League of Legends Team Voice Returns to PBE Before Nov. 18

Riot Games has returned Team Voice to the Public Beta Environment for testing after postponing its planned launch. The feature will let players speak with every member of their team, including teammates selected through matchmaking. League of Legends’ current voice chat is limited to premade parties.

Team Voice will be optional. Players must have Honor level 3 or higher to use it, a requirement intended to limit access for accounts with a history of disruptive behavior. The feature will use push-to-talk. Voice activation will remain available for premade-party chat.

Riot originally scheduled Team Voice for release on Oct. 7 with Patch 26.20. On Sept. 22, the developer postponed the launch after testing showed that the feature did not meet its quality standards. Riot did not set a new date at that time.

The PBE test will allow Riot to collect player feedback and adjust the feature before its planned release on the North American and Oceanian servers. The company has not announced dates for other regions. A wider rollout will depend on testing results and the availability of tools to handle reports and abusive behavior.

Team Voice is expected to include five voice skins that change how players sound while keeping their speech clear during matches. The first filters will be free and will use generic effects rather than imitate League of Legends champions. Riot has discussed paid voice skins for the future but has not announced specific plans.

Riot is also working on noise cancellation, connection speed and stability improvements. The initial release will be limited to North America and Oceania while the company evaluates the feature in live matches.

Follow our gaming coverage and visit our game gift marketplace for available digital products.