League of Legends releases a major “season” update every year, while some minor updates are weekly. These patches will fix known bugs in the game, add new items and mechanics, and rework characters, among others. While most updates aren’t new, there’s no denying that some updates can reinvent the game entirely.
But Riot Games isn’t adding these new features without testing. Each update is tested and reviewed by Riot’s own developers and regular League of Legends players using the PBE server.
League of Legends’ PBE (Public Test Environment) servers are where Riot first releases all new updates, so users can test them and catch any early bugs before the official release. PBE runs separately from normal affiliate games, and users need to meet certain criteria to log in.
If you are interested, you can check for yourself to qualify for PBE, and if you meet the conditions, you can download the client and start playing right away.
How to check if you’re eligible for the League of Legends PBE
To play games on PBE, your account must be “in good standing”, that is, you cannot be banned or have any restrictions (for example, revoke your chat permissions). And, you also need to earn at least three levels of honors.
Next, let’s take a look at whether you meet the requirements:
1. Go to the PBE registration page and log in to your Riot Games account and check if you are eligible.
Check to see if you qualify
2. If you are eligible, you will be informed that your account is now linked to PBE. Otherwise, it will tell you or just refresh the page without making any changes.
The PBE registration page sometimes gets an error, so if you know you’re eligible but don’t succeed, try again later. If you qualify, you can start playing.
How to play on the League of Legends PBE Server
The PBE uses a different server than regular League, meaning that you’ll have to download a new program to use it.
1. On the registration page we talked about above, click Already have a PBE account? Download here. You’ll find direct download links for both the Windows PBE client and macOS PBE client.
2. Download the file and open it, then click Install.
3. A new icon labeled League of Legends PBE should appear on your desktop. Open it and log into your Riot Games account.
4. When you reach the intro screen, click the small arrow icon next to Play and select League of Legends PBE from the menu.
Select the PBE option.
5. Let the client install any updates, and agree to any of the Terms of Service that it presents you. When asked, choose your PBE username — it can be the same as your regular username or different.
6. Play through the tutorial, or press Esc to exit the game early.
Yes, you now have a fully functional PBE account. You can easily start the game on the PBE server and test the new features.
