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For most League of Legends players, the best place to review a match is the League client: download its replay from the End of Game screen or Match History, then use the timeline and camera controls to revisit key moments. To keep a shareable clip, record a built-in Highlight as a local video. For more controlled, cinematic replay footage, Riot’s Windows-only League Director offers advanced camera and capture tools.
These tools serve different purposes: a replay is for navigating a match, a Highlight is a short rendered video, and League Director is for staging footage from a replay. Riot’s published replay guidance is dated March 27, 2026; client features can change by release and region, so check current behavior in your client.
Which League of Legends recording tool should you use?
| Tool | Best for | What it produces | Setup |
|---|---|---|---|
| League client replay | Interactive review across a match | A replay used in the client | Built into the client |
| Built-in Highlight recorder | Saving a short moment to share or edit | A local .webm video |
Record while watching a replay |
| League Director | Controlled camera work and cinematic replay footage | .webm or .png capture |
Separate Windows tool; Replay API configuration may be needed |
These are feature-based distinctions from Riot’s documentation, not results of comparative performance testing. For ordinary learning and review, start with the client replay; use Highlights when you want a portable clip, and League Director when you need deliberate camera staging.
How to watch and review a match replay
- Find the match. Use the replay download button beside Advanced Details on the End of Game screen, or locate the match in Match History. Riot’s FAQ says ranked replays can also be downloaded from the Match History tab of a friend’s profile.
- Download and open it. After the replay is downloaded, the button changes to Watch Replay. The replay is an interactive client view, not a conventional video file.
- Navigate to the moment you want to inspect. Use the replay timeline and camera controls to revisit a play or follow champions. Riot’s pro tips say you can switch champions with number keys or Q/W/E/R/T; pressing the same key twice locks the camera. Riot also suggests using the middle mouse button while panning for smoother movement.
These controls are Riot’s published instructions, not independently tested recommendations. Replay camera control makes this option useful for examining positioning, fights, and decisions from different points of view.
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How to save a shareable Highlight
While watching a replay, use the client’s built-in recorder to start and stop a Highlight around the moment you want. Riot says Highlights are saved locally as .webm files; the client lets you choose where replays and Highlights are saved, and lets you view, rename, or delete captured Highlights in the profile section.
Riot’s March 27, 2026 FAQ says Highlight capture defaults to 720p. You can adjust the quality in-game while watching a replay, before starting the capture. Riot names VLC as a working player and says WebM also plays in modern HTML5-compatible browsers.
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- Analog Audio In: Capture in-game chat or commentary with 3.5mm input
A Highlight captures only the segment you record, while a replay lets you move around the match. Saving a local video is a practical way to keep a particular moment you may want after the client replay is no longer available.
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When League Director is the better choice
Riot describes League Director as a tool for staging and recording videos from League of Legends replays. Its documented options include playback and speed controls, first-person camera controls, attaching the camera to a champion or minion, hiding interface elements, graphics settings, and a sequencer for keyframed camera positions. Captures can be WebM or PNG.
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Set up League Director
- Install and start League Director. Riot’s repository documents a Windows-only workflow.
- Launch League and open a replay. Use the in-game FPS Camera mode as described in the project instructions.
- Configure replay access if needed. If League Director does not connect, its FAQ says
EnableReplayApi=1ingame.cfgmay be required. Riot’s Developer Portal also documents enabling the Replay API with this setting; the API includes endpoints for playback, rendering, recording, and sequences. - Adjust graphics settings only if you need the extra rendering features. Riot’s repository says Very High graphics settings are required for features such as skyboxes, and the replay must be restarted after changing graphics settings for those changes to take effect.
League Director is a more involved workflow than recording a client Highlight. Its documented purpose is to work with replays, so it should not be treated as a general-purpose recorder for live matches.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How long do League replays last?
Riot’s Replay FAQ, dated March 27, 2026, says replays last for one patch cycle and expire when the player patches up. It also says only the last 20 games are available in the client. Those are Riot’s published limits; check current client behavior because features can change between releases and regions. If a moment matters to you, export it as a local Highlight before the replay becomes unavailable.
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Riot lists patch 26.20 for October 7, 2026, on its 2026 patch schedule, while warning that planned dates can change. Community reports have associated that patch with a possible restriction limiting replays to matches the player personally played, but Riot’s official documentation cited here does not confirm that policy. Treat that claim as unverified unless Riot confirms it.
What replays do not include
Riot’s FAQ says in-game chat is not included in replays. A replay is therefore not a full record of everything said during a match. If you need a video record of a specific visual moment, use a Highlight; neither the cited replay guidance nor the documented Highlight features establish that chat is captured.
Quick Recap
Official documentation
- Riot Games Player Support: Replays FAQ & Pro-Tips
- RiotGames: League Director README
- Riot Games Developer Portal: League of Legends Developer Documentation
- Riot Games Player Support: Patch Schedule – League of Legends
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