Players might ask themselves how long is a League of Legends game before they commit to a match on Summoner’s Rift.
People will want to know how much time they’ll need before joining the queue.
After all, nobody wants to be the AFK teammate who has to leave their teammates down one because of other commitments.
How long is a League of Legends game?
There are multiple game modes in League of Legends. As a result, the mode will determine how long a match can last.
In almost all of the game modes, the game can only end if the enemy team’s Nexus explodes. This means that the game length can be variable.
On Summoner’s Rift, the average game will last from 25 to 40 minutes. Most matches will need the buff from Baron Nashor, which only spawns at 20 minutes, to end the game.
In a worst case scenario, games can last for 50 minutes or more if neither team can really gain an advantage.
In the ARAM game mode, both teams will face off in a 5 versus 5 battle in a single lane. Without the larger map or neutral objectives, the only option is to fight in a small space.
Consequently, matches are much quicker in ARAM: they’ll normally be over in 18 to 25 minutes.
Of course, there’s always the option to surrender. Teams can choose by majority vote to forfeit the match. This option becomes available at 15 minutes, which is the earliest a proper match can end.
How long is the average pro League of Legends game?
For anyone wanting to watch the esport, it becomes slightly different.
The professional match includes the extended pick-and-ban champion select phase before the game starts, which can last around 8 minutes.
Once the players load into the server, games average around 25 minutes.
Because professional teams have higher levels of strategy and cohesion, they tend to be much faster at executing game plans than even the top rated players on the ranked ladder.
Still, that’s not to say that games can’t drag out. One of the most infamous matches in professional League of Legends is the 2018 match between SK Telecom T1 and Jin Air Green Wings, which lasted an exhausting 95 minutes.
