Current patch
Riot's first Classic patch update. Placeholder runes rise from 66% to 80%.
Fan-Made League Classic GuideEvidence checked
LoL Classic
Return to the early days of League of Legends with classic champions, old-school items, Runes, Masteries and the iconic Summoner's Rift. Find practical builds, champion guides and up-to-date Classic resources for the live game.
- Summoner's Rift5V5
- Classic Roster60
- RunesREADY
- MasteriesREADY
- Current Patch26.16
Live since Jul 29, 2026 · Updated Aug 18, 2026 · 60 Launch Champions · Patch 26.16 Current · Free to Play
Independent fan-made guide — not a Riot Games or Tencent website.
Official League Classic CinematicYouTube · League of Legends · Official CinematicWhat's New
League Classic Patch 26.16
26.16 is the first official Classic balance patch. Current guides now sit above the historical 3.15.5 archive.
Current roster
Akali, Kennen and Shen join the live roster. They are not launch champions.
Current builds
Gragas, Kayle, Pantheon, Nunu, Vayne, Akali, Kennen and Shen now open with 26.16 readings.
Current item and rune pages come from labelled editor/tracker sources, not from Riot official builds.
Start Here
Your LoL Classic Journey
I
Beginner Guide
Learn how to access League Classic, choose a champion, understand the old map and prepare your first Rune and Mastery setup.
Enter →IIChampion Builds
Find item paths, Rune directions, Masteries and skill priorities for popular Classic champions such as Master Yi, Sion, Ezreal and Ashe.
Enter →IIIRunes & Masteries
Understand old Marks, Seals, Glyphs and Quintessences, then combine them with Classic Mastery trees for different roles and playstyles.
Enter →IVClassic Items
Explore returning items, recipes and power spikes, including iconic choices from the early years of League.
Enter →Game Overview
What is LoL Classic?
League of Legends Classic is Riot Games' official return to early-era League gameplay. It uses Season 3 as an anchor while combining memorable champions, systems, items and mechanics from several periods of early League history.
Players return to the classic Summoner's Rift with old Rune and Mastery systems, classic champion kits and iconic item builds. Classic also introduces its own progression and community voting systems so the experience can continue evolving.
Explore All Guides →- Developer
- Riot Games
- Platform
- Windows / macOS
- Genre
- 5v5 MOBA
- Launch
- Jul 29, 2026
- Launch Champions
- 60
- Queues
- PvP Draft / Co-op vs AI / Custom
- Access
- Main League Client
Official Channels
Continue with first-party sources
Popular guides
Start with the player questions that matter now
Build directions remain version-labelled historical references, never disguised as launch-meta recommendations.
AP Master Yi historical guideOld kit and Riot 3.15.5 item directionOld Sion guideStunlock identity, old abilities, and build historyKassadin Classic guideHigh-cost caster and anti-magic historical identityAll 60 championsPortraits, abilities, build states, and sourcesClassic items141 historical records and 20 focus guidesOld rune pages105 Tier 3 rune recordsMastery trees57 Offense, Defense, and Utility nodesMastery calculatorAllocate 30 points under historical 3.15.5 rulesBuild plannerCombine champions, runes, masteries, and items locallyHow to playClient, regions, queues, and scam warnings
Complete database
Continue into the League Classic topic clusters
Browse 60 champions, 141 historical items, old runes and masteries, and eight setup directions. Every page keeps its source era, evidence state and launch-verification boundary.
Tool
Mastery calculator
Allocate 30 points with historical 3.15.5 tier and prerequisite rules.
ToolBuild planner
Combine source-labelled champions, runes, masteries and items in your browser.
60
60 champion guides
Bilingual identities, historical portraits, kits, build directions and sources.
141Classic item library
141 historical records and 20 focused item guides.
105Old rune library
105 Tier 3 Marks, Seals, Glyphs and Quintessences.
57Old mastery trees
57 Offense, Defense and Utility nodes with prerequisites.
8Historical builds
Eight rune, mastery, item and champion reading directions.
GuideHow to play
Client, region, queue and safe access guidance.
LiveLaunch status
Global and mainland-China live states are verified from separate first-party sources.
Start here
LoL Classic: Quick Answer
These are the shortest answers supported by the official pages reviewed on July 30, 2026.
- Is League Classic live?
- Yes. Riot verifies the global service live after its July 29 launch.
- Is it live in mainland China?
- Yes. Tencent verifies the mainland-China service live on July 30; the exact unlock hour was not separately published.
- Is League Classic free?
- Officially confirmed Yes. Riot's official page says Play for Free; this does not make every champion, skin, pass, or cosmetic free.
- Do I need a separate client?
- No. League Classic runs inside the main League of Legends game client.
- Where do I play it?
- Update the official League client, sign in, and locate League Classic. Exact labels may vary by region and client language.
- Are the builds launch verified?
- Partially confirmed No. The service is live, but historical champion builds and entity values are still verified separately.
Sources: Riot Classic homepage Riot Classic download page Official champion roster
Definition
What Is LoL Classic?
Officially confirmedPlayers search for “LoL Classic,” “League Classic,” and “League of Legends Classic” to find the same new Riot experience. Riot uses League of Legends Classic as the formal name.
It is not a private server, a fan remake, or a separate standalone game. The official page describes a return to the early days of the 5v5 MOBA, with a classic Summoner's Rift, original champion designs, classic items, runes, masteries, and familiar old metas. The software runs in the main League client.
Riot calls it an iconic early era rather than naming one exact historical patch on the reviewed page. Claims that the entire mode is an exact copy of one season or patch should therefore remain qualified until Riot publishes a fuller specification.
Evidence boundary
“Classic-era experience” is confirmed. A byte-for-byte recreation of a single patch is not yet confirmed.
Read the official descriptionDates and regions
LoL Classic Launch and Live Status
Riot verifies the global service live, and Tencent separately verifies the mainland-China service live. Regional dates, client wording, and activities remain distinct.
Global English service
Live since July 29, 2026
Official launch: 8:00 a.m. PT
Riot's current Classic page says Available Now, Now live, Play for Free, and opens the Riot Client.
Officially confirmed
Time conversion
15:00 UTC
11:00 p.m. China Standard Time, July 29
This is a mathematical conversion of Riot's PT time, not a China-server availability promise.
Partially confirmed
Mainland China server
Live since July 30, 2026
Exact launch hour was not separately published
Tencent's official League page confirms Classic is live with 60 champions, classic runes and masteries, and returning old items.
Officially confirmed
China campaign
Reservation: July 12–29
Battle Night tasks: July 30–August 2
Reservation, friend-invite, match, and August 2 reward rules belong to the Tencent-operated mainland China campaign only.
Officially confirmed
Global: Riot Games China: Tencent announcement Tencent 26.15 update
Access
How to Play LoL Classic
Partially confirmed- 01
Update the official League client
Classic runs inside the main League game client. Existing installations do not need a separate Classic download.
- 02
Sign in with an official League account
Use the same official account system for your region. Do not enter credentials into third-party Classic sites.
- 03
Locate League Classic inside the client
The exact button label and menu location may vary by region and client language.
- 04
Choose an available Classic queue
Riot documents PvP Draft, Co-op vs AI, and Custom Games for the launch experience.
- 05
Configure runes and masteries
Choose a page before queueing; Riot also provides a default page when no setup is selected.
- 06
Select a champion
Riot's official Champions page presents 60 launch champions. Unlock and rotation rules still depend on the account.
- 07
Avoid unofficial installers
Do not use private-server files, invite-code forms, account sellers, or third-party Classic clients.
- 08
Check official service status if the entry is missing
Regional maintenance, client rollout, and button labels can differ. Use Riot or Tencent notices for the affected service.
Client
Main League of Legends client.
Officially confirmedSeparate download
Not required.
Officially confirmedService status
Live globally and in mainland China, verified separately by Riot and Tencent.
Officially confirmedPrice
Riot's official League Classic page says Play for Free.
Officially confirmedAvoid unofficial downloads
There is no separate Classic client to hunt for. Do not use third-party installers, private-server files, invite-code forms, or “early access” links presented as Riot access.
Use Riot's official download pageEvidence board
Confirmed LoL Classic Features
The status reflects both the confirmed headline and any missing detail. “Partial” does not mean false; it means the page should not invent the rest.
Classic Summoner's Rift
Officially confirmedRiot confirms the classic Rift map and gameplay. Exact terrain-by-terrain launch documentation is still limited.
60 original champion designs
Officially confirmedRiot's official Champions page presents 60 iconic Classic champions. Their exact historical values and independent-site builds remain separately verified.
Original items and metas
Partially confirmedClassic items return and Deathfire Grasp is named. Final recipes, costs, stats, and a complete item pool are not provided on the page.
Runes with account progression
Partially confirmedPlayers begin with a base rune page and unlock more while the account levels. Exact runes and values remain undocumented in full.
Offense, defense, utility masteries
Partially confirmedThe three classic mastery categories return. A complete launch tree with exact values is not yet available from the reviewed source.
Community voting
Partially confirmedRiot says players will vote to shape Classic's future. The schedule, topics, and decision process have not been published.
How to read the labels
Officially confirmed
Stated directly on a current Riot Games, League of Legends, LoL Esports, or Tencent League source.
Partially confirmed
The main point is official, but an important detail or regional application is still missing.
Not yet confirmed
The reviewed official pages do not currently answer this question.
Community speculation
A community, media, or datamining claim that is not suitable for publication as an official fact.
Creator test verified
Directly observable in public creator testing with a stable timestamp and recorded test environment.
In-game verified
Directly verified in a recorded game-client capture for the stated region and build.
Launch version verified
Rechecked in the public launch client for the stated region and patch.
Needs recheck
A test-build or incomplete fact that must be rechecked in the public launch version.
Rejected
A reviewed claim that conflicts with stronger evidence or fails the evidence requirements and must not be published as fact.
Named by Riot
AP Yi, Deathfire Grasp and Old Sion
These references are real, but a name check is not enough evidence for a build or stat page.
HIST
AP Yi
Officially confirmed- Riot confirmed
- Riot explicitly names AP Yi as part of the Classic experience.
- Still unknown
- Final abilities, ratios, item order, matchup advice, and viable builds are not documented on the landing page.
HIST
Deathfire Grasp
Officially confirmed- Riot confirmed
- Riot explicitly names Deathfire Grasp among the returning classic content.
- Still unknown
- Its launch recipe, cost, stats, active values, and balance context are not yet published there.
HIST
Stunlock Sion
Officially confirmed- Riot confirmed
- Riot explicitly uses the phrase “stunlock Sion,” confirming an old-Sion experience at a high level.
- Still unknown
- A full kit description, numbers, combos, and build guide need official or verified live data.
Evidence-qualified comparison
LoL Classic vs Modern LoL
This table avoids assumed pace, queue, or balance differences. It compares only what the reviewed official material can support.
CLASSIC
MODERN
Classic facts: Riot Classic page Modern-system context: Riot's Runes Reforged retrospective
New official guides
Champions, Items, Runes and Masteries
Riot's developer article and official Champions page support four focused guides. Roster identity is official; numerical databases and builds keep their separate evidence status.
- Known now:
- Main-client access, launch queues, positional preference, Classic Levels, Summoner's Journey and The Council are documented.
- Evidence boundary:
- The exact global launch-client menu path still needs verification.
- Known now:
- Riot's official Champions page presents the 60 launch champions, while the developer article explains the OG 40 plus 20 composition.
- Evidence boundary:
- Roster identity does not automatically verify every historical skill value or build.
- Known now:
- Riot names Atma's Impaler, Frozen Mallet, Zz'Rot Portal and classic build concepts.
- Evidence boundary:
- No historical costs, stats, recipes or passives are backfilled.
- Known now:
- Tier 3 baseline, three starting pages, two level unlocks, IP pages and full masteries after Classic Level 4 are confirmed.
- Evidence boundary:
- No universal recommended page or unverified numerical catalog is published.
Primary sources only
Latest Official Updates
This log excludes Reddit leaks, YouTube speculation, datamining, and media predictions from the “official” label.
- NEWCurrent patch
Global
League Classic Patch 26.16 is live
Riot's first official Classic patch update adds Akali, Kennen and Shen, changes placeholder runes from 66% to 80%, and adjusts economy, towers, jungle growth and Homeguard.
Open official update - LOGVerified live
Mainland China
Tencent verifies League Classic live in mainland China
Tencent's official League page says Classic launched July 30 with 60 champions, classic runes and masteries, and returning old items. The article publication time is not treated as the exact client unlock hour.
Open official update - LOGVerified live
Global English
Riot now marks League Classic available globally
Riot's current official Classic page says the global service is available, labels it live, offers Play for Free, and links to the Riot Client. Mainland China is verified separately from Tencent evidence.
Open official update - LOGPatch scope verified
Global
Riot's global Patch 26.15 notes include League Classic
Riot's global Patch 26.15 notes contain a League of Legends Classic section. Tencent-only activities and rewards remain regional and are not presented as global patch rules.
Open official update - LOGVerified
Global English
Riot's July 14 developer deep dive added
Riot now documents the OG 40 plus 20 launch composition, champion access and rotation, classic items, Tier 3 runes, rune-page progression, mastery unlocks, launch queues, positional preference, Classic Levels, Summoner's Journey, seasonal passes, and The Council.
Open official update - LOGLast verified
Global English
Global Classic details rechecked
Riot's landing page still lists July 29, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. PT and main-client access. The exact global menu path, complete 60-name roster, final item values, and launch-client troubleshooting remain unpublished.
Open official update - LOGPublished
Mainland China
Tencent confirms the mainland-China client entry and launch event
Tencent says the China service launches July 30 through a dedicated entry in the existing client. Its reservation and August 2 Battle Night rewards are regional only.
Open official update - LOGPublished
North America event
LCS Classic event announced for July 24
LoL Esports announced a TSM versus CLG showmatch using League Classic. This is a separate esports event, not the public release date.
Open official update - LOGCampaign start
Mainland China
Mainland China reservation campaign opens
Tencent's regional page begins a China-only campaign and treats July 30 as the China-server launch day. Its rewards are not global Riot benefits.
Open official update - LOGPublished
Global announcement
Riot acknowledges League Classic in a dev update
The official video introduced the project ahead of the later full reveal. Current facts are taken from the updated Classic landing page.
Open official update
17 sourced answers
LoL Classic FAQ
Visible answers and FAQPage structured data come from the same reviewed source. Rich-result display is never guaranteed.
01What is LoL Classic?
LoL Classic is the common search name for League of Legends Classic, Riot's official 5v5 experience built around an iconic early era of League of Legends.
Officially confirmed Riot Games / League of Legends
02Is LoL Classic official?
Yes. League of Legends Classic is an official Riot Games experience. LoL Classic Wiki is an independent fan reference and is not an official Riot website.
Officially confirmed Riot Games / League of Legends
03What is the official name?
The official name is League of Legends Classic. Players and searchers also shorten it to League Classic or LoL Classic.
Officially confirmed Riot Games / League of Legends
04When does LoL Classic release?
League Classic is live. Riot verifies the global service after its July 29 launch, and Tencent verifies the mainland-China service on July 30. Tencent has not separately published an exact China unlock hour.
05How do I access LoL Classic?
Update and open the main League of Legends client, sign in with an official account, and locate League Classic. Tencent confirms a dedicated entry in the existing mainland-China client. Exact button labels and menu locations may vary and are not invented here.
06Is it a separate game?
No separate game is required. Riot says League of Legends Classic is played inside the main League of Legends game client.
Officially confirmed Riot Games / League of Legends
07Do I need a new client?
No separate Classic client is required. If League of Legends is already installed, Riot says that installation is ready for Classic; otherwise, use Riot's official League download.
Officially confirmed Riot Games / League of Legends
08Is LoL Classic free?
Yes. Riot's official League Classic page offers the mode as “Play for Free” inside the main League client. This does not mean every champion, skin, pass, or cosmetic is free.
Officially confirmed Riot Games / League of Legends Riot Games / League of Legends
09Which champions are confirmed?
Riot's official Champions page presents 60 iconic champions for Classic. This confirms roster identity and count, but it does not verify every historical skill value or build on this independent site.
Officially confirmed Riot Games / League of Legends Riot Games / League of Legends
10Are old runes returning?
Yes. Riot says runes return, players start with a base page, and more unlock naturally as the account levels. Exact rune values and the complete catalog are not yet documented there.
Partially confirmed Riot Games / League of Legends
11Are masteries returning?
Yes. Riot confirms the return of separate offense, defense, and utility mastery trees. The reviewed page does not publish every node or value.
Partially confirmed Riot Games / League of Legends
12Is AP Yi returning?
Riot explicitly names AP Yi on the official Classic page. A final skill breakdown, ratios, recommended build, and performance data are not yet available from that source.
Officially confirmed Riot Games / League of Legends
13Is Deathfire Grasp returning?
Riot explicitly names Deathfire Grasp on the official Classic page. Its final Classic recipe, cost, stats, and active effect values are not published there.
Officially confirmed Riot Games / League of Legends
14Is old Sion returning?
Riot explicitly names stunlock Sion, confirming an old-Sion experience at a high level. The official page does not provide a complete kit, values, or build guide.
Officially confirmed Riot Games / League of Legends
15Will LoL Classic receive updates?
Riot says players will vote with the community to shape the future of Classic. The voting schedule, eligible topics, decision rules, and patch cadence are not yet confirmed.
Partially confirmed Riot Games / League of Legends
16Is the China server release date different?
Yes. Riot verifies the global service after its July 29 schedule, while Tencent verifies the mainland-China service on July 30. Tencent has not separately published an exact unlock hour, and China campaign rewards remain regional.
17Is LoL Classic the same as League Classic?
Yes. LoL Classic and League Classic are common shorthand for the official product named League of Legends Classic.
Officially confirmed Riot Games / League of Legends
Source ledger
Official Sources
Each source records its language, regional scope, and last verification date. Regional evidence remains regional.
Partially confirmed
Live-service information can change
Facts were last checked on July 30, 2026. Riot or Tencent may still change access, maintenance, systems, queues, or regional events. The corrections process explains how this page is updated.
LoL Classic Wiki
Ready to Master LoL Classic?
From your first Rune page to champion builds, jungle routes and classic item combinations, use our guides to relearn the Rift and keep up with the live Classic experience.
SUMMONER'S JOURNEY AWAITS