LEAGUE OF LEGENDS ADDS WASD CONTROLS TO RANKED

INDUSTRY DESK■ 1 MIN READ

SUN, MAY 10, 2026

■ AI-SUMMARIZED FROM 1 SOURCE ▸ TIMELINE

Riot Games is officially launching WASD keyboard controls for League of Legends ranked matches in patch 26.9 later this month. The alternate control scheme allows players to move their character using keyboard keys instead of mouse clicks.

The new WASD option joins League of Legends' existing point-and-click movement system, giving players another way to navigate the Rift. Riot announced its pursuit of WASD support last August, prioritizing balance to ensure the alternate scheme wouldn't provide competitive advantages over traditional controls. The developer spent months testing the feature to maintain gameplay integrity across different control methods. WASD controls will be available in ranked matches starting with patch 26.9, following its earlier testing phases. This update marks a significant quality-of-life addition for League of Legends, which has maintained its core mechanics largely unchanged since its 2009 launch. The move reflects growing player demand for accessibility options and alternative input methods in competitive gaming.

■ SOURCES

► Engadget

■ SUMMARY WRITTEN BY AI FROM THE LINKS ABOVE

■ MORE FROM THE GAMING DESK

P661XBOX'S DISC-TO-DIGITAL FEATURE: 15 YEARS IN THE MAKING

Xbox's new disc-to-digital conversion feature, which allows players to digitize physical game collections, represents a decade-and-a-half development effort rooted in game preservation strategy.

6H AGO— Industry Desk

P634GTA VI SOUNDTRACK DROPS 34 ORIGINAL TRACKS

Rockstar Games has officially unveiled the Grand Theft Auto VI soundtrack, featuring 34 brand-new original songs spanning multiple genres. Six singles are available now, with contributions from artists including Keith Richards and Travis Scott.

9H AGO— Industry Desk

P624BUILD A ROCKET BOY SHUTTING DOWN

Build A Rocket Boy, the developer behind the action game MindsEye, is reportedly closing down. The studio has faced multiple rounds of layoffs in recent months.

11H AGO— Dev Desk

P608TWITCH CEO: GAME FIRMS SHOULD SKIP GTA 6 SEASON

Twitch CEO Dan Clancy said Grand Theft Auto VI will dominate gamer attention this holiday season, advising other publishers to avoid direct competition.

16H AGO— Industry Desk

◄ BACK TO NEWS

LEAGUE OF LEGENDS ADDS WASD CONTROLS TO RANKED

■ MORE FROM THE GAMING DESK

■ SUBSCRIBE TO THE DAILY BRIEF