League of Legends Classic is a game mode that will be integrated into the same Riot Games client that players use to access League of Legends, so you will only need to have an account and the updated game to take this trip to the past. This mode promises to revive the origins of the 5v5 MOBA with its respective champions, items and metagame. League of Legends Classic does not exactly and strictly replicate a specific patch, but rather takes Season 3 (2013) as its starting point. From here the development team has taken some creative liberties to offer a retro experience.
During the MSI 2026 League of Legends finals, an exhibition match was held in Classic mode between Team Dragon (Soaz, Levi, PawN, Cpt Jack and Yellowstar) and Team Baron (zz1tai, Ambition, Scarra, Doublelift and Wx) which you can see below.
In League of Legends Classic, players will find everything from the classic map to the original gaming experience, which according to Riot Games will allow you to relive «a beloved era of LoL just as you remember it.» This means that champions and items will have their original settings. «Yi of PH, Pincer of Fiery Death, the infinite stun of Sion… Nothing will be missing,» says the Tencent-owned studio. Riot Games has commented that the idea arose during a Thunderdome, its own version of a hackathonwhen a group of developers created a prototype based on Season 3.
League of Legends Classic will allow you to play with the original designs of 60 champions from the early years of LoL. It also brings back the original way of selecting champions and the runes return, «but this time without complications.» In this mode, players will have a base page of runes and will unlock more organically as the account levels up. There will also be no shortage of the original trees of offensive, defensive and utility masteries, bonuses that are chosen based on the style of play.