Although queuing up for League of Legends: Wild Rift is as simple as tapping a button, matchmaking is only the beginning! You’ll still have to build your team, and that’s where Champ Select comes in.
What is Champ Select?
This is where both teams decide who they’re going to play for the coming match. While the final decision is yours and yours alone, seeing what your allies (and enemies, in the case of Ranked games) are going to play can inform your decision and increase your odds of winning. United, your Nexus stands! Divided… Well, you know the rest.
How does it work?
That depends on your game mode!
Normal matches follow a blind pick model, meaning the enemy team won’t know what you’ve picked until everybody is locked in and vice versa. Just choose your champ, lock in, and you’re good to go!
Ranked matches are a little trickier. You can “hover” over a champion by selecting them to show your intent, but you won’t be able to actually pick them until your turn arrives. This is a great way to give your teammates a heads up, as who you’re choosing may have an impact on what type of champion they decide to play. And don’t worry about tipping your hand to the enemy team! They won’t see who you’re hovering until it’s your turn to pick, so by the time they realize you’re locking a hyper-carry assassin into their team of squishies, it will be too late!
So many choices… Who should I pick?!
That’s totally up to you!
Still, it’s a big question, so Wild Rift lets you preview champion abilities and roles even during the selection process. It’s the perfect opportunity to clear up any questions you have, or even take a crash course on how to play a champion you’ve always been interested in.
As your champion roster grows, be sure to take advantage of the various in-champ-select search tools to refine your options! Many champions can fill multiple roles, but our lane-specific lists are a great resource for new and veteran players alike.
I know who I want to play!
Then it’s time to pick your loadout!
This is your opportunity to further customize your champion’s look and playstyle. Here’s a brief summary of some of your more important options:
Skins - How your champion looks! Every champion has at least one alternative skin, while some have WAY more. These generally have to be earned or purchased. Pick one to turn any lane into your own personal catwalk!
Runes - Special options that subtly influence the way your champion plays and grows throughout the match. Which Runes you pick can set you up for early game dominance or confer an advantage in specific situations! You’ll unlock more Runes as you level up.
Spells - Powerful abilities with high cooldowns and a dramatic impact on gameplay. They can mean the difference between securing a kill and certain doom, so choose and use them with care! All Spells are available from level 1.
What if I don’t lock in a champion?
The game will lock in your most-played champion!
Still, we urge you not to rely on this fail-safe. Your most-played champion may not be ideal for your assigned role, and may even change over time. Picking your champ with care is the first step of a successful game!
What happens next?
The match begins in earnest! While there won’t be any more choices for you to make, we suggest players explore the loading screen to learn more about their opponents and prepare for the battle to come.