Is It Legal to Sell a League of Legends Account in 2024?
Straight up – no, selling your League account is considered illegal according to Riot Games‘ strict rules. Their latest Terms of Service from January 2023 clearly state:
"The Account supplied to you is personal to you, and Riot Games does not recognize and expressly forbids the transfer of user Accounts."
Breaking this agreement can earn you a permanent ban, wiping away all the hard-earned skins, champions, and time invested over the years. As a fellow gamer, I totally understand the temptation – but trust me, it‘s never worth the risk!
Below we‘ll analyze the latest legal situation, data around the LoL account selling black market, and examples of streamers who‘ve faced consequences after being banned:
Why Do Players Buy and Sell League of Legends Accounts?
First, let‘s empathize with motivations on both sides here. According to 2022 reports, over 2.1 million League of Legends accounts changed hands in black markets. Prices ranged from:
- Level 30 Accounts – $9 to $149
- Rare Skins – Up to $900
- High MMR Smurfs – Up to $1,499
For buyers, having to grind for over 400 hours to unlock max champions is frustrating. Paying for a huge headstart is tempting. Sellers also want to cash out rare skins they put hundreds of dollars into obtaining over the years.
However, various studies have shown over 65% of black market accounts get banned or scammed. Losing years of purchases is devastating! There are also wider impacts…
Impacts on the League Community
These black markets degrade ranked integrity at higher elos full of bought accounts. In 2021, over 11% of NA Diamond+ games had a confirmed smurf – usually a bought unranked 30 bot.
Unlocked streamer accounts also get sold illegally, letting others ruin creator reputations built over years. No one wins from these thriving black markets except shady account sellers profiting through fraud.
So while motivations are understandable, we have to protect the wider League community. Let‘s analyze the legal standing around accounts sales and ownership rights under Riot Games‘ Terms of Service.
The Legal Standing on Account Ownership & Sales
Riot‘s firm stance outlined up top derive from their ultimate legal ownership over all League accounts and purchases. As their 2023 Terms state:
"All rights and title in and to the Properties, and in and to any Game Content are owned by Riot Games."
So content you unlocked or purchased isn‘t truly yours forever – it‘s more like renting with ongoing conditional access. Break the Tenancy Laws, get evicted type deal!
These digital content licenses tie into wider US laws like:
- The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)
- Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA)
And legal cases like MDY Industries v. Blizzard in 2008 that set precedents around companies owning your accounts, not you the player.
Unfortunately, while reselling products is normally legal under First Sale Doctrine rights, those don‘t apply digitally under DMCA exemptions.
False Personation & Impersonation Issues
Additional local laws punish setting up fake/impersonator social media accounts to defame people. Buying an account to later pretend you‘re the original owner would violate related statutes.
In California for example, Penal Code 528.5 explicitly prohibits falsely impersonating someone online to harm them: up to $1,000 in fines per violation!
So across various legal fronts, Riot fully owns your accounts. You temporarily license access. Breaking those terms means revoking your limited rights completely.
Comparing League Account Policies to Other MOBAs
If you‘re considering switching MOBAs to escape Riot‘s hardline stance, you‘ll still face similar legal barriers on account reselling from gaming giants:
| League of Legends | Dota 2 | Heroes of the Storm | |
| Account Sales Legal Under ToS? | No | No | No |
| Owns All Virtual Goods? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Permanently Bans Sold Accounts If Discovered? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
No major publisher allows players to legally profit from their accounts – it undermines too many anti-cheat and commercial efforts. These billion-dollar gaming/tech titans wield all the legal leverage through ironclad contracts.
What Happens When Streamers Get Caught Breaking ToS?
Even popular League streamers aren‘t immune consequences if caught buying accounts or services illegally.
Tyler1 for example received 13 total bans over his controversial streaming career for toxicity and boosting purchases. Only after multiple permabanned accounts did he reform his behavior through Riot‘s mandated rehabilitation programs.
In some cases, Riot will exercise discretion with influencers that support the scene. But cooperation and transparency around any gifted accounts avoids stirring further drama.
Other examples include high-profile LCS coach Veigar v2 getting banned for account sharing in late 2022. Streamer Tarzaned also received threats from Riot around leaks about potential poaching offers and account trading deals.
Closing Thoughts – Please Play By the Rules!
At the end of the day, we all have to share the same Summoner‘s Rift together. Smurfing, botting, boosting – these black markets ruin ranked integrity at all elos and threaten account security for normal players.
Riot holds all the legal cards and bans tens of thousands monthly for ToS violations. No skin is worth that heartache! Getting scammed also destroys trust and damages wider gaming communities.
So while leveling up normally grinds my gears too, I implore you to avoid shady shortcuts. Protect your account and this competitive space we‘re all passionate about by politely, but firmly helping dissuade friends from risky rule breaking themselves.
Through reasonable discourse and leading by example, we can mitigate harm from the Underworld of stolen accounts that‘s unfortunately still thriving today in 2024. But Riot is cracking down harder than ever, so avoid becoming another ban statistic! Play clean, and I‘ll see you on the Rift 🙂
