How to play on the League of Legends ‘PBE’ server and test out new features

Riot Games

• The League of Legends PBE server lets you test new features and items before they get officially added to the game.
• PBE stands for Public Beta Environment, and it runs separately from the main League of Legends game.
• To sign up for the League of Legends PBE, your account needs to be in “good standing” and reach a certain honor level.
• Visit Insider’s Tech Reference library for more stories.

League of Legends receives a major “season” update every year, and minor ones every few weeks. These patches add bug fixes, new items and mechanics, reworked characters, and more. And while most updates go by without making much impact, some can completely reinvent the game.

But Riot Games doesn’t just add these new features without testing them. Every update is played and reviewed by both Riot’s own developers and regular League of Legends players using the PBE server.

The League of Legends PBE (Public Beta Environment) server is where Riot first releases all their new updates, so users can test them out and catch any early bugs before the official release. The PBE runs separately from normal League games, and users need to meet certain criteria to log into it.

You can check whether you qualify for the PBE in moments, and if you do, download the client to start playing right away.

How to check if you’re eligible for the League of Legends PBE

Before you can play on the PBE, you need to make sure you qualify.

To play on the PBE, your account must be “in good standing” — in other words, you can’t be banned or have any restrictions (for example, having your chat privileges revoked). You also need to have at least honor level three.

To check that you meet these requirements and register:

1. Head to the PBE signup page and click Log In to log into your Riot Games account, or Check My Eligibility if you’re already logged in.

Log in and check your eligiblity.

Riot Games; William Antonelli/Insider

2. If you’re eligible, you’ll be told that your account is now linked to the PBE. If you’re not, it’ll either tell you so or just refresh the page with no change.

The PBE signup page can sometimes be buggy, so if you know you qualify but it doesn’t work, try again later. If you’ve qualified, you can start playing.

How to play on the League of Legends PBE Server

The PBE uses a different server than regular League, meaning that you’ll have to download a new program to use it.

1. On the registration page we talked about above, click Already have a PBE account? Download here. You’ll find direct download links for both the Windows PBE client and macOS PBE client.

2. Download the file and open it, then click Install.

3. A new icon labeled League of Legends PBE should appear on your desktop. Open it and log into your Riot Games account.

4. When you reach the intro screen, click the small arrow icon next to Play and select League of Legends PBE from the menu.

Select the PBE option.

Riot Games; William Antonelli/Insider

5. Let the client install any updates, and agree to any of the Terms of Service that it presents you. When asked, choose your PBE username — it can be the same as your regular username or different.

6. Play through the tutorial, or press Esc to exit the game early.

Congrats — you’ve now got a fully functioning PBE account.

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