League of Legends is stepping back in time with the upcoming release of League Classic on Wednesday, July 29. This special game mode aims to recreate the experience of the game's earlier seasons, featuring reverted champions, items, runes, masteries, and the original map layout.
Unlike typical League of Legends updates that go live simultaneously with patches, League Classic will have a staggered global release. The game mode is set to launch worldwide at 11 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, July 29, with specific times for various server regions.
Players on the west coast of North America can expect League Classic to be available at 8 a.m. PDT. Those on the east coast will see it at 11 a.m. EDT. Brazil will receive the update at 12 p.m. BRT, while the United Kingdom will get it at 4 p.m. BST. Western Europe can anticipate the launch at 5 p.m. CEST. Further east, Japan's release is scheduled for 12 a.m. JST on Thursday, July 30, and the east coast of Australia will see it at 1 a.m. AEST on the same day.
League Classic draws inspiration from Season 3, allowing veteran players to revisit nostalgic elements and new players to experience a piece of the game's history. While the core framework will be based on this earlier era, the mode will incorporate modernized quality-of-life updates implemented over the past 17 years of League of Legends development. This means it won't be a strict one-to-one replica of the original experience.
The initial roster for League Classic will feature 60 champions, with 40 being original champions and 20 selected through a curated process. Future champion additions will be driven by player input through a system referred to as "The Council," where the community will vote on which champions should be added next. This approach may lead to more frequent champion introductions compared to the historical cadence of champion releases.
Adjustments will be made to champions to balance them for the League Classic environment, addressing any potential overpowered states. The mode will be supported by its own dedicated development team, ensuring it receives unique updates and doesn't strictly follow the historical development path of League of Legends.
