Complete Guide to League of Legends Keyboard Controls and Shortcuts

Basic Controls

In League of Legends, the basic mouse and keyboard controls put movement and attacking on right-click, while core commands like stop and hold are on the keyboard—unlike FPS games, primary movement is handled with the mouse. Mastering fundamental inputs like Attack Move (A / X), an essential technique for ADCs and junglers, will significantly improve positioning in lane and teamfights.

Skills

All skills are assigned to the Q, W, E, and R keys. These keys are laid out in sequence as “QWER” across the top-left of the keyboard’s letter section, and usage changes depending on whether you press the single key or combine it with “Ctrl,” “Alt,” or “Shift.”

1. Single key: Champion skills
2. Combined with Alt: Self-cast
3. Combined with Ctrl: Level up skill
4. Combined with Shift: Smart cast

Memorizing this will make mastery easier.

Champion Skills

“Champion skills,” the core combat operations in League of Legends, are assigned to Q, W, E, and R. They’re laid out consecutively as “QWER” along the top-left of the keyboard’s letter section, making the layout relatively easy to learn.

Self-Cast (target yourself)

“Self-cast,” frequently used for effects like healing, is triggered by pressing Alt with the skill key, so be sure to memorize this.

Level Up Skills

Assigning skill points on level-up is done with Ctrl plus the skill key. Since this also follows the “QWER” mapping, it’s easy to master.

Smart Cast (with range indicator)

Smart cast combines the QWER keys with Shift and the skill key.

Summoner Spells and Trinket

Summoner Spells are assigned to the D and F keys. These high-impact spells—such as Flash, Ignite, and Smite—often decide the outcome of a match, so be sure to master them.

Items

Active items can be used with keys 1 through 7. Because these keys are close to the skill keys (QWER), be careful to avoid misclicks; if distinguishing inputs remains difficult, consider adding a left-hand gaming keypad.

Camera Controls

LoL camera control typically switches between:

1. Quickly snapping the camera back to your champion with the Space key
2. Checking allies with the F1–F5 keys

These are frequent-use keys, so make sure to master them. New players also commonly use camera lock (Y key) early on. Although arrow keys can move the camera, many players prefer mouse edge scrolling.

In-Game Info Display

These shortcuts display various in-game information. Frequently used keys include “Champion details” with C and “Scoreboard” with Tab or O, while less-used options like FPS display are also available—learn only what you want to use.

Pings and Communication

Pings, crucial for team coordination, are bound around the central G and V keys and use combinations with left-click, Alt, and Ctrl. Practice until these inputs feel natural, as they’re extremely important.

Chat

Chat inputs are organized around the Enter key. Since they’re placed away from primary controls, the layout is user-friendly.

Others

These are other convenient shortcuts available in-game. You can quickly memorize essentials like taking screenshots with F12 and opening the settings menu with Esc.