Riot replaces LoL Summoner Names, says they don’t “sync with the lore”

League of Legends is undoubtedly a behemoth, standing tall as one of the biggest games on PC years after its release. The community is ever-expanding, and Riot Games isn’t slowing its flow of improvements and new content any time soon. While LoL continues to grow, its long list of changes does as well. From more instant, minor bug fixes to phasing out a system that replaces players’ Summoner Names, Riot makes regular adjustments to its work.

When it comes to League of Legends, exciting news emerges at a steady rate. The MOBA is getting its own boy band soon, Heartsteel, and other such fun features. Not all of Riot’s reveals are unanimously well-received, though, with a recent announcement weighing heavy on many long-time fans’ hearts. LoL players will lose their unique Summoner Names as the developer axes the system in favor of Riot IDs.

Riot says it will be “moving all players exclusively to Riot IDs to create a more unified experience across all our games.” While the team states in the announcement that it understands “there may be some mixed emotions regarding these changes,” its goal is “to make this change as seamless as possible and help you feel as connected to your Riot ID as you do your Summoner Name. ”

The changes will start rolling out on Wednesday, November 20, giving you a little more time to spend beside your beloved Summoner Name. Riot explains that the lore of Runeterra is a major reason for the change, saying that the focus has shifted over time from the all-powerful summoners to the League of Legends champions themselves instead.

While ‘summoner’ still shows up in an odd voice line or two and in Summoner’s Rift, Riot says that “when it comes to players, Summoner Name doesn’t sync with the lore and hasn’t for a while.” The new naming system “is designed to better match the current world of League of Legends” and create more fluidity between all of our titles.”

You won’t have to do anything yourself as the changes commence, since you’ll already have a Riot ID ready if you’ve played any of the developer’s games. Once the system is in place, every player will receive one free name change per year. “If players want to change their names more often than that, there will be a fee attached, similar to the current Summoner Name system.”

While you wait for the fateful moment you lose your own Summoner Name, you can check out our rundown of the recent League of Legends patch 13.20. Alternatively, browse through our in-depth LoL tier list for a better understanding of the champions right now and a thorough look at the overpowered options out there.