Getting into the League of Legends Public Beta Environment used to mean grinding Honor Level 2 or 3 first. That requirement is gone. Riot removed every sign up gate as part of the 2023 Riot Account migration, and a lot of posts floating around Google still haven't caught up. Here's what actually works right now.
What Is the PBE?
The Public Beta Environment, or PBE, is Riot's live testing server. New champions, skins, balance changes, and upcoming TFT sets land here weeks before they ever touch the live client. Riot uses the PBE to catch bugs, gather feedback, and stabilize a patch before it ships to every region. If you want to try a champion before the official reveal video even drops, this is where it happens.
Do You Need Honor Level 3 to Sign Up?
No, and this is the part most articles get wrong. Riot originally introduced an Honor Level 3 requirement back in 2012, then lowered it to Honor Level 2 in October 2019 after backlash over locked out TFT players during a set launch. When Riot rolled out the account migration in 2023, every sign up requirement, Honor level included, was removed for good. Today, any Riot account in good standing can register.
That doesn't mean anything goes once you're in. Riot still expects PBE testers to follow the standard League of Legends Code of Conduct, and bad behavior on the test server itself can still get you removed. The old automatic eligibility check just isn't the gatekeeper anymore.
How to Create a PBE Account
- Head to the official PBE sign up page at signup.leagueoflegends.com.
- Log in with your existing Riot account.
- Choose a PBE username and password. This account is separate from your main one, so pick something new.
- Accept the terms and you're registered.
How to Download and Launch the PBE Client
Once you've got an account, open the Riot Client and log out of your main League account. Log back in using your new PBE credentials. Click the small arrow next to the Play button and select League of Legends PBE from the dropdown. The client downloads separately from live League, though it shares enough files with your existing install that it usually finishes faster than a fresh install would. Once it's done, hit Play and you're testing.
What You Get Once You're In
Every day, a repeating mission grants 3000 RP for use in the PBE store, so you can freely try new skins without spending real money. None of your progress, purchases, or rank carry over from your live account since PBE runs as its own separate environment. What you will get is early access to whatever Riot currently has in testing: new champions, skins, balance tuning, and upcoming TFT content.
A Few Things Worth Knowing Before You Jump In
PBE servers are hosted in North America, so players connecting from other regions will typically see higher ping than they're used to on live. Riot runs daily maintenance, generally Monday through Friday between 11:30 AM and 1:00 PM Pacific time, so expect the client to be briefly unavailable during that window. And since everything here is genuinely unfinished, bugs, missing voice lines, and reverted changes are normal parts of the experience rather than something going wrong.
If you run into an issue worth reporting, the PBE subreddit is where Riot developers actually read feedback, so that's the best place to flag anything you find.
FAQ
Do I need Honor Level 2 or 3 to join the PBE? No. That requirement was removed entirely as part of Riot's 2023 account migration. Any Riot account in good standing can sign up today.
Is PBE access free? Yes. Signing up costs nothing, and you'll get 3000 RP daily through a repeating mission to spend in the PBE store.
Does my live account progress transfer to PBE? No. Your PBE account is fully separate. Purchases, rank, and progress on live don't carry over in either direction.
Can players outside North America use the PBE? Yes, though since the servers themselves are based in North America, expect noticeably higher ping if you're connecting from elsewhere.
Want to see exactly what's currently sitting on the test server right now? Check out our latest PBE cycle roundup for the full breakdown of new skins, emotes, and balance changes.