League of Legends App Maker Says Riot API Approval Can Take Up to 9 Months
The developer argues that bulk data exports and clearer support channels could improve third-party tools without removing Riot's API safeguards.
A League of Legends player who says they built a personal match-stats app argues that Riot’s third-party developer system can leave independent tools waiting months for production API access, with approval taking as long as nine months. Their call for more support comes as Riot tightens separate routes to game data through replay and game-memory restrictions.
With the replay changes, Riot is closing the door on bad actors. Can we start holding the door open for good actors?
byu/siradmiralbanana inleagueoflegends
Riot’s support article says its game-memory restrictions do not affect known, currently approved tools. Patch 26.20 separately limits replay downloads to people who played in a match, while ending access for other players and third-party services; players can still download their own client replays, as detailed in the Patch 26.20 replay changes. Riot’s API is a different route that outside tools use to retrieve match and player data. Riot has also recommended third-party sites in its Patch 14.16 notes, giving those services a clear role in the player experience.
By the author’s account, a standard developer key permits 72,000 requests per day, while a production key starts at 4.3 million, with higher limits available on request. They compare the smaller key’s limit with a daily figure of 6.3 million games played over the preceding week, which they attribute to LoLalytics. Match lookups are only part of an app’s workload, they note, since tools also need requests for player information. The author accepts that Riot needs rate limits to protect its services. Their complaint is that developers must first build a production-ready app, then may wait up to nine months for approval, without a guarantee of acceptance or a clear explanation for a rejection.
The post also describes outdated API documentation, unanswered issues on Riot’s GitHub project, and a lack of official channels for developers to get help. The author calls Data Dragon, Riot’s asset service, unusable and says third-party tools turn to CommunityDragon, a community-built alternative whose approval status they want Riot to clarify.
Rather than simply asking Riot to speed up every review, the author proposes downloadable bulk data for player, match, and mastery records, released daily or by patch. Those files could reduce developers’ dependence on live API requests while easing demand on Riot’s servers. Other suggestions include correcting the documentation, asking developers clearer questions before an application review, making the official bug-reporting channel clear, and fixing or retiring Data Dragon. If bulk exports are not feasible, they argue Riot should raise the baseline production limit to better fit the game’s data volume.
What should Riot prioritize to make its third-party League tools more useful? For updates on the ongoing questions around replay access and developer support, follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam, and Telegram.
League of Legends
Developed by Riot Games
League of Legends is a fast-paced, competitive online game that blends the speed and intensity of an RTS with RPG elements. Two teams of powerful champions, each with a unique design and playstyle, battle head-to-head across multiple battlefields and game modes. With an ever-expanding roster of champions, frequent updates and a thriving tournament scene, League of Legends offers endless replayability for players of every skill level.
- Genre Role-playing (RPG), Strategy, MOBA
- Platforms PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac
- Perspective Bird view / Isometric
- Modes Multiplayer, Co-operative
- Release October 27, 2009
- Publisher Riot Games, Tencent Holdings, GOA Games Services Ltd.
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Age Rating
