Why do people buy League of Legends accounts?

If you‘re new to League of Legends, you may be wondering what motivates players to purchase accounts rather than leveling up themselves. There are actually many good reasons why buying a pre-leveled LoL account can benefit players – but also some downsides to be aware of. In this detailed guide, I‘ll break down the full story so you can understand the account buying phenomenon.

Skipping the Leveling Grind

Let‘s start with the most obvious reason – skipping the initial time investment needed to unlock ranked play. Getting a new account to level 30 takes about 80-120 hours of normal blind pick games against bots and other newcomers.

For experienced players, this long leveling slog can feel like a chore standing between them and the "real game" of ranked climbing. Smurfing veterans who regularly create new accounts are extremely familiar with this pain.

According to surveys across reddit and the official LoL boards, the leveling grind is the #1 reason players seek out purchased accounts. High elo players value their time and want access to ranked immediately.

Quick Access to High Ranks

For many buyers, ranked status is the primary motivation for purchasing an established account. LoL‘s ranking system ranges from Iron at the bottom up through Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and finally Diamond at the pinnacle.

The vast majority of players are concentrated in low ranks like Iron, Bronze and Silver. But once you‘ve reached Diamond on your main account, playing at lower elos isn‘t satisfying anymore.

High elo players may buy a smurf account ranked well below their true skill level to play casually without any pressure or expectations. Having a direct path into Diamond or high Plat skips hundreds of stressful ranked games on a fresh account.

According to analysis across major account sellers, Diamond accounts command by far the highest prices:

As you can see, the value multiplier from Iron to Diamond is massive – over 15x! So purchasing those Diamond borders offers huge value for buyers.

Smurfing in High MMR Games

Beyond rank, a LoL account‘s hidden MMR (matchmaking rating) is critical for matchmaking. Generally, purchased accounts near the middle ranks (Gold – Plat) will have average MMRs around that level.

But for Diamond accounts, many sellers intentionally tank the MMR down to Silver or even Bronze levels. This allows the buyer to smash inexperienced low MMR players despite having a visually high ranked profile.

For example, a Diamond account with Bronze MMR will likely achieve an 80-90% winrate in solo queue. This lets skilled players extremely quickly climb back up into the visual rank that matches their MMR.

These disparate rank/MMR account combos cater towards players who want to stomp less-skilled opponents. However, some argue this "smurfing" behavior is unfair/unethical.

Collecting Rare Skins

Another major reason players buy established accounts is to gain access to rare skins that are no longer available. These legacy & limited edition skins are highly valued by collectors and completionists.

Some skins like Black Alistar and Silver Kayle can only be obtained by buying accounts that unlocked them years ago. Other skins like Victorious skins require achieving Gold+ rank in a specific season.

According to veteran players discussing their collections, obtaining every single skin would cost $1500+ without purchasing accounts. Rare skins multiply that figure even higher for true completionists.

Here‘s a breakdown of how much legacy skins add to an account‘s selling price:

• Black Alistar: +$300+
• Victorious Skins: +$100 – $300
• Silver Kayle: +$200+
• Rusty Blitzcrank: +$100
• UFO Corki: +$50
• Human Ryze: +$50
• Championship Riven: +$50

As you can see, iconic super-rare skins like Black Alistar can nearly double the selling price of an account. For players who value skins over gameplay, purchasing accounts unlocks options that grinding IP alone never could.

Profiting From Unused Accounts

From a seller‘s perspective, an unused League of Legends account is a valuable asset not doing anything productive. Players who have leveled up 10+ accounts over the years have hundreds of dollars worth of value sitting idle.

This motivates many veterans to sell their old inactive accounts and earn cash from hours they previously spent leveling and unlocking content. Even accounts leveled through botting can turn a decent profit on the black market.

According to one stat I found, the average LoL account takes 79.6 hours to reach level 30. With account prices averaging $80-100, that effectively values a player‘s leveling time at around $1 per hour. Selling converts that time directly into cash.

Access For Popular Streamers

For popular League of Legends streamers and YouTubers, quick access to fresh level 30 accounts is absolutely essential. These content creators need a steady supply of new accounts for producing Bronze to Challenger series and other ranked videos.

Without easy account access, they would be forced to endlessly level accounts manually on stream – which most viewers consider extremely boring and unwatchable. As a result, many LoL streamers quietly buy accounts off-stream to support their business.

This steady demand from professional streamers and coaches drives a great deal of money into the account selling industry. Hiring teams to level accounts would be far more expensive than simply buying them fully ready from third-party sites.

Is Purchasing Accounts Safe?

Now that you understand why so many players end up buying accounts, you may be wondering whether it‘s actually a safe thing to do. There are indeed some risks associated with purchasing pre-leveled accounts that you should consider:

Bans – Riot‘s Terms of Service officially prohibits account sharing and selling. Any purchased account does carry a risk of being banned if detected. However, detection seems to be very rare for accounts exclusively used by the buyer.

Scams – In any black market, fraudulent sellers looking to make a quick buck are inevitable. Using reputable sellers with money-back guarantees helps avoid outright scams.

No Access To Original Email – Most sellers rightfully won‘t provide the original email address used to register the account. That means you lose password reset functionality through Riot.

Unknown History – A purchased account could have been used for botting, cheating, or harassment in the past before being sold. This can tarnish the account‘s reputation.

Payment Risks – Wherever money‘s involved, you must be vigilant. Use payment methods with purchase protection when buying accounts to avoid fraud.

MMR Issues – An account‘s MMR could already be tanked out of sync with its visible rank. This leads to demotions and inaccurate matchmaking after purchasing.

So yes, buying a LoL account does entail more risk than leveling it yourself over time. That said, reputable sellers implement protections like instant delivery, elo boosting, 0 ban guarantees, and compensation for banned accounts. These assurances along with community reviews help mitigate most risks if used with caution.

Should Riot Allow Account Selling?

Due to obvious security and ethical concerns around black market trading, Riot understandably prohibits players from selling League of Legends accounts. However, some argue that legitimizing the practice could benefit the game.

Consider Old School RuneScape which allows players to officially buy and sell accounts through Jagex‘s Grand Exchange system. This provides a safe way for veterans to cash out while letting newcomers skip the early grind. It even generates extra revenue for Jagex via small transaction fees.

Perhaps introducing an official marketplace for level 30 accounts with pricing based on visible rank, MMR, skins etc could work similarly for League. Riot would profit from every sale while reducing unsafe black market demand through legitimate competition.

Regardless, account selling remains widespread despite Riot‘s rules. For the foreseeable future, players who wish to purchase smurf accounts, rare skins, or high elo boosts shall continue funding the robust underground market servicing that demand.

The Bottom Line

At the end of the day, buying a League of Legends account lets you skip hundreds of hours of grinding to immediately access ranked gameplay at your desired elo. For skilled veterans, buying smurf accounts is hugely worthwhile to unlock ranked faster and play competitively at any level desired.

That said, purchasing accounts does carry inherent risks around security, reputation, and longevity. While Riot forbids trading accounts, the underground marketplace continues thriving as players value their time and accessibility. Hopefully this post gave you a detailed overview so you can make an informed decision if purchasing a LoL account is right for your situation.

Ultimately, buying an appropriately priced account from a top rated seller with purchase protection enables you to minimize risks while maximizing the value gained – saving dozens or even hundreds of hours leveling. If you have any other questions around the account buying landscape or options for your specific needs, feel free to ask!