If your League of Legends keyboard is not responding, first check whether the keyboard works outside the game. If it does, restore the game window’s focus, verify your controls, and test without background apps. If it also fails in Windows, troubleshoot the keyboard connection or device before changing League settings. This order helps narrow down the cause without risky edits.
The steps below focus on League on a Windows PC. Use the Practice Tool or a custom game to test changes; avoid changing controls in a live ranked match. Menu names can vary slightly between client versions.
| What you notice | Start with |
|---|---|
| Keyboard works in Windows, but not in League | Game focus, controls, and background apps |
| Keyboard fails in other apps too | USB or wireless connection, then Windows device troubleshooting |
| Only one or two keys fail in League | Hotkey assignments and the keyboard itself |
| You expect WASD to move your champion | Check whether the Keyboard (WASD) input option is selected |
A game can look active while another window, chat box, or overlay is receiving your keystrokes. Click once inside the game area, close any open in-game chat or menu, and try a basic key in a Practice Tool session. If you recently switched windows with Alt+Tab, select the League game window again. Do not repeatedly press ability keys in a live match while diagnosing the problem.
If the mouse still controls the game but the keyboard does nothing, continue to the controls check. If neither input device responds only in League, restart the game and Riot Client before changing system settings.
Open a simple text app such as Notepad and type a few letters. This quick check separates an in-game problem from a keyboard or Windows problem.
Microsoft’s Windows keyboard troubleshooting guide recommends checking connections and trying another USB port; it also explains how to use Windows Update or Device Manager for device drivers. If you need a manufacturer driver, get it from the keyboard maker’s official support page. Skip third-party “driver updater” utilities.
In a game, press Esc and open the Options menu’s Hotkeys or keybindings section. Confirm that the actions you use have the expected keys. If only certain actions fail, check for changed or champion-specific bindings. Restore the default bindings if you are unsure what changed, then test again in a custom game. Riot’s Hotkeys (Keybindings) FAQ describes where to review and restore standard bindings.
There is also a separate Keyboard (WASD) input option. Riot describes it as an alternative control scheme; the default remains Point & Click. If the issue is that WASD will not move your champion, open the in-game Hotkeys menu and check the selected input option. Riot says the input must be selected within the first 10 minutes of a match and then remains locked for that game. See the current WASD input FAQ for details.
If the keyboard works in Windows and the bindings look correct, close overlays, macro tools, key remappers, and peripheral-control apps that were recently updated or are running during the match. Restart Riot Client and test again. This is a diagnostic check, not proof that a particular app is at fault. If the controls return, reopen those apps one at a time to identify which one changes the behavior.
Riot notes that background apps can interfere with peripherals in-game and recommends a clean boot to isolate them. If you try that, follow Riot’s clean boot instructions exactly, including the instruction to keep the Vanguard service (vgc) enabled. Restore your normal startup settings after the test.
If the problem happens only in League and the checks above do not help, use Riot Client’s repair function. Sign in to Riot Client, open the profile icon in the upper-right corner, choose Settings, select League of Legends, and choose Repair. Let the scan finish, restart the client, and test your keyboard in a custom game. Riot says this tool can repair missing or corrupted game files; it does not guarantee a fix for a hardware problem. The steps are in Riot’s Riot Client Full Repair Tool guide.
Avoid deleting League’s Config folder as an early fix: it can remove customized settings, and a repair is a safer first step. If you later follow Riot’s configuration-reset procedure, back up the folder first and use the instructions in Riot’s current keyboard/mouse guide.
If the keyboard fails across Windows apps, try it on another PC or contact the manufacturer. If it works everywhere except League after a repair, send Riot Support a ticket. Include whether the issue affects all keys or only particular bindings, whether it began after a patch or software change, which troubleshooting steps you completed, and any requested logs. Riot’s keyboard and mouse troubleshooting article links to its support process.
In short, isolate the problem first: test the keyboard in Windows, then check League focus and Hotkeys, rule out background conflicts, and repair the game files if needed. That sequence keeps the troubleshooting focused and makes it easier to tell whether the cause is the device, the controls, another app, or League itself.
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