Best minimap settings and tips in league of legends

The minimap in League of Legends is a feature available in game modes such as Summoner’s Rift or ARAM. Thanks to it, you know where your teammates are, and, with some wards put strategically around the map, you may also see where the enemy champions are.

The default settings of the minimap in LoL may be enough for new players who are setting foot in this new world. Still, as you learn how to play to improve your ELO, there are some key settings for your game in general that you should mess around with to achieve the most comfort possible when playing a match, and the minimap is one of those.

Best Settings for your map in League of Legends

The default size Riot Games has designed for the map in League of Legends is minimal; summoners may have many problems spotting their enemies in it, which may end up in wasting too much time looking at it trying to focus on your lane and at the same time trying to understand what you’re seeing on a map that’s just too small.

Increase your map size with these instructions

1. When you’re in a match, press the key [ESC].
2. Now, you’ll have in front of you a menu with some options on the left: Hotkeys, Video settings, Sound, Interface, and Game.
3. You’re going to click on interface, and in this section, you’ll see a feature that says “Minimap Size”.

1. Move the bar of the “Minimap Size” to a more prominent setting that may be most comfortable for you; we usually recommend putting it in the maximum number possible, which is 100.

And that’s it; this is the main improvement you can do to your minimap, which opens the door to the tips we’ll give you to improve your awareness of the map during a game.

Activating Quick Cast

This setting you may find it in the hotkeys section, and it will allow you to use abilities easily, when activating the quick cast, it won’t be necessary for you to click on a enemy champion to cast an ability, this quick cast setting is widely used by professional players.

Camera | Per-Side Offset

It may be uncomfortable at first, but learning how to play with the camera unlocked helps a great deal, since it allows you to move freely around the map and see what’s going on. You may find this option in the “Game” section of the menu, then where it says “Camera Look Mode”, choose “Per-Side Offset”.

Important tips for the minimap

If there’s something that differentiates pro players from the rest, it is the fact that they always are taking a look at the map; they always place wards in the right places of the jungle that are most likely to let them spot an enemy and much more.

Map awareness is fundamental

To increase your awareness of the map is essential that you do it mindfully. There are several tools online that can help you out with this in a game. For example, there’s a YouTube video that lasts around an hour, which makes a sound that reminds you when to look at the map. If you’re in low ELO rank, you don’t have to do it just as often, only as you improve and climb ranks.

But something about League of Legends is that it has been proved that, depending on what Elo a player is in, things that can be easily applied to win a “Grand Master” or “Challenger” rank match aren’t necessary to use in a “Bronze” match. But of course, this doesn’t make map awareness less important.

For players who are just starting to play LoL, it is understandable that the last thing they think of is looking at the map. They might do it, yes, but only when they remember there’s actually one that helps them out a lot.

Gradually, things will change as they gain experience, making them watch the map more often.

Place wards in the right place

There’s no use in checking the map to know where the enemy is if you don’t have a ward placed somewhere to let you see them. You can put wards anywhere, that’s up to you, but there are strategic places to place them, which increase the chances of seeing where the enemy is and where it is heading to.

In the image above are displayed some essential spots to place wards on. These are the places where you want to put wards in the early game because they give you a clear view of potential ganks or invades. If you notice, your side of the jungle is safe from any surprise because both entrances are warded, and if the enemy jungler tries to steal something from you, you will know.

Still, if you want a more in-depth guide, check our guide on how to become better at warding.

Always check on the players' tab

Knowing what items your enemies and also teammates are buying can be decisive in a game. This is important because it will allow you to foresee what build is your enemy aiming for; if you’re playing a champion that can tank a lot of damage, you have to be careful and see if your enemy is building items that will shred your defenses.

But there’s a lot more valuable information you can get out of this; if you pay attention, you will not only know what items your enemies are building but also if they have used their summoner spells, their wards, etc. When it comes to seeing the bigger picture of a match, using these little pieces of knowledge correctly will give you an outstanding advantage.

Focus on what’s important

Often we let ourselves get carried away by League of Legends’ gorgeous skins, new champions, and beautiful visual effects. But when it comes to getting better at the game, these things are mere distractions. For example, have you ever stopped to think of the hundreds of special effects that can collide against each other during a team fight?

This, other than being distracting, can be a real issue by not letting you see properly what’s happening or not allowing you see what enemy champion you’re focusing on. That’s why we recommend lowering the special effects quality to have a clear view of what’s going on during a team fight.

Getting to play better in League of Legends does take time; there’s no shortcut to it other than spending time in the game, downloading your replays to learn from your mistakes, and always aiming to learn new ways of improving.

Map awareness is a good place to start your journey. If you have decided to play on a more advanced level, you can be sure it doesn’t end up there; just have a good time trying out these League of Legends settings and these suggestions.