like League.
- Disable fullscreen optimizations: Right-click the League executable, go to Properties → Compatibility, and uncheck fullscreen optimizations.
- Review Windows privacy settings: Under Settings → Privacy → Screen recording, confirm that OBS, ShadowPlay, or other tools are allowed to capture the screen.
When Problems Persist
Even after troubleshooting, some players still run into black screens. In those cases, switching tools can be a quick fix: GeForce Experience (ShadowPlay) and Windows Game Bar often succeed where OBS struggles. Others recommend a full reinstall of recording software to eliminate corrupted settings.
There’s also a quirk unique to League: Riot’s frequent updates. Community reports suggest that certain patches temporarily break compatibility with capture tools. Waiting for a hotfix—or rolling back to a stable version of the recording software—can sometimes be the only solution.
Closing Thoughts
Recording League of Legends should be as seamless as playing it, yet the black screen problem continues to trip up players worldwide. While the game’s two-process design complicates things, most issues can be resolved with a few targeted adjustments: tweaking capture methods, updating drivers, and running in borderless windowed mode.
For content creators, streamers, and casual players alike, these fixes mean less time wrestling with settings—and more time focusing on the game itself.
Written by:
Christian