There have been some issues lately with League of Legends. After a pro player got banned for playing too good, others are now getting their accounts blocked due to some issues with the game as well, thinking they're scripters.
League of Legends is available for both Windows and Mac. While in 2024, the game will be unplayable for those who have an operating system older than Windows 10, the game is still accessible to thousands of people, but it seems that the anti-cheat system in the game is going a bit haywire.
While the game is not officially available for Linux, there are ways to bypass this and Linux users can still play League without worries, but the official anti-cheat for League of Legends has something else to say about this it seems.
LoL: Linux Players Beware! You Could Be Banned
Playing League of Legends on Linux isn't easy. Since there is no official download, players have to jump through some specific loopholes to be able to get the game onto their computers. This has never been an issue before, though, with multiple people playing the game on Linux instead of Windows or Mac.
Recently, though, quite a few people have been flagged by the game's anti-cheat and had their accounts immediately suspended by Riot Games. This comes from the way that the game has to be installed on the computer, which makes the anti-cheat system think that the player has illegal scripts installed and is therefore cheating.
How To Download League of Legends On Linux
To understand how this works, you've got to know how to download the game onto a Linux computer. The operating system is different from Mac and Windows, which many prefer since it gives them much more freedom with their own PC, and also seems to run smoother.
So if someone has Linux and wants to play League, they'll have to follow these steps to be able to play:
- Update Your Linux System: Ensure your Linux distribution is up-to-date to avoid compatibility issues.
- Install Wine: Wine is a compatibility layer that allows you to run Windows applications on Linux. You can install Wine through your Linux distribution's package manager.
- Install a Helper Application (like Lutris or PlayOnLinux):
- Lutris: Lutris is a gaming client for Linux that simplifies installing and managing games. It has scripts for installing “League of Legends” that handle much of the setup process.
- PlayOnLinux: Similar to Lutris, PlayOnLinux provides a user-friendly interface to manage Wine configurations and installations.
- Install League of Legends:
- If using Lutris: Search for “League of Legends” in Lutris and follow the installation script.
- If using PlayOnLinux: Install “League of Legends” using the PlayOnLinux wizard, which guides you through downloading and setting up the game.
- Adjust Settings if Necessary: Depending on your system and the version of “League of Legends,” you might need to tweak Wine settings or install additional libraries.
- Run the Game: Once installed, you can run “League of Legends” through Lutris or PlayOnLinux.
As you can see, playing League of Legends on Linux isn't the simplest things, but it is doable. Once you've followed the steps, you can play... unless the game flags you as cheating, and then you get your account banned.
Players Send Complain Tickets To Riot
For some players that this has happened to, they've managed to get their accounts back after sending tickets to Riot and receiving positive feedback. While there is no official Linux download for League of Legends, the way described up top is not against the terms of service of the game, so players shouldn't be banned for this.
Of course, the hardest thing is going to be actually receiving a decent answer from Riot support, especially over the holidays where it feels like no one is working at Riot Games, and they have automated AI messages sent to players who are facing issues with their accounts.