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This guide will walk you through installing your first mod and getting it running in League of Legends.

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Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure you have:
  • Installed cslol-manager and completed the first launch setup
  • At least one .fantome or .zip mod file downloaded and ready to install
You can find mods on community sites like KillerSkins or other League of Legends modding communities. Look for files with the .fantome extension.

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Installing your first mod

1

Open the import dialog

In cslol-manager, click the toolbar menu (three horizontal lines) and select one of the import options:
  • Add Mod from Fantome/Zip - For .fantome or .zip mod files
  • Create Mod from RAW - For unpacked mod folders
  • Create Mod from WAD - For .wad files
For most users, you’ll want Add Mod from Fantome/Zip.
2

Select your mod file

Browse to the location where you downloaded your mod file (usually your Downloads folder) and select it.Supported formats:
  • .fantome - Standard Fantome mod archive
  • .zip - Zip archive containing a mod
Click “Open” to begin the import process.
3

Wait for import to complete

cslol-manager will:
  1. Extract the mod archive
  2. Validate the mod structure (looking for META/info.json)
  3. Optimize the mod files
  4. Copy it to the installed/ directory
The status bar at the bottom will show the import progress. When complete, your mod will appear in the mod list.
4

Enable the mod

Your newly imported mod will appear in the mod list with:
  • Mod name and version
  • Author information
  • Description
  • Preview image (if included)
  • An enable/disable checkbox
Click the checkbox next to your mod to enable it. The checkbox should become checked/highlighted.
You can enable multiple mods at once. They’ll be applied in the order they appear in the list.

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Running mods in League of Legends

1

Save and run

Click the “Run” button in the toolbar (or press the play icon).This will:
  1. Save your current mod configuration to the active profile
  2. Build an overlay from all enabled mods
  3. Start the patcher process
  4. Wait for League of Legends to launch
The status bar will show “Status: Idle” once the patcher is ready.
2

Launch League of Legends

Launch League of Legends normally through:
  • The Riot Client
  • Your desktop shortcut
  • Any other method you normally use
Do not close cslol-manager while the patcher is running. Keep it open in the background.
When League starts, cslol-manager will detect the game process and inject your mods. You’ll see status updates in the status bar:
Status: Patching...
[DLL] Overlay loaded successfully
Status: Running
3

Verify your mods in game

Your mods should now be active in League of Legends!
  • Skin mods will appear in champion select and in-game
  • UI mods will override the default interface
  • Sound mods will replace audio files
Some mods may require you to select a specific champion or enter a game to see the changes.
4

Stop the patcher when done

When you’re finished playing:
  1. Close League of Legends
  2. Click the “Stop” button in cslol-manager
The patcher will shut down and the status will return to “Idle”.
You can also close cslol-manager directly, which will automatically stop the patcher.

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Understanding profiles

cslol-manager uses profiles to save different mod configurations. This lets you quickly switch between different sets of mods.

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Default profile

When you first install cslol-manager, it creates a “Default Profile” for you. Any mods you enable are saved to this profile.

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Creating additional profiles

1

Open the new profile dialog

Click the toolbar menu and select “New Profile”.
2

Enter a profile name

Enter a name for your profile (3-50 characters). For example:
  • “Competitive Mods” - Only mods allowed in ranked
  • “Full Customization” - All your favorite visual mods
  • “Testing” - Experimental mods you’re trying out
3

Switch between profiles

Use the profile dropdown in the toolbar to switch between profiles. Each profile remembers which mods are enabled.

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Managing your mods

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Editing mod information

Right-click any mod in the list and select “Edit Mod” to:
  • Change the mod name, version, and description
  • Update author information
  • Change the preview image
  • Edit or add WAD files

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Exporting mods

Right-click a mod and select “Export to Fantome/Zip” to create a shareable archive of the mod.

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Removing mods

Right-click a mod and select “Delete Mod” to permanently remove it from cslol-manager.
Deleting a mod is permanent and cannot be undone. Make sure to export it first if you want to keep a backup.

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Mod conflicts

If multiple enabled mods modify the same game files, cslol-manager will detect a conflict.

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Conflict resolution behavior

  • By default: Later mods in the list override earlier mods
  • With warnings: cslol-manager can warn you about conflicts before running
You can configure this in Settings > “Suppress install conflict warnings”.
To change mod priority, drag and drop mods in the list to reorder them.

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Advanced features

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Command-line tools

The cslol-tools/ directory includes advanced CLI tools:
  • mod-tools.exe - Import, export, optimize, and manipulate mods
  • wad-extract - Extract WAD files
  • wad-make - Create WAD files
See the mod-tools documentation for detailed usage.

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Auto-run on launch

Enable “Start patcher automatically” in Settings to have cslol-manager start the patcher immediately when you open it.

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System tray mode

Enable “Minimize to system tray” in Settings to keep cslol-manager running in the background without cluttering your taskbar.

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Troubleshooting

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Mods not appearing in game

If your mods don’t appear in game:
  1. Check that the mod is enabled (checkbox is checked)
  2. Verify the patcher is running (status shows “Running”)
  3. Check the log.txt file for errors
  4. Try running Diagnostics from the toolbar menu

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Patcher won’t start

If the patcher fails to start:
  1. Make sure League of Legends is not already running
  2. Check that your League path is correct in Settings
  3. Try running cslol-manager as administrator
  4. Check the log.txt file for error details

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OpenProcess errors

If you see “OpenProcess” errors:
  • cslol-manager needs to run with administrator privileges
  • Right-click cslol-manager.exe and select “Run as administrator”
  • The application will create admin_allowed.txt to remember this setting
For detailed diagnostics, use the “Run Diagnostics” option in the toolbar menu to generate a diagnostic report that you can share when asking for help.

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Next steps

Mod tools CLI

Learn about the advanced command-line tools for mod creation and manipulation

Managing Profiles

Organize your mods into profiles for different use cases

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