What is the European platform split, and how will it affect me?
The European platform for League of Legends has grown so popular that we’re having trouble supporting the number of summoners who want to play. For this reason we will be splitting the European service into two platforms: EU West and EU Nordic & East. This means that once you’ve been moved, your summoner will only be able to access your destination platform.
There will be a service downtime while we perform the split. We estimate that this downtime should take around 12 hours. Once it is complete, you will find yourself located on either of our two new platforms: EU West or EU Nordic & East.
What will determine the platform to which I am initially assigned?
We assigned each of you your initial platform based upon your country of origin. When we began doing analysis for the split, it became apparent that players are primarily friends with and play with other players in their own region. Further analysis showed that by splitting the platform across the regional lines into EU West and EU Nordic & East we were able to keep the highest number of friend groups intact.
For a view of a map detailing how the platforms will be broken down by country, click here.
If you would rather be on the platform other than the one to which you were assigned, there will be an option in game to transfer your account for free.
How long will League of Legends be unavailable during the split?
We estimate that the service will be down for about 12 hours while we split the playerbase across our two new platforms.
Why do you have to split the European platform? Why can’t you just add more servers to the existing platform to accommodate the additional demand?
Unfortunately, the issues that we’re running into cannot be solved by simply adding hardware. There are software limitations involved in handling such a massive number of players that only get more difficult to solve as we add more and more hardware to the environment.
For context, this is the reason why most massively multiplayer services shard their playerbase across multiple platforms within a region to keep numbers more manageable and limit reliance on login queues.
What happens to all my stats after the split?
Your wins, match history, kills, deaths, level, XP, name, champions, skins, rune pages, and mastery pages should all be the same as they were before we split the platform. In short, your entire summoner should be unaffected.
How can I expect the service to improve following the split?
Queue times should be far shorter, and platform stability should be vastly improved as a result of the split. Additionally, the new, dual platform environment should eliminate the need for New York based overflow servers.
What will happen to my RP and IP totals when the split takes place?
When your account is moved to either EU West or EU Nordic & East, your RP and IP totals will travel with you. Your summoner should not be affected by the process.
Will store prices be the same on both EU West and EU Nordic & East? How about the purchase price of Riot Points?
Yes, the store will be identical on both platforms. This includes both the purchase price of Riot Points and the purchase price of all items in the store for both RP and IP.
Why do we have to split the platforms? Can’t you just create a new European platform for new signups?
Creating a new platform reserved only for new signups would prevent players from playing with new friends that they have referred, and would not solve the problem of overpopulation on the current European platform.
Splitting the platform into these two new platforms will increase the overall stability of the European service without closing off this social avenue for current players.
Riot sometimes offers players an IP boost when there are longer downtime windows than expected. Will you be issuing a boost following the split?
Since this isn’t part of our regularly scheduled downtime, when you log into your new European platform, you will find that you have a 14 Day IP Boost waiting for you. Think of this as a housewarming gift to help you get settled into your new platform.
Will I still be able to communicate with my friends through the PvP.net client if they are on the other platform?
No. Players on the opposite platform will not be able to receive messages from you through their PvP.net client. You can check which platform your friends have been assigned to by visiting this map if you know their country of origin. Otherwise, we recommend getting in touch with your friends to talk to them about which platform they’ve been assigned.
Will I be able to play against players from the other platform when I join the queue for a match?
No. EU West and EU Nordic & East will each have their own matchmaking services and competitive standings. The queues are not linked, and you will never be matched with players on the opposite platform.
When will I find out which platform I’ve been assigned?
We will be notifying each player of their destination platform via email before the split takes place. If you are no longer utilizing the email address you signed up to League of Legends with, please be sure to update your account information by visiting your account page. Alternatively, we have published a map of which platform players will be assigned based upon their country of origin.
Will the website be available while the split is in progress?
No. The website is also being split during this time. For this reason, the website, forums, and signup page will all be offline during the split.
What will happen to my buddy list during the split? Will I be able to see which of my friends are still on the same platform that I am?
When the split is completed your Friends List will be unaffected. Your Friends List will reflect the current status of those players playing on your destination platform, and list those players that are now on the opposite platform as offline.
In the event that you should choose to transfer to the opposite platform, your Friends List will once again update to reflect the status of friends playing on your new platform.
Am I able to request either EU West or EU Nordic & East prior to the split happens?
No. You will initially be assigned to either EU West or EU Nordic & East by us. Shortly after the split is complete, you will have the option to transfer to the opposite platform for free for a limited time. You can find the free account transfer in the ‘Other’ tab in the League of Legends store.
Does this mean that we won’t have to play on New York servers anymore?
Yes. Once the split is complete, each platform will be armed with a self-sufficient number of game servers. You should no longer find yourself on an emergency server in New York.
Will I be able to vote on Tribunal cases while the split is in progress?
Unfortunately, no. You will need to be logged in to vote on the Tribunal, and, like any other downtime, you will be unable to log in while the split is in progress.
Will I need to download a different client to play on one platform or the other?
No. Your patcher will automatically update with all the files you need to play on whichever platform you ultimately choose to play on. It is not necessary to re-download the League of Legends client.
What will be the main languages of the EU West and EU Nordic & East platforms?
The EU West platform will support four languages: English, Spanish, French, and German.
The EU Nordic & East platform will support both English and Polish, with additional languages to be added as we expand the service in these regions.
Can I have accounts on both EU West and EU Nordic & East? Can these accounts have the same name?
Yes, you will be able to create a new account on the opposite platform if you would like one. Bear in mind, however, that your summoner name will be reserved on that platform for a period of time in case you would like to transfer. You will not be able to use the same name for your new account until we decide to release these reserved summoner names and that name once again becomes available on the opposite platform.
When will I be able to create a new account on EU West or EU Nordic & East?
As soon as the platforms go live, you will be able to create a new account on either of the new platforms by visiting the signup site. You will find a new field that will allow you to select the platform on which you would like to create your new account.
Remember, however, that all user and summoner names that existed prior to the split will be reserved on both platforms in case that user elects to transfer.
Will you ever be splitting the platform again in the future?
We don’t anticipate having to split the platform again. That said, we’re committed to providing the highest level of service possible so we will evaluate that on an as needed basis.
Will subdividing the service mean longer matchmaking times since you’ve reduced the number of players playing at once?
No. With the size of each region, matchmaking will be still able to find matches for all those players who want to compete in a timely and expedient manner. Queue times shouldn’t be meaningfully affected by the split to EU West and EU East.
Why wasn’t Scandinavia included as part of EU West?
There were two primary reasons that we split the platform across the regions that we did. First and foremost, we wanted to ensure that the two new platforms that we created would be of relatively equal size. Additionally, the Nordic region continues to be one of our fastest growing areas in Europe. By splitting the platforms in the manner that we did, we were also able to keep the growth rate consistent across both of the new platforms.
We also took a very hard look at how people were making friends while playing League of Legends. Based upon our research (and much to our surprise), we actually found that Scandinavian summoners actually tended to have more friends in Eastern Europe. Keeping friends lists as intact as possible was one of the key motivators for how we ultimately decided to split the platform. We wanted to ensure that friends remained with friends in the broadest sense, so we placed the Nordic region onto the platform that would be least disruptive to existing friend groups. We acknowledge that this is not universally the case, but that is the reason that we are providing everyone with a one free transfer to the opposite server. You will also, of course, be able to join either platform as a new summoner if you so choose.
What is the reason behind the geographical divide? Why not open two new servers with no geographical component?
This was the first potential solution that we discussed. If we did this, however, both platforms would be subject to an immediate size disparity. With no way to ensure balanced populations, this would result in a worse experience for everyone.
The growth of each of these new servers would also be an unknown factor, since there would be no geographic precedent to allow us to forecast growth rates. This would only result in an even more uncertain future. Ultimately, the decision that we made was the best way to ensure a more stable League of Legends experience for all the summoners of Europe.
When the split happens, will it have any effect on my ranked Elo or ladder ranking?
When the split occurs, your ranked Elo rating will remain the same. Depending on the movement of players above you, however, your overall ladder ranking might fluctuate.
What if some members of my arranged team ended up on the other platform? How can I find them to play with them again?
We have provided a list of what platform players were assigned based on their country of origin.
Did you consider the impact that this split would have on the European competitive scene?
Absolutely. Europe is home to a thriving eSports community, and – as a competitive environment – it is growing constantly in scale, interest, and gameplay quality. The continued evolution of competitive League of Legends is something we have the utmost reverence for, especially in Europe. While the split will present challenges, there are also opportunities to be had with the emergence of second platform and competitive ladder. The competitive scene will live on both platforms, and Riot Games will continue to support community tournaments and professional eSports across both EU West and EU Nordic & East.
Teams from all over the world – including North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia – will continue to compete across all of our platforms in Season Two just as they did in Season One. While we still haven't decided how many teams from each region will compete in the finals, the European Regional Championship will include teams from all across Europe including both platforms. Additionally, all major competitions will continue to be played on our tournament realm, which can be accessed from any country in the world to help facilitate international competition. Just as the competition was fierce in North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia during Season One, there will be intense competition across both European platforms.
We know that you will likely have even more questions over the course of the coming days, and we will be keeping a close eye on the forums in an effort to answer as many of them as we can. This is a huge change, and we understand the volume and gravity of the concerns you may have. Remember that our ultimate goal is the creation of a stable, long-term solution to platform instability in Europe.
It’s what all of you deserve, and it’s what we intend to deliver.
You mentioned free transfers between the platforms. How are these free transfers going to work?
If you had an account on the EU Platform prior to the split, that account will be issued a free transfer. This transfer will be available through the store shortly after the split occurs. To take advantage of the free transfer, visit the ‘Other’ tab of the League of Legends Store.
Why can’t I transfer to another EU platform right away?
Unfortunately we won’t have our account transfer service functionality complete until after the split has occurred. We’ve been working on this feature for some time now, but with recent server stability issues, we decided it would be better to split EU as soon as it was possible, which is ultimately the reason why the Account Transfer feature won’t be available immediately following the split.
We’ll let you know when we have a more accurate estimate.
I don’t know whether I want to transfer or not. How do I find out which platform my friends are on?
We have provided a list of what platform players were assigned based on their country of origin.
When I transfer, will I be able to keep my summoner name?
Yes. If you have already created your summoner name on the existing EU Platform, it will be reserved for you on both EU West and EU Nordic & East in case you decide that you would like to take advantage of your free transfer.
If I transfer, what will happen to my current RP and IP values?
Your RP and IP values are tied to your account and will transfer with you. You should see no change to your currency numbers as a result of the process.
How long will it take for my account transfer to complete? Can I use my account during this time?
In most cases, transferring between EU West and EU Nordic & East should be a nearly immediate process. During the short time the transfer takes to complete, you will see a dialog box keeping you informed of the current status of the procedure. Once it is completed, you will be logged out of the League of Legends service and be able to log back in on your new platform.
What happens to my Friends List when I transfer?
When you transfer your Friends List will be unaffected. Your Friends List will reflect the current status of those players playing on your destination platform, and list those players that are now on the opposite platform as offline.
In the event that you should choose to transfer back to your previous platform, your Friends List will once again update to reflect the status of friends playing at your new platform.
What about my ranked Elo and ladder ranking? Will I be able to keep them if I transfer?
Your ranked Elo will remain the same when you transfer, but you might move up or down in the standings depending on how you measure up to the Elo ratings of those players on the destination platform.
Will I be able to transfer my account again after I have used the free transfer that I was issued following the EU Split?
Yes, but there will be a fee for doing so.
Will transfers to the North American platform be available at this time?
At present, no. We may support the ability to transfer from Europe to North America in the future, but we don’t have any definitive plans at this time.
Will I still be able to interact with my friends on the League of Legends forums?
The League of Legends forums will be split so that the EU West and EU Nordic & East platforms each have their own forums. In order to post on the forums of a specific platform, you will need an account there.
If you’re splitting the forums, what will happen to my posts on the current forum?
Since most of our supported languages are still located on the EU West platform, threads on the existing forums will be moved there. The current Polish forums will then be archived, since this language is no longer supported by EU West. New English and Polish language forums will be launched for the EU Nordic & East platform.
Will my current forum title transfer with my account to the new forums?
Yes, you will keep your forum title.
Why are you splitting the forums by platform?
We want to ensure that we have a method of messaging players on a specific platform, as well as a place for players on a specific platform to provide feedback to us.
What if I want to post on the other platform’s forums? What should I do?
Remember that League of Legends accounts are free! You can always register for an account on the opposite platform if you have friends there with whom you would like to keep in touch.
If I refer my friend, does he have to sign up to play on the same platform that I do for me to get credit for the referral?
No. You still get credit for a friend referral regardless of what platform your friend selects.
I referred my friend, but I can’t message them in game! What happened?
It is possible that your friend registered to play on the wrong platform. Make sure that you direct them to register on EU West or EU Nordic & East when they are signing up for their account.
I referred a friend to League of Legends, and they signed up for the wrong platform. How can I play with my friend?
Transfers aren’t just limited to those players who registered before the split to EU West and EU Nordic & East took place. You could always ask your friend to select a transfer from the ‘Other’ tab of the League of Legends store, or you could use your free transfer to join them yourself.
Will I be able to vote on Tribunal Cases for the other platform?
No. Your Tribunal account is associated with your platform, so you will only be able to vote on those cases that were reported on the platform you currently call home. You will still receive your reward as usual for any pending cases that you judged prior to the split.