Ahead of the 2026 Mid-Season Invitational grand final, Riot Games officially unveiled League of Legends Classic. The classic version of the MOBA is set to launch on July 29.
LoL Classic is built around a curated collection of the best patches from the game's early years, with gameplay most closely resembling Season 3. At launch, players will have access to 60 champions. While the project is based on the classic version of the game, Riot has modernized the game engine and graphics, meaning the visuals will differ from the original Season 3 experience.
Classic items will return, alongside several new additions. Among them is an item named in honor of Maciej "Shushei" Ratuszniak, who passed away in 2025.
LoL Classic will also bring back the original rune system. Players will start with a basic rune page, while additional runes will unlock as they level up their accounts. Future updates and the game's long-term development will be guided by community feedback and player polls.
Players will not need to create a separate account to access the classic version. However, returning players with legacy accounts will need to complete an account recovery process through a dedicated link.
Earlier, Japan's UNLIMIT won the ALGS: 2026 Split 1 Playoffs at Esports World Cup 2026.