For the millions who log into League of Legends every day, few things are more frustrating than running into the words: “Scheduled maintenance in progress.” Whether you’re climbing the ranked ladder or simply trying to get in a quick ARAM, downtime can disrupt plans and spark questions. Chief among them: How long does League of Legends maintenance usually last?
Let’s break it down.
Scheduled Maintenance: The Routine Behind the Game
League of Legends follows a consistent update schedule, typically releasing new patches every two weeks. These scheduled updates include champion balancing, new skins, game mode tweaks, and backend improvements. To implement these changes smoothly, Riot temporarily takes servers offline — a process known as scheduled maintenance.
In most regions, scheduled maintenance lasts between 1 and 3 hours, though this can vary depending on the size of the patch and the number of servers being updated. Occasionally, more complex patches — such as those tied to major events, mid-season updates, or pre-season changes — may extend maintenance to up to 7 hours.
Maintenance is almost always scheduled during off-peak hours — often between 3 and 6 a.m. local time — to minimize disruption to the player base.
Emergency Maintenance: When Things Go Wrong
Not all maintenance is planned. When unexpected issues arise — such as game-breaking bugs, server instability, or exploit abuse — Riot may deploy emergency maintenance. These unannounced downtimes vary in length, but are typically resolved within 1 to 2 hours, depending on the severity of the problem.
Unlike scheduled maintenance, emergency downtimes tend to catch players off guard and are usually shorter, but more disruptive.
How to Know When Maintenance Is Happening
Although maintenance is not announced in the middle of a game, players are usually notified in the client hours before it begins. A banner will appear across the top of the launcher, warning that matchmaking will be disabled and servers taken offline at a specific time. Once maintenance begins, players are unable to log in or start new games, and ongoing matches are either canceled or cut short.
The best way to avoid being caught mid-match is to log off 15–30 minutes before the scheduled maintenance window, especially during major patch days.
Is Maintenance Really Necessary?
Absolutely. Maintenance ensures the integrity of the game. It allows Riot’s engineers to fix bugs, roll out content, rebalance champions, and make critical security updates. Without maintenance, the game would quickly become unstable — and the quality of the experience would suffer for everyone.
Think of it as preventive surgery: short-term inconvenience for long-term stability.
Final Thoughts
While League of Legends maintenance can be an inconvenience, it’s a vital part of keeping the game smooth, secure, and competitive. In most cases, downtime is brief — often less than the time it takes to watch an episode of your favorite show. By staying aware of the update schedule and planning around maintenance windows, players can avoid frustration and come back to the game better than ever.
So next time you see a server shutdown notice, take it as a sign: grab a coffee, stretch your hands, and get ready — your next match will be waiting when the servers return.
Written by:
Christian