Patch 26.21 caps League replay downloads at 10 per hour. Your own games, your friends' games and other players' games all still download, and this is the step-by-step for saving and watching them, plus how to keep a replay once the next patch arrives.
League Guide
Replay Download Limit
Patch 26.21 · October 21Patch 26.21 limits replay downloads to 10 per hour. Replays don't go private: you can still download your own, your friends' and other players'. To keep one past the next patch, record it as a video clip (the client has a recorder built in).
The 26.20 notes had announced something much stricter, with replays locked to the players who were in the match. Riot pushed that back a patch on October 7 to work something out for creators and coaches (the backstory is in our post on the delay), and the 26.21 notes ship an hourly cap in its place.
What Changes in 26.21
| Replay of | Before 26.21 | From 26.21 |
|---|---|---|
| A game you played in | Download and watch | Download and watch |
| A friend's game | Download from their Match History | Still downloads |
| Any other player's game | Download from their profile | Still downloads |
| How many per hour | No hourly cap | 10 downloads |
| Highlights you already recorded | Plain video files | Still play, they're yours |
Note the word "during". Riot doesn't promise the cap on day one of the patch, only at some point inside it.
How to Download and Watch a Replay
- Finish the game. On the End of Game screen there's a download button in the upper right, next to Advanced Details. Hit it before you leave the screen if you already know you want the game.
- Or go back for it later. Click your profile icon and open Match History. The client keeps your last 20 games there, and each one has its own download button. A friend's profile works the same way.
- Wait for the .rofl file. That's the replay. When it's done the button flips to Watch Replay. Each one counts toward the 10 an hour, so grab the games you actually mean to watch.
- Click Watch Replay. The game opens in replay mode with a timeline along the bottom, and you can scrub to any point in the match.
- Move the camera. Press 1 to 5 or Q to T to jump between champions, or click a portrait on either side of the screen. Press the same key twice to lock the camera on that player.
Lock the camera on one player and their kills light up on the timeline while everything else fades. Quickest way I know to find the fight you lost.
How to Keep a Replay Past the Next Patch
A .rofl file only plays on the patch it was recorded on. Riot's replay FAQ says they "last for the length of a patch cycle," so a game from 26.21 won't open after 26.22 lands on November 4. If you want it longer than that, turn it into video.
- Open the replay while you're still on the same patch.
- Set the video quality first. Clips record at 720p unless you change it, and the setting lives in the replay's in-game options. Change it before you press record (it won't apply to a clip that's already rolling).
- Press Ctrl + V to start recording and Ctrl + V again to stop. Do it once per clip.
- Find the file. Clips save as .webm to
C:\Users\(your name)\Documents\LeagueofLegends\Highlights, and the client shows that path when it confirms a capture. Your profile has a Highlights tab that lists them too, and you can rename or delete them from there. - Move the save folder if you want. Open client Settings and go to Replays to send replays and clips somewhere else, like a second drive.
A .webm opens in Chrome or Firefox if you drag it into a tab, and VLC plays it too. It doesn't care what patch you're on (so a clip from 26.21 still plays next year).
Coaches, Creators and Duo Partners
You can still pull a student's or a duo partner's game straight from their profile, same as before. Riot says it picked a time-based limit so creators can keep making content while mass downloading stops.
Ten an hour is plenty for one review session. A coach going through a whole week of a player's games hits it fast, though. Spread the downloads over a few hours, or have the player record the fights that matter as clips and send the files over. Those don't expire with the patch, and a .webm opens pretty much anywhere.
Our 26.21 patch notes have every other change in the patch.
FAQ
Are League replays going private in 26.21?
No. The 26.20 notes announced that, Riot delayed it on October 7, and the 26.21 notes replaced it with a limit of 10 downloads per hour. Your own replays and other players' replays both still download.
How many replays can I download?
10 per hour, from Patch 26.21. Match History in the client goes back 20 games.
When does the replay download limit start?
Riot's notes say "starting during Patch 26.21". The patch itself is scheduled for Wednesday, October 21, 2026.
Can I still download a friend's replay?
Yes. Open their profile, go to Match History and use the download button on the game, and it counts toward your 10 an hour.
Why won't my old replay open?
Replays expire when the game patches. A .rofl from the previous patch won't load on the current one, so recording a clip is the only way to keep a game.
Does a replay include chat?
No. Replays only show the gameplay.
Why is Riot limiting replay downloads?
Riot says bad actors were using apps to scrape thousands of replays at a time. A per-hour cap stops that in bulk and leaves normal use alone.
Sources: League of Legends Patch 26.21 and 26.20 notes, Riot Support's Replays FAQ and patch schedule, and the League of Legends X account.
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