WASD Controls in League of Legends: What You Need to Know
So Riot’s finally doing it. After 16 years of click-to-move, League of Legends is getting WASD controls, and yeah, it’s exactly what it sounds like. You’ll be able to move your champion with W, A, S, and D instead of clicking around the map.
If you’ve played any shooter, MMO, or action RPG, this setup will feel super familiar. W moves you up, A left, S back, D right. Simple. But in League of Legends, it completely changes how you feel connected to your champ. Instead of clicking spots and waiting for your champ to follow your orders, you’re directly controlling every step they take.
That difference is bigger than it sounds. With traditional controls, you’re kind of “commanding” your champion. With WASD, you are your champion. Dodging, juking, and weaving around skillshots, it all feels more immediate. It’s like the difference between driving a car with a remote and actually sitting behind the wheel.
Why Riot Added WASD Movement
The short version? Accessibility. Riot realized that click-to-move scares off a ton of potential players who are used to WASD movement from other games. Executive Producer Paul Bellezza even said it straight up: “Click to move just isn’t what a lot of players are used to, and it puts them off.”
Think about it, pretty much every PC game these days uses WASD. Riot even noticed that long-time players instinctively rest their fingers on those keys when they hop back into League. The muscle memory is that ingrained.
Producer Darcy Ludington summed it up best: Riot’s goal is to “make League feel more intuitive for new or returning players, without changing what makes League, League.” So this isn’t Riot trying to reinvent the wheel, they’re just making it easier for more people to pick up the game.
But it’s not just about accessibility. WASD gives you a stronger connection to your champion. Dodging skillshots feels more responsive, not pre-planned. It’s a totally different kind of control, and that’s something Riot clearly wants to explore.
They’ve been testing this for a while internally, with new players, and even pros, to make sure it actually feels good to play and doesn’t break the game. Riot’s main promise is that no one will ever be forced to switch. They want WASD to be an option, not an advantage.
How to Turn On WASD Controls
Alright, if you’re curious and want to give it a try, here’s how to set it up:
- Hop on the PBE. You’ll need the latest build.
- Open Settings → Hotkeys. You’ll see a new section for “Primary Hotkeys” with options for Classic or Modern controls.
- Enable WASD movement. You can remap stuff however you like,e, abilities, interactions, even Hexgate bindings.
Heads up: auto-attack is on by default, so you might start whacking minions when you don’t mean to. Most players are turning that off immediately.
Once you’re set up, movement’s handled by your keyboard, while abilities still use the mouse. You can hold left-click on a target to keep attacking while strafing with WASD. There’s also a “scout ahead” toggle (middle mouse button by default) that lets you pan your camera toward your cursor, super handy for ADCs who want to kite and reposition cleanly.
If stuff bugs out, don’t panic. Switch back to classic controls, reset to default, then re-enable WASD. Riot’s still ironing out some issues like weird auto-attacks and inconsistent animation cancels, especially on champs like Viego.
How WASD Changes Gameplay
Here’s where things get spicy. WASD movement doesn’t just change how you play, it changes the entire rhythm of the game.
Kiting Becomes Way Easier
ADC mains, this one’s for you. Kiting with mouse clicks takes god-tier mechanics attack, click, attack, click, repeat. With WASD, you just hold a movement key and aim with your mouse. Suddenly, your Jinx and Kalista look like they’re on roller skates.
Early testers have said it feels “insanely smooth” and maybe even too good. Riot’s already keeping a close eye on it to make sure kiting doesn’t become busted.
Dodging Skillshots Feels Instant
Blitz hooks, Syndra stuns, Lux lasers, you name it. With WASD, dodging feels natural and fast. No more frantic clicking. Just a quick tap to the side and you’re out.
That said, this might hurt champs who rely on landing skillshots. If dodging becomes too easy, expect some balance tweaks down the line.
Some Champs Win, Some Lose
Ranged champs and hypercarries are thriving, Zeri, Jinx, Kog’Maw, you name it. Their movement feels smoother, and their damage uptime is insane.
Mages, though? Not as happy. Skillshots are harder to hit, and melee champs can feel a little awkward with directional inputs.
Basically, if your champ needs precision movement, WASD feels amazing. If your kit revolves around landing big, slow spells, you might be in for a rough time.
The Balancing Challenge
Riot’s walking a tightrope here. If WASD ends up being objectively better for certain champs, it could split the meta in half. Imagine needing to switch control schemes depending on what champion you lock in, that’s a nightmare for both players and devs.
Pros have already voiced concerns, calling this “potentially Riot’s biggest balancing headache ever.” Riot knows it too, and that’s why they’re rolling this out slowly.
The plan:
- PBE testing first, with bugs and tweaks coming in hot.
- Then non-ranked modes once it’s stable.
- Finally, ranked and pro play once everything’s balanced.
They’re tracking win rates, role performance, and champion data across both control schemes to make sure no one setup becomes mandatory.
Final Thoughts
WASD controls are a massive change for a game that’s barely touched its core gameplay in over a decade. For some players, this will be a total game-changer, especially ADC mains and anyone coming from other genres. For others, it might just feel weird or unnecessary.
But that’s the beauty of it, it’s optional. You can stick with classic controls or try something new. Riot’s not forcing anyone’s hand, they’re just giving us more ways to play, and honestly? That’s kind of refreshing.
