Fix a League of Legends Black Screen After Champion Select
Source-checked · About 15 minutes
Answer
If League of Legends turns black or never opens the loading screen after champion select, open the Riot Client, select your profile icon > Settings > League of Legends > Repair, and test a custom game. If the black screen returns, turn off Compatibility mode for League of Legends.exe, update the graphics driver, and temporarily start Windows without optional background apps. The problem is fixed when the champion-select countdown leads to the match loading screen instead of a black window or Reconnect button.
Start a custom game and complete champion select. Use this guide if the countdown reaches zero but the match loading screen stays black, never opens, or the League client shows Reconnect. If League does not reach champion select, stop here because that is a different launch failure.
2
Repair League in the Riot Client
Open the Riot Client and sign in. Select the profile icon in the upper-right corner, choose Settings, select League of Legends in the left column, then choose Repair. Wait for the repair to finish before starting another custom game.
3
Turn off Compatibility mode
Open File Explorer and go to the folder that contains League of Legends.exe, normally Riot Games > League of Legends > Game. Right-click League of Legends.exe, choose Properties > Compatibility, clear Run this program in compatibility mode for, then select Apply > OK. Do not enable an older Windows mode.
4
Update the graphics driver League uses
Open Task Manager > Performance and note whether the active GPU is NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel. Install the current Windows driver from that manufacturer's official support site, restart the PC, and test one custom game before changing anything else.
5
Temporarily start Windows without optional background apps
Follow Riot's clean-boot guide. A clean boot starts Windows with non-Microsoft background services temporarily disabled; it does not erase files. Open only the Riot Client and test a custom game. If the loading screen works, turn the disabled services back on in small groups until you find the overlay, security utility, or background app that conflicts with League.
6
Allow the exact Riot programs if security software blocks them
In your antivirus or firewall's allowed-app list, add the installed copies of LeagueClient.exe, LeagueClientUx.exe, LeagueClientUxRenderer.exe, Game > League of Legends.exe, and RiotClientServices.exe. Also add vgc.exe and vgm.exe, which belong to Riot Vanguard. Use your security product's own instructions to find this list, and do not leave antivirus or the firewall switched off.
7
Verify the loading screen
Run another custom game. The repair is successful when champion select closes, the match loading screen appears, and the game reaches the map without a black window or Reconnect loop. If it still fails, use Riot Repair Tool to collect League logs and attach its ZIP file to a Riot Support ticket with the failure time.
If it does not work
If Repair is missing, make sure League of Legends is selected in the left column of Riot Client Settings rather than the general Riot Client page.
If the black window appears only when a specific overlay is active, leave that overlay disabled for League. Do not edit game.cfg or make it read-only; that was the obsolete workflow in the retained video.
If a VAN code appears instead of the loading screen, use Riot's instruction for that exact code. Vanguard codes are not repaired by changing League video settings.
ⓘ Sources and verification
Checked against official documentation on . Scope: League of Legends on Windows PC.
This guide covers the specific failure where champion select completes but the match loading screen is black, missing, or replaced by Reconnect. A black client before champion select or a numbered Vanguard error needs its own error-specific guide.
