Riot is turning back the clock. Here's everything we know about League of Legends Classic, answered FAQ style.
Old runes, old masteries, old kits, and a 60 champion launch roster pulled straight from 2009-2013. We break down what's actually changing below.
Frequently Asked Questions
League of Legends Classic
Riot is turning back the clock. Here's everything we know about League of Legends Classic, answered FAQ style.
Old runes, old masteries, old kits, and a 60 champion launch roster pulled straight from 2009-2013. We break down what's actually changing below.
Riot announced League of Legends Classic as a new mode built to recreate the feel of early League, old runes, old masteries, old champion kits, and all. It's not a separate game, and it's not an exact recreation of one specific patch either, it's more of a "greatest hits" of the 2009-2013 era running inside the current client. We went through the official dev blog and a few other write-ups to pull together the questions we think most people actually have.
Full Launch Roster (60 Champions)
Alphabetical, as confirmed across the sources linked further down this post:
What exactly is League of Legends Classic?
It's a standalone gameplay mode recreating early League design: higher ability costs, harder-hitting spells, slower missiles and dashes, and more crowd control than the modern game, all built around a Classic version of Summoner's Rift with wraiths and faster-respawning buffs. Riot describes it as pulling from across the 2009-2013 era rather than locking to one exact patch.
When does it come out?
July 29, alongside Patch 26.15. No separate download or client is needed, it launches directly inside the existing League launcher.
How many champions are in it, and is it really just 60?
Yes. Launch roster is 60 champions total: the original 40 from October 2009, plus 20 more hand-picked champions released between 2009 and 2013. We cross-checked the list against the League Classic wiki roster page and a separate community champion breakdown, and both land on the exact same 60 names.
Do the champions play like they do now, or like they used to?
Old kits. Several launch champions run pre-rework versions of their abilities, Sion, Kayle, Tristana, and Skarner are called out specifically in early coverage. If you only know the current versions of those champions, expect them to feel like entirely different picks.
Is Yasuo in it?
No. Riot's dev blog is explicit about this one: "no Yasuos allowed." Yasuo wasn't released until 2013 outside the window Riot drew for the launch roster, and he's not part of the 60.
Will more champions get added later?
Yes, this is described as the first wave, not the full pool. Riot's Meddler has said Mordekaiser, Irelia, Akali, Caitlyn, and Fiora are planned for future patches. The Council, a player-voting system tied to playtime investment, will also let the community weigh in on which champions, skins, and gameplay changes get added next.
What if I don't own a champion that's in the Classic roster?
If you already own a champion on live servers you get immediate access to it in Classic. If you don't, you unlock it through the Classic Levels progression track or the in-mode shop, no separate purchase required for champions you've already bought.
Do runes and masteries actually come back?
Yes, both systems return. You pre-select a rune and mastery page before a match instead of building it live, and everything is fully unlocked by Classic Level 4, so there's no long upgrade grind to sit through. Forgot to set a page? Default pages are provided so you're never stuck without one.
What game modes are available at launch?
A PvP Draft queue, Co-op vs AI, and Custom games. That's it for day one, no ranked queue has been announced for the initial launch.
Is there a progression system?
Yes, it's called the Summoner's Journey, and it ranks players from Salt up through Wood and eventually Legend. Riot has said only a single-digit percentage of players are expected to actually reach Legend, so treat it as a long-term grind rather than a fast climb.
What about cosmetics, do my current skins work?
Many existing skins are compatible with Classic as-is. On top of that, Riot is adding Classic Skins recreating 2009-2013 appearances, Classic Chromas, and alternate loading screen portraits.
And don't worry, Nottingham Ezreal still works.
Is League Classic free, or is there a new monetization system?
The core Classic Levels progression track is free. There are also seasonal Classic Passes with both free and paid tiers, and the old IP currency is returning specifically for cosmetic purchases inside the mode.
Where can I read the full official announcement?
Straight from Riot: the League of Legends Classic dev blog is the primary source for everything above. For the full champion-by-champion roster breakdown we also referenced the League Classic wiki and LoL Theory's roster writeup.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Feel free to comment or leave a message :)