Is League of Legends Hard to Learn for Beginners?
The straight answer is yes – League of Legends has a notoriously steep learning curve. At first, the sheer amount you must know about items, champions, abilities, terminology, and gameplay systems can absolutely overwhelm new players.
However, while the initial hill is steep, actually getting good at League is very achievable. With the right mindset and approach, new summoners can rise to competency and beyond.
As both a long-time LoL player and gaming enthusiast, I‘m here to give new players an honest yet motivational perspective on learning this complex, lifelong game. Let‘s explore why grasping League is difficult, how long proficiency takes, and tactics that will smooth out your skill curve.
Why is Mastering LoL So Difficult for Newcomers?
League throws new players headfirst into the deep end by failing to limit early champion options and abilities the way some games do. With over 160 champs to choose from, the learning curve feels vertical.
Making matters more confusing, you cannot stick to a single character while learning. Since League is a team game, you must understand every champion‘s capabilities whether you play them or face them.
This exponential knowledge growth extends across all of League‘s interconnected systems. For example, you cannot learn champions without items, roles without lanes and jungle, or game phases in isolation.
League‘s terminology is also dense for the uninitiated. As a new player you may struggle to decipher acronyms like AD, AP, Bot, Mid, CC, AoE, DoT, HoT, Crit, ArPen, Lethality, and on and on.
Here are key reasons League‘s learning curve towers over other games:
Sheer Volume of Knowledge Required
- 160+ champions with 4+ abilities each
- 500+ items to learn when/why to buy
- Game systems like runes, vision, neutral objectives
- Roles, lanes, team comps taking dozens of games just to grasp
Need to Constantly Apply Knowledge Accurately & Quickly
Unlike single-player games, your decisions constantly impact teammates. Stress compounds the difficulty soaking up new info.
Loss Avoidance Drives the Learning Process
Dying sets you back, so at first you avoid doing anything risky or suboptimal to stay alive. This slows understanding.
The combination of knowledge needed compared to harsh in-game consequences makes dipping your toes into PvP a traumatic experience!
No wonder new players look up bewildered asking "Is this game just TOO hard to understand?"
But take heart. Once you make it over the initial barrier through perseverance, your deep knowledge and hard-fought skills will enable you to soar.
How Long Does it Take to Get Good at League of Legends?
I won‘t sugar coat it – getting truly competitive at LoL is a journey of months to years.
But "good" is relative in a game this hard. Give yourself realistic expectations based on the effort you plan to put in. Casual players can take months just to hit beginner competency.
Here‘s an approximate timeline:
| Experience Level | Time Investment | What You‘ll Know |
|---|---|---|
| Brand New | First 1-4 weeks | Bare basics like last hitting, not feeding, a few champs/items |
| Learning & Improving | 1-3 months | Higher comfort – know most champs abilities, can play a few roles without hard feeding |
| Competent | 3-12 months | In-depth knowledge of game systems, several comfort picks, decent macro decisions |
| Advanced / Skilled | 1-2+ years | Mastered role(s) with excellent champ pools and matchup knowledge, great tactical play |
| Expert | 2+ years intensely playing/studying | Deep understanding of nearly all champs; great at adapting builds, runes situationally |
This table assumes consistent play time and effort. With less volume the timeline stretches considerably.
But here‘s the beauty – you can enjoy League at ANY competency level due to the built-in progression system of ranked tiers and divisions. You will face equally skilled opponents and contribute meaningfully…regardless of how long you‘ve played.
Just set your expectations properly based on your available time and willingness to study. Learning this game for most is a long journey with high highs and low lows.
Which brings us to strategies to smooth out your skill curve…
Top 10 Tips to "Git Gud" Faster at League of Legends
As both a overly-passionate League player and gaming content professional, I‘m overflowing with hard-won ideas that can shortcut your advancement.
Here are my 10 best tips to start strong and avoid newbie pitfalls on the path to mastering League of Legends:
1. Lock Camera to Your Champion at First
Playing with an unlocked, roaming camera while still learning is extremely disorienting. Default to locking your screen then gradually learn to pan the camera manually in fights.
2. Strictly Limit Your Champion Pool
It‘s far better to play 3 champions very well than 10 mediocre. Fewer choices eases learning dramatically when starting out.
3. Stick to Simple, Straightfoward Champions
Master Annie or Garen, not Zed or Azir! Avoid mechanically complex champs until you have fundamentals down.
4. /Fullmute All at First Sign of Toxicity
Trolls can be distracting and corrode your confidence. Slashmute them rather than argue or let them into your head!
5. Watch High ELO Streamers Playing Your Champs
See how excellent players handle matchups with your preferred champions. Their positioning, combos and mechanics will rub off on you.
6. Review a Guide Before Playing Any New Champion
Understand new champion‘s optimal ability order, evolutions, combos, runes and mythic items before loading in.
7. Enable Smart Cast on Abilities ASAP
Smart casting removes an input step allowing faster reaction times. Switch over as soon as you learn a champ‘s ranges.
8. Play ALL Tutorials & Missions
Riot‘s intro missions ease you into fundamentals better than any 3rd party guide. Finish these before playing PvP!
9. Avoid Ranked your First Season
Play hundreds of normal draft games first before calibrating ranked MMR too low due to early feeding!
10. Enjoy the Journey of Gradual Improvement
Cultivate excitement when you notice your skills slowly improving through conscious practice. Celebrate little wins often!
While lengthy, ascension to mastery in League of Legends is epic due to the sheer amount of knowledge and ability gained. Few intellectual pursuits are as complex yet stimulating!
Final Thoughts – Stick With it, the Reward is Immense!
League‘s difficulty can intimidate new players who hit walls, become confused by systems, or get flamed by veterans.
But the key is adopting a growth mindset. Understand you have immense room for long-term improvement and focus on that rather than match results early on.
Celebrate the micro wins like better last hitting, nicer looking combos, and more impactful ults. Mute abusive teammates immediately. Measure progress on fundamentals rather than match outcomes while learning.
If you can stick it out by keeping perspective, suddenly everything will "click" and the real fun begins. You‘ll gain confidence making plays, carrying games, and outsmarting opponents.
So while brutal for beginners, ultimately overcoming League‘s harsh learning curve pays back all effort a thousandfold. I urge new players to stick with it, as someday you too can reach elo heaven and pay knowledge forward by mentoring fresh noobs.
Now – time to queue up! I wish you luck on your journey to League excellence my friend. See you on Summoner‘s Rift!
