Why League of Legends no longer works on Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 as of Patch 14.4

If you’re using an older Windows operating system, you’ve likely noticed that League of Legends has left you behind. As of the launch of Patch 14.4 on Feb. 22, Riot Games has cut out support for any League players who used Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 8.1. 

Windows 7 was first launched in 2009, while Windows 8 was introduced in 2012. Since then, the brand of operating systems has evolved considerably, with Windows 10 and 11 being released in 2015 and 2021, respectively. As of Patch 14.4, the minimally required operating system that you’ll need to use to launch League on your PC is Windows 10, according to Riot’s recently updated official system requirements. 

Why did Riot discontinue LoL service for Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1? 

The main reason why Riot decided to cut support for outdated operating systems is because the number of players who were using them simply wasn’t worth it to keep the technology running. The relatively small sector of the player base still on these operating systems couldn’t justify the continuation of support.

“While we want to ensure League is accessible as possible to as many players as possible, at some point, continuing to support legacy operating systems that very few players are still using heavily limits our ability to serve the vast majority of the player base,” head of League studio Andrei “Meddler” Van Roon said in an update last December. 

Other reasons cited by Riot for this change included a need to “align with Microsoft’s supported products,” as well as the requirement to “maintain the stability and performance of our games.” 

Will I still be able to launch the League client? What about TFT? 

If you’re using Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 8.1 as your current operating system, you will no longer be able to launch the League client as of Patch 14.4. This hard-blocking wall will require you to make an upgrade to your OS if you want to play League. The cutting of service to all Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 users goes well beyond the in-game aspect of League, too. The new patch made it so that anyone who uses these operating systems will no longer be able to launch the client at all. 

Unfortunately for these users, since Teamfight Tactics is also played through the League client, TFT players who had been using older Windows operating systems will also need to make an upgrade.