Loan Policy Explained
Photo Credit: Riot Games

Riot Games' Player Loan Policy, published as Appendix E of the LoL Esports Global Policies, was last updated on December 10, 2025. The rules themselves are not new.

Loans have been allowed in LoL esports for a number of years. December's changelog simply records the policy's most recent revision, not its creation. EMEA, for context, has operated under loan rules since December 2023. The current version of the document gives the ecosystem a single, consolidated reference point for how loans are governed across regions.

The tier system: where loans can and cannot happen

The most consequential rule in the policy is also the most restrictive. Loans between Tier 1 teams are strictly prohibited. Any player who has competed in one or more official Tier 1 match for their parent team during the most recent split cannot be loaned to another Tier 1 team during the current transfer window.

RFT.GG asked Riot why this is the case, given that loans between top-flight clubs are routine in traditional sports.

"Restricting Tier 1-to-Tier 1 loans is part of the global loan policy and is not specific to the EMEA region," Riot EMEA explained. "As it's still a relatively new policy, this approach helps us limit certain types of loans while we assess the policy's overall impact."

The restriction may evolve.

The academy nuance

One important exception is worth understanding. The Tier 1-to-Tier 1 ban applies only to players who have actually competed in Tier 1 matches. A Tier 1 organization with an academy roster in a Tier 2 league — such as the LFL, LES, Prime League, LCK CL or LDL — can loan one of its academy players to another Tier 1 team. At the global level, the only requirement is that the player must not have played any official Tier 1 match for their parent team during the most recent split. Regional rulebooks can add further restrictions on top, as detailed below.

Riot EMEA confirmed this interpretation directly. "A loan of that nature could occur, provided it complies with the rest of the loan policy as well as the relevant clauses in the and ERL rulebooks," it said.