Wwise

Wwise is pro audio middleware made by Audiokinetic. League of Legends uses it to build the .bnk soundbank files that hold every champion's voice lines and sound effects.

You only need Wwise if you're rebuilding a full soundbank. For most audio mods, you don't. Skip to Alternatives if you only want to swap one or two sounds.

Get the Wwise Launcher

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When you actually need Wwise

You need Wwise if you want to:

• Add brand new sound events that don't exist on the base skin.
• Rebuild a full .bnk from scratch (custom voice lines with new triggers, new ability sounds tied to new events, full audio overhauls).
• Match the exact authoring pipeline Riot uses.

You don't need Wwise if you want to:

• Swap one champion's voice lines for another. Use LtMAO bnk_tool or wiwawe.
• Replace ability or attack sounds with a different .wav. Same as above.
• Convert .wem to .wav to listen. LtMAO does this in one right-click.

Most audio mods are sound swaps. They don't need Wwise.

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What it does for League modding

• Imports your .wav files and converts them to .wem (the format League uses).
• Lets you wire .wem files to events (the names the game calls, like Play_vo_CharacterName_Joke).
• Generates the final .bnk soundbank that ships inside your mod.
• Matches the authoring tool Riot uses internally, so the output works the same way in-game.

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Free vs paid

Wwise is free for hobbyists and small projects. You only pay if your game ships commercially past a revenue threshold. Custom skin mods are non-commercial, so the free tier is enough.

The free tier requires a free Audiokinetic account. Sign up before you install.

Check the official Audiokinetic pricing page for the current revenue threshold and terms. They change occasionally.

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Required version: Wwise 2019

The Audiokinetic Launcher lets you install older versions side by side with the latest one. You'll pick the 2019 version during install.

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Install

You'll do this in two steps: install the Launcher, then use the Launcher to install Wwise 2019.

Step 1. Make an Audiokinetic account

1. Go to audiokinetic.com.
2. Click Sign up in the top-right corner.
3. Fill in your email and a password. Confirm the email Audiokinetic sends you.

You need this account to download anything.

Step 2. Install the Audiokinetic Launcher

1. Open the download page.
2. Click Download under Audiokinetic Launcher for your operating system (Windows or macOS).
3. Run the installer. Accept the defaults.
4. Open the Launcher and sign in with your Audiokinetic account.

Step 3. Install Wwise 2019

1. In the Launcher, click the Wwise tab on the left.
2. Find a 2019.x version in the list. The latest 2019 build (2019.2.x) is fine.
3. Click Install next to that version.
4. On the install options screen, leave the default plugins selected. You can skip platform SDKs (Windows, Linux, etc.) since you're not building a game engine.
5. Click Install and wait. It takes a few minutes.

When it finishes, you'll see Wwise 2019 listed under Installed.

Step 4. Open Wwise

1. Click Launch next to Wwise 2019 in the Launcher.
2. On first open, you'll see the Project Launcher window. Pick New Project or Open Other to load an existing one.

You're ready to author.

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Workflow basics

This is the short version. Audiokinetic's docs cover the full thing.

1. Create a project. File > New Project. Pick a folder you'll remember.
2. Import audio. Drag your .wav files into the Project Explorer under Actor-Mixer Hierarchy. Wwise converts them to .wem on the fly.
3. Set up events. Right-click an audio object and choose New Event > Play. Name the event to match the game's expected event name (the string League calls, like Play_vo_Yasuo_Joke). Getting this name right is the whole job.
4. Assign the source bank. In the SoundBank Manager, create a SoundBank and drag your events into it.
5. Generate the bank. Click Generate Selected in the SoundBank Manager. Wwise writes a .bnk file to your project's GeneratedSoundBanks folder.
6. Drop the .bnk into your mod. Replace the original .bnk path inside your mod folder.

Read the official Wwise tutorials for the full picture. They have free video courses.

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Alternatives (most modders want this instead)

If you only want to swap sounds, skip Wwise entirely.

• LtMAO bnk_tool extracts .bnk contents to .wav and packs them back. Best default for sound swaps.
• LtMAO wiwawe converts audio formats (.wem, .wav, .ogg).

Use Wwise only when you need to rebuild the soundbank itself, not when you're swapping the audio inside it.

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Region warning

Custom skins are cosmetic-only and client-side. They still are not allowed on Korea (KR) or China (CN) servers. The anti-cheat there blocks all mods and your account can be banned. This applies to audio mods too.

Safe regions: NA, EUW, EUNE, LAN, LAS, BR, OCE, TR, RU, JP, SEA, VN, PH, TW. Not KR. Not CN.

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Helpful links

• Audiokinetic Launcher download
• Wwise pricing and free tier terms
• Official Wwise learning resources
• LtMAO (for sound swaps, no Wwise needed)

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