It’s actually happening. Riot Games has officially confirmed that League of Legends Classic is a real thing that’s coming to the game, and the veteran LoL community is predictably losing its mind. A teaser trailer dropped on June 26, featuring League of Legends Executive Producer Paul “Pabro” Bellezza and League Studio head Andrei “Meddler” van Roon in a comedic back-and-forth about the “good old days” of the MOBA — referencing removed items, old champion kits, and the roster of roughly 40 champions available during the beta. The full reveal is locked in for the MSI Finals on July 11 at 11 PM PDT / 8 AM CET, where Riot plans to share actual details about how the mode will work.
In the meantime, dataminers have already been digging through the PBE and there’s a lot to talk about.
What the Teaser Actually Showed
The teaser was light on specifics by design — Riot is clearly saving the substance for the MSI Finals reveal — but it was packed with references that longtime players will immediately recognise. Heart of Gold, the old gold-income support item beloved in Season 1 and 2, got a direct callout. Graves before his rework (when he was a standard marksman rather than a shotgun-wielding bruiser) was specifically shown as an example of the old champion kits that could return. The original 40-champion beta roster was referenced. The entire vibe of the video leaned into Season 2 and Season 3 nostalgia — what much of the community refers to as the “Golden Era” of competitive and casual League alike.
One interesting wrinkle Riot built into the teaser: they deliberately left the question of “which era” somewhat open. Pabro’s framing suggested Classic might not be locked to a single frozen version of the game, potentially allowing Riot to represent multiple eras rather than picking one specific patch. That would make it more flexible than WoW Classic’s era-specific approach — though exactly how that translates in practice is something Riot is holding back for the full reveal.
Riot Meddler confirmed on Reddit that he’s deliberately not commenting on gameplay specifics until the reveal, saying he wants to see how much leaked before deciding what to hold for the July 11 announcement.
What Dataminers Have Found So Far
Dataminers have pulled a significant amount of information from the PBE under the codename “Jade” — that was League Classic’s internal development name. Here’s what’s been found so far:
- Separate levelling system — a Summoner levelling track from levels 1 through 30, mirroring how the original pre-ranked progression worked before the modern levelling system replaced it
- Original Rune system — the old stat-boosting Rune pages return, not the modern Rune Paths/Keystones system that replaced them in 2017
- Original Mastery system — the old three-tree Mastery setup (Offense, Defense, Utility) is reportedly back
- Influence Points — the original in-game currency that was used to unlock champions before Blue Essence replaced it
- Separate shop — Classic will have its own store, separate from the main League client
- Classic items — removed items like Deathfire Grasp, Frozen Mallet in its old form, Heart of Gold, Philosopher’s Stone, and Madred’s Bloodrazor are among the items expected to return
- Token system and voting mechanic — specifics aren’t confirmed yet, but these were found in the data alongside other Classic-specific systems
- Old champion kits — pre-rework versions of champions are confirmed, with Graves, Sion, Poppy, and others expected to play as they did in their original iterations
- Classic-specific battle pass — League Classic will have its own progression track separate from the main game’s battle pass
The ResetEra thread tracking the reveal has compiled additional datamined intel pointing specifically toward Season 3 as the primary era, which would put League Classic roughly in the 2013 timeframe — widely regarded as the peak of League’s early competitive golden age and the era most associated with iconic pro play moments and the original “meta” that casual players still reference today.
How It Compares to Other Classic Servers
The closest comparisons are World of Warcraft Classic, which brought back a frozen version of vanilla WoW in 2019 and was a massive commercial success for Blizzard, and Old School RuneScape, which has since grown into a standalone live service game of its own. Both were initially dismissed as nostalgia plays that would pull players away from the main game and both ended up far exceeding expectations in player engagement.
Overwatch has also done limited-time “Classic” modes — temporarily reverting to older hero rosters and balance states — though those were time-limited events rather than persistent modes. Based on what’s been datamined so far, League Classic looks more substantial than a limited event, with its own shop, levelling system, and battle pass pointing toward something designed for ongoing play rather than a nostalgic weekend.
The open question is whether Riot will run Classic as a permanent mode, a rotating seasonal addition, or something in between. That’s likely the core of what the July 11 reveal will clarify.
Why This Is a Big Deal for the Community
League of Legends has been running for over 15 years and has accumulated enormous amounts of change across that time — over 170 champions, multiple complete map overhauls, item system reworks, objective redesigns, and sweeping balance philosophy shifts that have made the modern game feel meaningfully different from the one players fell in love with in 2009 to 2013. For a massive chunk of the player base that grew up on pre-rework Graves, Deathfire Grasp assassin combos, Season 2 jungle camps, and the old Dragon buff, those systems carry genuine nostalgia weight.
The fact that Riot is taking this seriously enough to build a separate levelling system, a standalone shop, and its own progression track suggests this isn’t just a weekend throwback event. The internal codename “Jade” and the level of PBE work dataminers have found point to a meaningful production investment. Whether it will land as well as WoW Classic did for Blizzard remains to be seen, but the appetite in the community right now is very real.
What to Watch For at MSI Finals on July 11
The full League of Legends Classic reveal happens during the MSI 2026 Finals on July 11 at 11 PM PDT. Based on the teaser and datamined content, the reveal will almost certainly confirm the era the mode is based on (likely Season 3), how the separate progression systems work, which champions are included at launch, and whether this is a permanent addition or a seasonal mode. A release date window is also possible, though not guaranteed for the July 11 slot.
If you’re watching MSI anyway for the competitive finals, the Classic reveal is a strong secondary reason to tune in for the full broadcast.
For more gaming news this week, check out how Xbox players are using Microsoft Rewards points to buy GTA 6 cheaper, and our breakdown of the Overwatch Season 3 Excavation Initiative and how to earn all 17 free Loot Boxes. If you’re looking for something to play right now, check out what’s new in our Marathon Vault Breaker PvE mode coverage.
