How to Show Champion Names in League of Legends

How to show champion names above health bars

1. Start a match, custom game, or Practice Tool session.
2. Press Esc to open the in-game Options menu.
3. Select Interface in the left column.
4. Scroll to the health-bar and name-display settings.
5. Open Show Names Above Healthbar.
6. Select Champion Name, then apply or confirm the change.

You can make the change in Practice Tool if you do not want to adjust menus during a live match. Riot originally added the champion-name option in Patch 10.18, and the supported interface control is safer than editing configuration files.

If you prefer a cleaner screen later, return to the same menu and select the option that hides nameplates. Choose the player-name option to restore Riot ID or player labels above health bars.

What does the champion-name setting change?

The option replaces the text directly above champion health bars on your screen. It is useful when unfamiliar skins, chromas, or crowded teamfights make character models difficult to identify at a glance.

For account-name changes, use the current League of Legends Riot ID guide. The overhead-label option is only a viewing preference.

Should you use champion names or player names?

Champion names are the clearest starting point for newer or returning players. They help connect a model, health bar, minimap portrait, and ability kit without asking you to memorize every skin. They can also reduce hesitation when several cosmetics share similar colors or silhouettes.

Player names are more useful when you need to track a specific opponent, teammate, streamer, or organized-play assignment. Experienced players who recognize the roster instantly may prefer them.

No nameplate text reduces visual clutter. That tradeoff can help a player who already recognizes every champion, but it removes a useful identification cue. If visibility is your main concern, try champion names before hiding labels altogether.

Nameplates complement rather than replace map awareness. Pair them with a readable interface and deliberate camera checks; our League maps and modes reference explains where different map rules change the information you need to track.

Champion names are not the same as Streamer Mode

Riot expanded League's Streamer Mode in Patch 25.20. Its privacy choices can hide other names locally or hide your own name and, at the highest setting, more of your account progression from other players and third-party apps.

That is a different job from Show Names Above Healthbar. Use the health-bar setting when you want easier champion recognition. Review Streamer Mode when you want identity protection. Do not assume that selecting champion names makes your Riot ID anonymous everywhere.

What to do if champion names do not appear

1. Confirm the correct dropdown. Scoreboard name controls do not change overhead health-bar labels.
2. Apply the setting before closing Options. Reopen the menu and check that Champion Name remains selected.
3. Test in Practice Tool. This separates a menu mistake from confusion caused by a specific mode or observer view.
4. Restart League and the Riot Client. A clean relaunch can restore a setting that did not persist after an update. If the menu itself appears in the wrong language, follow the supported steps in our League language-settings guide.
5. Check for a client update or service issue. Finish any pending update and consult Riot's service-status page before reinstalling anything.

Avoid editing League's configuration files just to change this option. The supported menu is easier to reverse and less likely to be overwritten by an update. If several settings reset together, use Riot's official support flow rather than downloading a third-party settings tool.

League champion-name FAQ

Can I change the setting before a match?

The relevant control is in the in-game Options interface. Opening Practice Tool is the low-pressure way to configure it before queueing.

Does it reveal a disguised champion?

Do not treat the label as an anti-disguise tool. Champion abilities and clones follow their own visibility rules, and Riot can change individual interactions. Use movement, animations, buffs, and known ability behavior as well as the nameplate.

Does this change my Riot ID or Summoner Name?

No. It changes which label your client displays above health bars. Your Riot ID consists of a game name and tagline and remains an account-level identity.

Can I bind a key to cycle nameplates?

League has historically offered a name-display keybind, but bindings and labels can differ after control updates or a custom profile import. Check the current in-game Hotkeys menu rather than relying on an old default-key claim. If you assign one, test it in Practice Tool.

Why do champion names help with accessibility?

Text adds a second identification cue when a skin's color, effects, or silhouette is difficult to parse. It will not solve every visibility problem, but it can reduce reliance on cosmetic recognition alone.

Update log

• September 3, 2026: Rechecked the supported menu path, separated nameplates from Streamer Mode and Riot ID changes, removed configuration-file advice, and added safe persistence checks.