League of Legends
Games review
As of Jun 23, 2026, League of Legends is rated 84/100 on OpenCritic (11 critic reviews), and 78/100 on Metacritic (37 critic reviews). Each source is shown in its own units, never blended into one score.
Is League of Legends worth it in 2026?
An 84 on OpenCritic from 11 critics and a 78 on Metacritic from 37 critics confirm a game with real quality behind its popularity, and genre-defining praise from four separate reviews is hard to dismiss. The depth, character variety, and ongoing development are genuine strengths, while the large and active community is both a draw and a liability: toxic player behavior is a documented complaint across multiple reviews, not a matchmaking lottery you might get lucky on. The steep learning curve is severe enough that critics explicitly recommend practicing elsewhere before jumping in, meaning new players face a near-certain early stretch of being outmatched and flamed simultaneously. If you want to enjoy a game within your first few sessions, this is the wrong game; if you're willing to invest serious time and develop thick skin, the strategic depth rewards that commitment.
Players ready to invest serious time before becoming competent, who want a deep team-based strategy game and can tolerate a notoriously hostile online community.
Toxic player behavior is a recurring complaint noted by multiple critics, not an edge case, and the learning curve is steep enough that critics advise learning the ropes somewhere else first; casual or solo players sensitive to verbal abuse should look elsewhere.
ReviewPond's conclusion, drawn only from the verified scores and review themes below. Not a paid or editorial opinion.
Different sources measure different things, so each is shown in its own units and never merged into one number.
Pros
- genre-defining status4
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- More time, heart and money has gone into this than any other free game I can remember playing, and I think Riot Games is going to make good on its promise of post-release developme...
- The cornerstone of its genre.
- League of Legends, the incredibly popular PC title from Riot Games, continues to shine as the crown jewel of the MOBA genre.
- depth and strategy3
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- League of Legends is an amazing and intense MOBA with great depth, tons of character, and a huge community.
- LoL has improved in some ways more than others over the past eight years, but it remains one of the best strategic duelers.
- It may be worth learning the ropes elsewhere before diving in, but if defending those Ancients tickles your RPG/RTS crossover gland (found in the mouse-finger), then LoL is a well-...
- large community3
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- League of Legends is an amazing and intense MOBA with great depth, tons of character, and a huge community.
- League of Legends is the most popular game in the world, and for good reason, but it's absolutely not without its fair share of annoyances.
- The time I spent with this game has been fun, and with a good community base, it can only get better with time.
Cons
- toxic community2
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- League of Legends is the most popular game in the world, and for good reason, but it's absolutely not without its fair share of annoyances.
- League of Legends is amazing and fun, with a lot of variety and options in characters that can be played. That being said, the community is a big deterring factor given it's a 5v5...
- steep learning curve2
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- It may be worth learning the ropes elsewhere before diving in, but if defending those Ancients tickles your RPG/RTS crossover gland (found in the mouse-finger), then LoL is a well-...
- In the end I have to give League of Legends a mixed review.
- notable annoyances2
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- League of Legends is the most popular game in the world, and for good reason, but it's absolutely not without its fair share of annoyances.
- In the end I have to give League of Legends a mixed review.
Themes and quotes are drawn from 11 sampled reviews with text; the scores above reflect all 48 ratings. Counts are how many of the sampled reviews mention each point.