Riot Games has announced a Classic mode and revealed the 2026 season's sole new champion, Locke, while the Philippine government includes League of Legends in its official curriculum and a FENNEL player makes the Japan national team for the Esports Nations Cup.
Riot Games has been active across multiple fronts for League of Legends in mid-2026. On June 27, the company announced League of Legends Classic, a game mode that recreates past versions of the MOBA. A trailer showed Executive Director Paul "Pabro" Bellezza suggesting eras like the beta with 40 champions or the time of the Heart of Gold item. More details are set for the MSI finals on July 11.
The 2026 season's only new champion, Locke, was revealed in a cinematic on June 9. Locke is an Assassin-class demon hunter who wields stakes and has a history with Vayne, who is currently possessed by a demon in the Season 2 storyline. Locke arrives in patch 26.13. A Dev Update on May 28 also announced a weekend-only 5v5 ranked queue to be tested from June 27 to September 7, and the Mayhem mode is removing traits and adding new augments like Multi-Shot. New skin series include Sinister Shores, Wilderness, and Broken Covenant.
Outside the game itself, the Philippine Department of Education's MATATAG Curriculum includes a Grade 10 unit on esports and digital literacy, with League of Legends among the recommended materials. The curriculum is being phased in from 2024, with full implementation by 2028. In esports competition, FENNEL's MayR was selected for the Japan national roster in the League of Legends division of the Esports Nations Cup 2026, the only FENNEL player on the team. Japan will compete in the Asian qualifiers starting June 19 for a chance at the main tournament in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia this November. Meanwhile, the streamer tournament LTK Season: Pandemonium playoffs start June 20 at TOYOTA ARENA TOKYO, featuring a three-tier system and a BO4 point system.
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Riot Games will release League of Legends Classic on July 30, letting players experience the game with old systems like Rune Pages and the Revive summoner spell. The mode arrives in patch 26.15 and includes community voting on future updates.
The Philippine Department of Education's MATATAG Curriculum includes a Grade 10 unit on esports and digital literacy. Recommended materials include Valorant, League of Legends, Minecraft, and Tekken. Students will learn competitive gaming skills, event organization, and online etiquette. The curriculum is being phased in from 2024, with full implementation by 2028.
Riot Games announced League of Legends Classic, a new game mode that recreates past versions of the MOBA, on June 27. A trailer shows Executive Director Paul "Pabro" Bellezza suggesting eras like the beta with 40 champions or the time of the Heart of Gold item. Details will come at the MSI finals on July 11.
MayR, a member of FENNEL's League of Legends division, has been selected for the Japan national roster in the League of Legends division of the Esports Nations Cup 2026. He is the only FENNEL player on the team. Japan will compete in the Asian qualifiers starting June 19, aiming for a spot in the main tournament in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia this November.
The offline playoffs for the streamer tournament LTK Season: Pandemonium start June 20 at TOYOTA ARENA TOKYO. Four teams of 15 players each compete in a three-tier system (MASTERS, NEXT, CORE) with a special BO4 point system that rewards strategic tier deployment. Dahlia Diadem enters as the top seed, but the format makes raw strength secondary to tactical choices.
Riot Games released a cinematic on June 9, 2026, introducing Locke, a demon hunter who wields stakes and has a history with Vayne. Locke is an Assassin-class champion arriving in patch 26.13, the only new champion planned for the 2026 season.
Riot Games released a Dev Update on May 28 for League of Legends Season 2 Act 2. The new assassin champion Lock arrives in patch 26.13. A weekend-only 5v5 ranked queue will be tested from June 27 to September 7. The Mayhem mode is removing traits and adding new augments like Multi-Shot. New skin series include Sinister Shores, Wilderness, and Broken Covenant.