Games

Is League of Legends worth playing in 2026? ARAM since 2012

By George In The Meta · 10 Oct 2026

Short answer: yes, League is still worth playing in 2026 if you want ARAM. I think it's always going to be worth it. You'll find people wanting to play, and you'll discover people you know already play it and can start with you. I've been playing since 2012, and I've got over 1,400 ARAMs on my current account alone.

What is ARAM in League of Legends?

ARAM stands for All Random, All Mid. It's a permanent 5v5 mode where both teams fight down a single lane, and everyone gets a random champion: each player is offered two or three random champions to choose from in champion select. The map is picked at random each game from the Howling Abyss, Butcher's Bridge and Koeshin's Crossing, per the League wiki.

It started as something players set up themselves in custom games, and Riot made it an official queue in April 2013. ARAM: Mayhem is a separate, newer queue that adds augments. I've compared the two in Is ARAM Mayhem better than normal ARAM?

Is ARAM good for beginners?

Yes. It's a lot more low-pressure, and you're less likely to get flamed while you're learning new characters and fighting ones you haven't played against much.

Nobody's going to expect you to be a god in ARAM if they can see you've never played a character before, because you got it at random. In a mode where you choose your champion, you've picked that character and then been terrible and new on it, without really thinking about the team.

The problem is that some people are still massively toxic.

Does ARAM make you better at League?

I think it can make you a lot better than playing normal games, because you get to try more of the characters and find out exactly how all their abilities work, in a much easier, lower-stakes environment. You also fight against characters you'd rarely meet otherwise.

Why do I keep coming back to ARAM?

It's just a short, snappy piece of fun, and a lot of my friends play it. If a game is only fun with your friends, then your friends are propping it up, but this one I can come back to and play by myself, while I wait for them to come online, or on days they don't.

What's the worst thing about League right now?

Tanks are doing so much in ARAM, and in ARAM: Mayhem too. I think tanks have been strong for a while, and I kind of want them not to be strong again, even though I'm a tank enjoyer.

Which champions do I play in ARAM?

A lot of the time I play ADCs. I like Caitlyn, I like Tristana, and I like Sivir a lot. Vayne, obviously, as well. But everyone always likes Vayne.

Is League of Legends worth playing in 2026?

Yes, especially if ARAM is what you're after. It's free, there are always people to play with, and it's the lowest-pressure way to learn the game's champions.