Image credit: Riot Games
League of Legends Classic will shut down in January 2027. Riot Games has announced that the game mode will remain available through the end of Season 3 of 2026, after which it will end.
The decision comes as the developer reassesses interest in the older version of the multiplayer online battle arena game, which was introduced to bring back the experience of earlier League of Legends gameplay. “We’ve seen a lot of players have fun revisiting the olden days with Classic,” Riot said in an update. The company said it may bring the mode back in the future, potentially as an event with adjustments and additional content. “At this point though, most have gone back to other parts of League. Before its current run ends, Riot will also change matchmaking queues, Battle Pass rewards and the availability of Classic-specific content.
Why Riot Games is shutting down League Classic
It said it would share more details about these findings in the future. Before the mode closes, Riot is introducing matchmaking changes in regions where declining player numbers have led to longer wait times and larger differences in matchmaking ratings. In Korea, Latin America North and South, Taiwan, Vietnam, Turkey, Southeast Asia, Oceania and Russia, Classic queues will operate from 4 pm to midnight on weekdays and from 10 am to 1 am on weekends, according to server time. Japan and the Middle East and North Africa regions will have access to custom matches only from patch 26.21. Custom games will remain available in all regions. The Act II Classic Battle Pass, arriving with patch 26.21, will feature a single free track. Riot will also issue refunds for Classic-specific content that will no longer be usable following the changes. Riot will continue adding champions from earlier versions of League of Legends in upcoming patches. Irelia, Karma, Quinn, Aatrox, and Caitlyn have been among the recent additions, while Mordekaiser, Yorick, Hecarim, and Lucian are scheduled for patch 26.21. Further releases through patch 26.23 will include Volibear, Urgot and Udyr, which placed among the top three choices in the company’s latest Council poll. These additions will give players access to more champions from the game’s earlier era before the current version of Classic goes offline. Riot described the mode as a project that required significant developer work.
Riot said player engagement has shifted towards other parts of League of Legends, making it difficult to sustain Classic in its current format. The company acknowledged that the experience gave players a chance to reconnect with the game’s earlier years, but said it would assess what worked and what could have been improved. The developer also plans to examine whether sticking too closely to the original version limited the mode’s appeal. From that patch onward, the Classic store will offer only champions, runes, and rune pages. The company thanked players who returned to revisit older gameplay, reconnect with friends, and join discussions about the experience. The developer also encouraged players to keep sharing feedback on social media and with the League Council, saying their input would help shape future ways to play the game. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.