Since their introduction in 2017, emotes have become a cultural staple of League of Legends, Riot Games’ wildly popular MOBA. Emotes give players a fun, compact way to express themselves in-game—whether it’s celebrating a perfect outplay, trolling an opponent with a sly wink, or simply spamming a Porosnax toss during a downtime moment.
But just how many emotes are there in League of Legends today? As of April 2025, there are over 1,500 unique emotes in the game.
This number reflects the result of nearly eight years of steady releases, often tied to seasonal events, champion launches, skin lines, ranked milestones, esports celebrations, and community contests. Riot has fully embraced emotes as part of its player reward system and branding toolkit, using them to commemorate everything from Lunar New Year festivals to World Championship victories.
A Breakdown of Emote Categories
The massive library of emotes can roughly be divided into several broad categories:
- Event Emotes: Released during in-game events like Spirit Blossom, PROJECT, or Soul Fighter. These are often unlocked via event passes or missions.
- Ranked Emotes: Awarded at the end of a ranked season based on the player’s highest rank achieved. These tend to be limited-time and seasonal.
- Esports Emotes: Created to support pro teams during international tournaments like Worlds or MSI. Fans can equip the emotes of their favorite teams and show support during matches.
- Champion & Skin-Related Emotes: Often released alongside new champions or skin lines, offering themed reactions tied to the lore or aesthetic.
- Battle Pass or Prestige Emotes: Exclusive to battle pass milestones or prestige shop rewards, and often very rare.
- Community & Meme Emotes: Some are born from inside jokes or community memes, like the infamous “Okay” emote with Draven’s blank stare or the various Little Legends reactions.
Emote Usage: Strategy or Style?
Though many see emotes as lighthearted flair, they’ve also become part of the strategic and psychological layer of gameplay. Players often use them to “tilt” opponents or signal teammates without words. Riot has acknowledged this, even tweaking emote visibility rules to reduce harassment or toxicity while still allowing for self-expression.
Moreover, emote loadouts (which let players bring five emotes into a game) have become a new form of player identity—alongside summoner icons, borders, and skins.
Monetization and the Loot System
While some emotes are free or tied to progression, many are purchasable through Riot Points (RP) or obtainable via Hextech crafting. Their rarity can vary dramatically, with some emotes never returning to the store after their initial release. Riot often rotates emotes in and out of the shop, adding an element of exclusivity and collectability.
What’s Next for Emotes?
Riot shows no sign of slowing down. With the popularity of emotes in other games like Fortnite and Valorant, there are rumors that League could expand the feature further—perhaps with emote animations that sync with in-game actions, or an overhaul of the emote wheel for smoother communication.
One thing’s for sure: emotes have evolved far beyond a simple cosmetic. They’re now an integral part of the League of Legends ecosystem—an ever-growing archive of digital emotion, humor, and style.
TL;DR: League of Legends has over 1,500 emotes as of 2025, spanning events, ranked seasons, pro teams, skins, and memes. What started as a side feature has turned into a beloved—and sometimes weaponized—form of in-game expression.
Written by:
Christian