LoL is a pretty popular 3D multiplayer online battle arena game with a couple of modes: Twisted Treeline, Summoner’s Rift, and Howling Abyss. Basically, the goal in each is to bypass those annoying defensive structures to blow up the enemy core in their base—nothing complicated, right? The matches can stretch from around 26 minutes up to an hour, so it’s a decent time sink. If you’re trying to get it running on Linux in 2025, things get a little tricky because Riot doesn’t officially support Linux. That’s where methods like Lutris, Snap, or Wine come into play, especially on Ubuntu-based distros. They help to kinda bridge that gap, making it possible to install and run LoL without resorting to some crazy workarounds. And the best part? These options are tested, at least on Ubuntu, and support automatic updates so you don’t have to worry about your install breaking every time Linux or Wine gets an update.
How to Play League of Legends on Linux with Lutris or SNAP
Method #1: Playing with SNAP
This method is groovy if you want a mostly hands-off setup, since Snap packages batch a bunch of dependencies, including the Windows compatibility layer. The critical part here is making sure your graphics drivers are properly installed and supporting 3D acceleration—you don’t want that stuttering lag or black screens in the middle of a game because of bad drivers. While checking, you’re basically making sure your GPU can handle the game. On most systems, you can verify this by running:
Sudo lshw -c videoThis command lists your video hardware and driver info. For 3D support, you should see a line about OpenGL or 3D acceleration enabled. If things look sketchy, installing the “nux-tools” package can help confirm if your system supports Unity support (which is kinda essential for some Linux games).Run:
Sudo apt install nux-toolsThen, test it with:
/usr/lib/nux/unity_support_test –pIf that command reports support, you’re good to go. If not, you might need to update your graphics drivers—on Ubuntu, that’s usually just the latest proprietary drivers from the “Additional Drivers” menu in “Settings”.As for snaps, on systems between Ubuntu 14.04 and 15.10, you may need to install or update snapd with:
sudo apt install snapdIf you’re on Ubuntu 16.04 or newer (including 18.04), snapd should be there already. Now, install the wine platform snap:
snap install wine-platform-5-stagingNext, refresh it so you’re running the latest compatibility layer with:
sudo snap refresh --candidate wine-platform-runtimeIf you’re feeling extra cautious, update the staging build with:
sudo snap refresh --candidate wine-platform-5-stagingFinally, install LoL itself in development mode (which is a little riskier, but gives you the latest tweaks):
snap install leagueoflegends --edge --devmodeHow To Start LoL After Installation
Once the snap is installed, find LoL in your app menu. Expect a tiny window saying “loading Windows environment”—kind of weird, but that’s just Wine initializing. After that, a window pops up asking you to select your game’s region—usual suspects like EU West, North America, EU Nordic & East. Choose your region, hit “install, ” and the game will start downloading. If all goes well, it’ll launch once everything’s set up.
If for some reason you want to uninstall, just run:
Snap remove leagueoflegendsThis snap method is pretty slick because it’s cross-distro and auto-updates in the background, which is nice because Riot’s launcher isn’t exactly Linux-friendly. Of course, every once in a while, you might run into some hiccup with updates or driver issues. Rebooting or updating your GPU drivers usually fixes a lot of those problems.
Method #2: Playing with Lutris
For those who prefer a more customizable setup or want to nudge around settings, Lutris is the way to go. It handles Wine configurations, installers, and scripts more gracefully—kind of like a gamer’s Swiss Army knife. The first step is making sure you have a fresh, updated Linux install (preferably Ubuntu).Then, you need the latest graphics drivers installed—because of course, Linux has to make it harder than necessary.
Head over to the Lutris downloads page and grab the installer for your OS. Once installed, open Lutris, log in if needed, then search for the League of Legends page within Lutris itself. Hit “install, ” and it will do most of the heavy lifting, including setting up a proper Wine prefix—think of it as a tailored Windows environment for LoL. Follow the prompts, and the Windows installer for LoL will pop up. Just follow the usual steps like you’re on Windows, ignoring and clicking through the setup windows.
Once it’s done, Lutris makes a shortcut for the game, which you can launch directly. Sometimes there’s a bit of patching or configuration fiddling, but it’s usually pretty smooth. Keep in mind, updates can sometimes break things, so staying on top of Lutris and Wine updates helps avoid crashes or login issues.
Alternative Option: Using Wine Directly
If Lutris feels overkill or not your thing, you can also set up LoL through plain old Wine. To do that, open the “runners” menu in Wine’s manager (looks like gears), pick the latest Wine version you installed, and then configure it for LoL. You can use tools like Winetricks to add missing DLLs or tweak graphics. Remember to select the latest Wine version after installing it in the “Runner options, ” then apply and save. That way, you can launch LoL directly from your Wine installed via Lutris or manually run the game through the command line.
Either way, it takes a bit of patience, but once set, it’s pretty satisfying to run LoL natively on Linux without dual-booting or wasting time with virtual machines. Not sure why it works, but on some setups, just updating Wine or switching to a different runner version makes the game more stable—go figure.
LoL Tips for Beginners that are starting
Getting into the game means understanding some of the slang and how to communicate efficiently. Using abbreviations like CS (Creep Score), Gank, and CC (Crowd Control) can save time and make pings or chat more effective. Don’t overlook the importance of talking with your team—it can turn a bad game into a winning one if everyone’s on the same page. Even just calling out missing enemies or your intentions helps a lot.
Wrap-up
Setting up LoL on Linux isn’t as straightforward as clicking “install, ” but with tools like Lutris or Snap, it gets pretty manageable. The process relies heavily on Wine configurations and driver support, so making sure those are working correctly makes a big difference. Of course, some trial and error might be involved—expect to tweak things occasionally. Worked for me — hope it works for you.
Summary
- Make sure your graphics drivers support 3D acceleration
- Use Lutris or Snap for easier installation and updates
- Follow the installation steps carefully, especially configuring Wine versions
- Expect some tweaking—drivers, Wine settings, or game patches might need adjustments
- Enjoy gaming without switching to Windows, even if it takes some patience at first