League of Legends font

Where the Sharp Sans answer comes from

Pentagram, the design firm that refreshed the League of Legends identity with Riot Games, explains the new logo on its project page. Riot timed the refresh to the game's 10th anniversary. Pentagram says the type is based on the geometric sans Sharp Sans, but was changed a lot: the letters were made much heavier, and the L and A keep small serif-like details as a nod to the old logo. The wordmark stacks into a rectangle, so it no longer needs the old stone-patterned emblem behind it. Emily Oberman was the Pentagram partner on the project.

About Sharp Sans

Typewolf describes Sharp Sans as a geometric sans-serif designed by Lucas Sharp and published through Sharp Type. Its first versions date back to 2009, and a completely redrawn version came out in 2016. Typewolf lists Gotham and Avenir as similar fonts and links to a shop where Sharp Sans can be bought; it is not a free font. Its closest match on Adobe Fonts, according to Typewolf, is Proxima Nova.

Beaufort, Spiegel and the old logo

Fonts In Use, in a 2019 entry by Stephen Coles, says the game's logo at that time was made with Friz Quadrata, which was also the in-game type until 2015. Beaufort, a similar inscriptional serif, replaced it in the game and on the websites. The entry says Nick Shinn's Beaufort was modified by Monotype, which expanded the character set. Its partner is Spiegel Sans, a sans by Lucas de Groot that softens the American gothic style of fonts like News Gothic, and Gill Sans still shows up in some info panels.

How to get the look

For the current logo, use a heavy geometric sans in capitals, stack the words into a block, and colour it gold, ideally with a metallic bevel. For the fantasy look of the client and older logo, use a flared, carved-looking serif in capitals with generous spacing. Pair it with a plain sans for body text.

Common questions