If League of Legends is stuck on “Searching for Match”, first check Riot’s service status for your region. If there is no reported outage, cancel the current search once, fully exit and reopen the Riot Client, then work through the connection and repair steps below. The cause can be a service disruption, a stale client session, a local network problem, or damaged game files, so no single fix applies to every LoL matchmaking loop.
These steps focus on the PC client. Many players can clear a temporary client or network issue quickly, but a regional outage or account queue restriction may require waiting or contacting Riot Support. A longer queue by itself does not prove the client is broken.
Open the Riot Games Service Status page, select League of Legends, and check the region where your account plays. If Riot reports maintenance or a connectivity problem, local changes will not repair the service. Wait for the incident to clear, then restart the client and try again. If the status page is clear, continue with the local checks.
If the client is still on the searching screen and has not shown a Ready Check, cancel that search once. Exit League and the Riot Client from their menus, then reopen the Riot Client and sign in again. If it remains frozen, restart the computer before trying another queue. Avoid repeatedly starting and cancelling searches; it can make it harder to tell whether the client recovered, and missing Ready Checks can trigger penalties.
Pause large downloads, cloud backups, or streaming on the same network while you test. If possible, connect the PC to the router with Ethernet. Riot notes that Wi-Fi interference can cause unstable connections; restarting the modem and router can also clear a temporary network problem. To power-cycle them, turn them off, wait at least 30 seconds, turn them back on, and reconnect before launching the game.
A speed-test result or a single ping number cannot diagnose every matchmaking problem. Focus on whether the connection is stable and whether the client can communicate with Riot’s services. Riot’s PC connection troubleshooting guide covers wired connections, router restarts, network usage, DNS, VPNs, and firewall configuration.
Turn off any VPN or proxy connection, then restart the Riot Client and test once. Riot’s connection guidance says VPNs and proxies can interfere with routing and recommends disabling them while troubleshooting. Do not install a VPN to “find a faster queue,” and do not disable security software broadly. If the issue disappears only when a VPN is off, keep it off for League or ask Riot Support for help with the route.
On Windows, an outdated DNS cache or network configuration can prevent the Riot Client from reaching its services. If you are comfortable using Command Prompt, open it as an administrator and run these commands one at a time:
ipconfig /flushdnsnetsh int ip resetnetsh winsock resetRestart Windows before testing League again. Riot documents these steps in its TCP/IP reset guide and DNS configuration guide. Changing DNS is optional; it can help with a name-resolution problem, but it will not shorten a queue caused by server load, matchmaking rules, or an outage. On a managed school or work network, check with the administrator before changing network settings.
If the service is available and your connection is stable, repair the League installation through the current Riot Client:
Riot says the automatic repair can replace missing or corrupted files. Let it finish, reopen the client, and try one queue. The repair may take time depending on what needs fixing. See Riot’s Riot Client Full Repair Tool instructions for the current menu path.
A firewall can block the Riot Client from communicating with game services. Update your security software, then check that the Riot Client and League of Legends executables are allowed through the firewall. Riot lists the relevant program paths in its firewall configuration guide; installation paths can differ if you chose a custom folder. Do not leave the firewall disabled as a permanent fix, and turn it back on immediately if you briefly disabled it for a controlled test.
If the League of Legends infinite queue loop continues after these checks, submit a Player Support ticket. Include your region, game mode, the time the problem happened, whether other players in your party were affected, and the steps you already tried. Riot’s Riot Repair Tool (RRT) guide explains how to gather the relevant logs and attach the generated ZIP file. RRT is the current name for the tool formerly called Hextech Repair Tool.
| What you see | Best next step |
|---|---|
| Riot reports an issue for your region | Wait for the service notice to clear; avoid changing local settings. |
| The queue stays on “Searching for Match,” but there is no service alert | Cancel once, restart the Riot Client, and test your connection. |
| The client also shows connection errors or disconnects | Try Ethernet, pause heavy network use, disable VPN/proxy, then review DNS and TCP/IP settings. |
| The issue remains after network checks | Run Riot Client Repair, verify firewall permissions, then send logs to Support. |
Usually, DNS changes are relevant when the client has trouble resolving or reaching a service. They do not make Riot’s matchmaker find players faster or bypass a regional service problem. Try the DNS step only after checking service status and basic connectivity.
No. Start with the in-client repair option, which Riot provides to address missing or corrupted files. If repair fails or the client still cannot connect, gather logs and ask Player Support before removing the game; a clean reinstall is a larger step and may not fix a network or server-side issue.
For most cases, the fastest diagnostic path is: confirm regional status, restart the client once, test a stable connection, and use Riot’s repair and log tools only if the problem persists. This separates a temporary LoL “Searching for Match” stuck state from a service or account issue that needs Riot’s attention.
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