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The wad-extract utility extracts League of Legends WAD archive files into a directory structure that you can modify.

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Syntax

wad-extract <input.wad> <output-directory>

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Arguments

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input.wad
string
required
Path to the WAD file to extract. Can be .wad or .wad.client format.
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output-directory
string
required
Directory where extracted files will be written. Will be created if it doesn’t exist.

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Behavior

The tool extracts all files from the WAD archive and creates:
  • Directory structure - Organized folders (data/, assets/, levels/)
  • Extracted files - All assets in their original format
  • OBSIDIAN_PACKED_MAPPING.txt - Hash mapping file for repacking

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Examples

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Extract a champion WAD

wad-extract "C:/Riot Games/League of Legends/Game/DATA/FINAL/Champions/Ahri.wad.client" ./Ahri-extracted
This extracts all of Ahri’s assets to the Ahri-extracted/ directory.

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Extract a map WAD

wad-extract "./Summoners_Rift.wad.client" ./SR-assets

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Output Structure

After extraction, the output directory will contain: 
output-directory/
├── data/
│   └── characters/
│       ├── ahri/
│       │   ├── ahri.bin
│       │   └── skins/
├── assets/
│   └── characters/
│       └── ahri/
│           ├── skins/
│           │   └── base/
│           │       ├── ahri.skn
│           │       ├── ahri.dds
│           │       └── ahri.skl
└── OBSIDIAN_PACKED_MAPPING.txt

wad-make

Pack a directory back into a WAD file

WAD Files Guide

Complete guide to working with WAD files

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Common Use Cases

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Extracting for mod creation

  1. Extract the base game WAD for the champion/skin you want to mod
  2. Modify the extracted files (textures, models, etc.)
  3. Use wad-make to repack or import into a mod folder with mod-tools import

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Inspecting game assets

Extract WADs to explore League’s asset structure and learn how files are organized.

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Notes

  • Extraction preserves the original file structure and naming
  • The OBSIDIAN_PACKED_MAPPING.txt file is crucial for repacking - don’t delete it
  • Large WADs (maps, champions with many skins) may take time to extract
  • Extracted files maintain their original formats (.dds, .skn, .skl, .bin, etc.)

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Troubleshooting

  • Verify the WAD file path is correct
  • Ensure you have read permissions for the file
  • Check that the file is a valid WAD format (not corrupted)
The tool will overwrite existing files. Back up any important data before extracting to an existing directory.
Some WAD files may be compressed or use special formats. Ensure you’re using the latest version of the tools.

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