For many League of Legends players, the game client is their first point of contact—handling everything from logins to lobbies, chat, and the store. Over the years, Riot Games has reworked and relaunched its client multiple times, each update sparking debates within the community about speed, reliability, and usability.
But in 2025, one thing is clear: disabling the new Riot Client is not possible. Riot has fully migrated all core game functions into the current framework, and legacy clients are no longer supported.
Why You Can’t Disable the New Client
The new Riot Client serves as the central hub not just for League of Legends, but also for Riot’s other titles, including Valorant and Teamfight Tactics. This integration is designed for consistency, cross-game social features, and improved security.
As a result, players cannot roll back to older versions or toggle between different clients. All patching, matchmaking, and gameplay now run through the new launcher, making it mandatory. The only way to “remove” it is by uninstalling the game entirely.
What Can You Do Instead?
While you can’t disable the new client, there are ways to customize or troubleshoot it if you’re struggling with performance or usability:
- Change Settings & Themes: The client offers some interface flexibility, including dark mode, chat layouts, and notification preferences. While limited, these tweaks help tailor the experience.
- Troubleshooting Issues: If you’re running into bugs, Riot recommends trying a “Full Repair” from the client’s settings, turning off overlays from other programs, or reinstalling the game. These steps often improve stability.
- Uninstalling: The only way to fully remove the Riot Client from your system is to uninstall League of Legends. This, of course, prevents you from playing until it’s reinstalled.
- Third-party Solutions: Some community tools, like Deceive, let you appear offline or hide activity. However, these do not disable the Riot Client itself and are unsupported by Riot, meaning they come with potential risks.
Why Riot Made the Change
Riot’s decision to lock players into the new client is rooted in their long-term strategy:
- Consistency across all Riot titles under one launcher.
- Security improvements for accounts and patching.
- Integrated services, from cross-game chat to esports viewing features.
While the move has sparked frustration among players who preferred the simplicity of older clients, Riot has made it clear that the current framework is here to stay.
Final Thoughts
The new Riot Client is unavoidable for anyone who wants to play League of Legends. Although disabling it isn’t an option, players can make small adjustments through settings or repairs to improve their experience. For those unhappy with its performance, feedback to Riot remains the only avenue for change.
The era of multiple clients and legacy launchers is over—League of Legends now runs exclusively through the new Riot Client, for better or worse.
Written by:
Christian