Riot announce free skins and original voice-overs on League Classic after community feedback

This Tuesday, July 14, Riot Games released a dev update. Presented as usual by Andrei “Meddler” van Roon and Paul “Pabro” Bellezza, it mainly focused on League Classic and ARAM Mayhem Classic which release on patch 26.15 on July 29, as Riot looks to blend the present of League of Legends with a celebration of its past. Riot Games is leaning hard into nostalgia for Season 3, and the latest Dev Update makes that clear.

The mode is aiming on recreating how League felt during its early competitive years, rather than simply restoring an old version of the game. On top of this, they explained we can expect news about their 2027 roadmap around Worlds 2026 timing.

Season 3 will be entirely dedicated to revisiting League’s history, with League Classic at the center of the plan. The mode is designed to recreate how League felt during its early competitive years rather than simply restore an old version of the game. It will bring back the original Summoner’s Rift, the initial pool of 60 champions, old items, old runes, masteries, and other early mechanics.

Riot has said the mode will not include every champion ever released, but more will be added over time. League Classic will launch with PvP Draft, Co-op vs AI, and Custom Games only. Players will be able to earn levels, Runes, Masteries, IP, Blue Essence and cosmetics.

The mode will also include several modern improvements, such as updated matchmaking, stronger server infrastructure, better performance, modern pings, spell buffering, and optional WASD controls. Riot will handle balance separately from the live game, with the goal of preserving what makes Classic feel distinct. Following community feedback, Classic skins will be free and enabled by default, and Riot will also try to restore as many of the original voice-overs as possible, according to Brian “FeralPony” Feeney.

Riot also explained that the smaller starting roster is intentional. Meddler said the goal is to make Classic easier to learn and relearn, while also allowing Riot to launch it faster. Additional Classic champions will be added regularly over time, with some community votes helping determine the release order.

Riot is also introducing The Council, a new community voting system that will shape the future of League Classic. It will let players vote on how the mode evolves over time, giving the project a more participatory feel rather than treating it as a one-off nostalgia feature.

The nostalgia push does not stop with League Classic. Riot is also launching ARAM Mayhem Classic, a temporary mode built around a Classic-inspired map, Classic-themed items and Augments, and only the 60 champions available in Classic, though in their modern forms. Like League Classic, it will have its own queue and release alongside the mode.

The aim is clearly to make the two modes feel connected while still serving different audiences. League Classic is about recreating the old experience, while ARAM Mayhem Classic is about mixing that nostalgia with the faster pace of a more chaotic mode.

Beyond the gameplay modes, Riot also confirmed that League Partner Program applications will reopen in September, with more details to follow on social media. The next Hall of Legends inductee will be revealed on August 17, and the in-game event tied to that announcement will arrive soon after.

Riot also said it will share more about Season 3 Act 2 before it goes live. And looking even further ahead, the company plans to show a first preview of its 2027 and beyond roadmap during Worlds.