The upcoming League Classic game mode has veteran League of Legends players excited, particularly now that developer Riot Games has changed a few of its key aspects following a deluge of fan and player feedback.
League Classic was announced as a way for modern players to experience again, or for the first time, gameplay more similar to that of the original League of Legends. While LoL continues to be among the world’s most popular video games today, it’s objectively a very different game now compared to when it first released nearly 20 years ago.
League Classic aims to wind the clock back and bring a more traditional experience to modern players. But the game mode still holds onto some more modern aspects, ranging from in-game mechanics to its monetization. Riot has agreed to change a few of these aspects, but not all.
Here’s everything Riot has confirmed will be changed when League Classic fully releases to players.
Riot changes champion skins, Baron buff in League Classic
The biggest quibble players and fans took with League Classic as originally conceived was likely that not all of the game’s champions were initially sporting their classic models by default. Instead, at least some of the classic models would need to be acquired through passes or the League of Legends client shop.
Riot Games apparently recognized the volume of the complaints around this particular issue, because it quickly walked this back entirely. Riot now promises that every champion will have a classic skin, whether it’s a returning skin or a new “classic” skin created just for this game mode. And Riot has further assured players that those classic skins will now be freely available to all players.
In addition to classic skins, classic voice lines will also be used when and where available. Though in the case of some older champions, their previous voice lines may no longer be usable.
League Classic will also see its gameplay changed when it broadly releases. The buff achieved for slaying the Baron won’t be removed entirely, but it will be significantly weakened relative to its initial implementation and what modern players are accustomed to. This should allow many games to run longer with protracted siege attempts, as was often the case in early League of Legends seasons.
Riot developers further made clear that champion balance will be focused more on the game’s first three seasons. Previously, League Classic included identifiable features that pulled from changes made as late as in Season 5. The new focus on the original three LoL seasons should better represent the gameplay experience returning players would expect from a true retro version of League of Legends.
Modern skins are still usable in League Classic
Not every complaint over League Classic is being addressed, starting with modern skins still being kept available in the game mode. This makes sense from Riot’s perspective, as skin sales represent a huge chunk of the game’s revenue each year, and it’s unlikely Riot would release a new game mode that prevents players from using their expensive modern skins.
There are also some gameplay changes that reflect a more modern League experience that are being maintained. In addition to the Baron buff effect on allied minions not being entirely reduced, bases are also keeping their one-way gates that allow defending players to enter and leave without making the same allowance for attacking players.
In some cases, players have mistakenly believed that League Classic has been changed in ways it hasn’t, often due to interface updates. One example is the game’s bounty system, which does correctly reflect its previous version from years past, but is showcased in the new interface in a way that had players incorrectly thinking it had been changed to reflect modern play.
League Classic is set to be added as a new playable game mode in League of Legends on July 29, 2026.
