League of Legends player count - Why it is still thriving

League of Legends was released by Riot Games back in 2009 but still appears to be thriving in 2026. Despite now showing massive growth, the LoL player count has been steady since 2020.

The current stats for 2026 show that there are just over 130 million active players, while recent trends show that the total count tends to drift just above and below the 150 million mark. But does the lack of growth show that LoL and other MOBAs are struggling to attract new players?

• The current LoL player count is around 132 million
• Peak daily players in February 2024 hit a four-year high (38 million)
• Overall figures have been steady since March 2020
• While the player count has been maintained, there is a lack of growth
• LoL was the most played and viewed MOBA game in 2023

The number of League of Legends players cements popularity

The figures for the overall League of Legends player count for February 2024 show a 10 million dip compared to the 2023 high. In August 2023, there were over 152 million active players, which has dropped to 141 million.

However, the number of League of Legends concurrent players has risen substantially overall. In February 2024, the number of daily players hit an all-time high, despite there being a loss of 2 million players overall compared to January 2024.

How many people play League of Legends daily?

In February, there was a daily average of over 38 million, which is the highest that they’ve ever been. This is 6 million more than the previous record, which was set in January 2024 - but what does this really tell us? 

Overall League player count has been steady for four years

While the daily figures are evidently on the rise, the number of total active players has dipped and risen, though steadily staying within the 130-150 million bracket. The all-time high was 154 million players in May 2020,  with the current figure being 141 million.

This suggests that LoL is perhaps struggling to attract new players, but is doing more than enough to keep its current player base happy. One area where it appears to be excelling is in getting current players to log in and play more frequently.

LoL is still the number one MOBA

In 2023 LoL was the most played and viewed MOBA for the second year running, beating the likes of Dota 2 and Arena of Valor. Many of the matches were being viewed on League of Legends live betting, showing that it is popular with esports punters as well.

What’s next - Big changes for League of Legends players in 2025

One of the main reasons why LoL has steadily maintained its place among the most played MOBA games despite being 15 years old is because of its proven ability to evolve. And Riot Games don’t look like they’re going to rest on their laurels anytime soon.

In December 2023, LoL Game Director, Pu Liu, took to Twitter to promise “big changes” to the game in 2025. Exactly what these changes will be we don’t yet know, but you can be use we’ll be the first to let you know here at Strafe.

For now, you can check out the next big League tournaments and events on our top-rated esports betting apps for 2026.

Conclusion - The LoL player count isn’t going to dwindle anytime soon

The main thing that we can conclude here is that LoL and other MOBA games have a loyal player and viewer base that doesn’t look like going anywhere anytime soon. However, like many other games, the challenge for Riot Games is to make League more appealing to potential new players.

2025 looks like the point when the big push to appeal to the next-gen of MOBA players will come. Like you, we can’t wait to see what’s on the horizon…