League of Legends Keycaps (LoL)

One champion, twelve keys, and your keyboard finally says something. This League of Legends keycaps collection brings together sets broken down champion by champion, from top laner to support, most of them listed as 12 keys in PBT for mechanical keyboards. The idea is not to replace everything, but to add a visual accent exactly where your fingers spend their time: the movement cluster, the ability keys, the summoner spells. All that is left is choosing the right champion, matching the colours to the rest of the setup and checking compatibility.

What you should know before buying keycaps

The profile, so the key does not stick out

The profile describes the height and curve of each row. OEM ships as standard on most gaming keyboards, with a tilt specific to each row. Cherry resembles it, lower and flatter. SA is tall, spherical, very retro, and noticeably raises the hand. XDA is uniform from one row to the next, which makes it ideal for a partial set.

ABS or PBT, the question of shine

ABS allows very vivid colours, which explains its popularity on illustrated sets, but it polishes under your fingers and turns shiny on the most used keys, ZQSD first of all. PBT is denser, grainier, far more resistant to that shine and to yellowing. Most of the champion sets in this collection state PBT in their name.

How the champion artwork is applied

• Double-shot: the legend is a second plastic injection, indestructible in use, but incapable of rendering an illustration with gradients.
• Dye-sublimation: the dye penetrates the PBT under heat. Nothing sits on the surface, so nothing wears off, but you can only print dark on light.
• Screen or pad printing: the only affordable technique that does justice to a full-colour splash art. Its lifespan depends on the protective coating applied over it.
• Laser engraving: durable and precise, but limited in palette.

RGB: what backlighting will really give you

An illustrated set is opaque almost by definition, since the artwork covers the whole surface. Your backlighting will then light the edge of the key and the keyboard plate, not the artwork itself. For the legend to glow, you would need a translucent shine-through key, which is incompatible with a full-colour illustration.

MX stem: compatibility in ten seconds

Pull off a key and look at the mechanism. A four-armed cross means MX stem, the standard shared by Cherry, Gateron, Kailh, Outemu, Akko, TTC and most optical switches in gaming keyboards. Anything that is not a cross — membrane, laptop scissor, Topre, Alps or low-profile Choc switch — will not accept these keycaps.

AZERTY: why partial sets save you

Keycap sets are designed for American ANSI keyboards in QWERTY. Three differences matter for a French player. First, the accented characters é, è, ç, à and ù appear in no American set, whereas on AZERTY they occupy the number row and the key next to M. Second, the M sits to the right of L here, and not at the end of the bottom row as in QWERTY: any imported letter row ends up offset. Third, an ISO keyboard has an L-shaped Enter key and an extra key next to the left Shift, both absent from ANSI sets. A set of 12 illustrated keys escapes all of that: it goes on the keys of your choice and makes no claim to replace a layout.

How many keys to choose

• Twelve keys cover exactly what a player looks at: the champion's four abilities, the two summoner spells, the recall key, the shop key and a camera movement cluster. It is the dominant format in this collection.
• Fourteen keys add enough to dress up active items or a complete number row.
• A full set brings total consistency, at the cost of the ISO constraints mentioned above and a much longer install.

What you really customise is the look, never the behaviour: a keycap does not remap any key, the layout remaining handled by the system. On the other hand, a colourful, well-placed cluster is spotted out of the corner of your eye and gives a real visual landmark in the middle of a teamfight.

For a consistent setup, take a dominant colour from the champion and echo it elsewhere: keyboard lighting in a similar shade, a matching mouse pad. Two shades are enough, one dominant and one accent, on a neutral black or white base.

Our selection

Top lane and fighters

Mordekaiser, Darius and Jax are listed as 12 keys in PBT. Garen is given in PBT, with Nasus and Illaoi as reinforcements.

Jungle and assassins

Khazix and Kayn are among the 12 key sets, along with Rengar, Zed, Graves and Nocturne.

Mid lane

Ahri and Katarina, Azir and Diana are listed as 12 keys in PBT. Syndra, Yone and Malzahar widen the choice.

Marksmen

Jinx, Kaisa and Kalista use the 12 key PBT format, Ezreal the 12 key format. Caitlyn, Vayne and Twitch round things off.

Support

Nami, Janna and Nautilus are listed as 12 keys in PBT, ahead of Soraka, Leona, Rakan and Blitzcrank.

Table of sets by champion

Frequently asked questions

Will my keyboard take these keycaps

Pop off a key and look at the switch stem. A four-armed cross corresponds to the MX standard, shared by Cherry and its clones Gateron, Kailh, Outemu, Akko or TTC, as well as by most optical gaming switches. In that case, a 12 key set fits with no adapter. A membrane keyboard, a laptop or a Topre switch will not do.

Will a set designed for QWERTY work on my AZERTY

Yes, as long as it is a partial set. The 12 keys are standard size and can be placed freely on the positions of your choice, independently of the layout. The difficulties specific to AZERTY — the accented é è ç à ù, the M to the right of L, the L-shaped ISO Enter — only concern full sets meant to replace every key on the keyboard.

How do I remove the original keys

Use a wire puller, often supplied with mechanical keyboards and far gentler than rigid plastic models. Hook the two loops under two opposite edges, then pull straight up with no rocking motion. Photograph the keyboard before you start.

Will the champion artwork fade

That depends on the technique used. A double-shot or sublimated legend is built into the material and cannot disappear. An illustration printed on the surface lasts as long as its coating lasts, and fades first on the most heavily used keys. PBT, more resistant than ABS, also limits the shine that gives away a heavily used keyboard.

Will my backlighting shine through the artwork

No, unless the key is explicitly translucent. A colour illustration covers the whole surface and blocks the light. The RGB will glow around the caps and on the plate, producing a halo that is often more elegant than a lit legend. Set the lighting to a shade close to the champion's colours.

Going further

Discover our whole catalogue in the keycaps collection, or change universe with the Valorant keycaps. To match your champion's dominant colour with the rest of the desk, take a look at the mouse pads.