Season 4 will undoubtedly bring many changes to League of Legends, but one oft requested (seemingly overlooked) feature has finally been added: the ability to change your summoner name Influence Points (IP). Players may now officially purchase a "Summoner Name Change" from the League of Legends game store using this free in-game currency, though it can get a bit pricey.
If using IP, you can purchase a Summoner Name Change for 13,900 IP. Though when logging in and attempting to use the service, I was only given the option to spend RP. **Update: Riot has explained that the ability to purchase this with IP will be added in an upcoming patch** Currently, it costs 1,300 RP to purchase the Summoner Name Change; however, Riot notes that from January 14 to January 28, you can perform the action for half off its regular price.
The announcement was made alongside the reveal of a new Summoner Name Clean Up feature, an automated process that will go through old and inactive Summoner names and free them up for the more-active community to use. Immunity from the automated process will be granted based on when you played your last game and what your Summoner level is. Every name is initially given six months of immunity though, and is then granted one additional month for each level above 6.
If your immunity runs out, other players may purchase your name through the Summoner Name Change option in the store. If your name does get taken, you'll be prompted to create a new one the next time you log in, though your paid content and game history will still be attached to your account.
As a reminder, the League of Legends League Championship Series (LCS) 2014 season begins on Tuesday, January 14, as the EU LCS teams square off on Summoner's Rift. The North American LCS will begin a few days later on Friday, January 17.
