Riot Games has announced that League of Legends will be getting a major overhaul after 2026, possibly one of the biggest in the game’s 16-year history. Riot has said the refresh will include a brand-new “around-game” client, entirely new visuals for Summoner’s Rift, and a better experience for players new to the game–plus more updates yet to be announced.
Bloomberg initially reported on Riot’s plans for a 2027 LoL refresh earlier this week, saying the update was internally known as “League Next.” Shortly after that report was released, Riot Games confirmed the plans via a video posted to League of Legends’ social media. League boss Andrei Van Roon added that the video was intended to be released in January, but had been pushed forward in response to the report.
While Riot says work on the update is well underway, none of it is ready to reveal to the public just yet, though it has outlined some of the major changes on the way. First and foremost is a brand-new “around-game” client, which will be bundled in with the game as a single application. Summoner’s Rift is also due for an overhaul, with the studio promising “entirely new visuals” for the classic map, as well as some new gameplay. Other gameplay updates will include changes to runes and the pre-game experience, as well as a full overhaul to the learning experience for players new to League of Legends.
The Bloomberg report claims that, while League of Legends is still a popular game, player numbers have been dropping off and Riot’s newer title Valorant currently makes the company more money. The overhaul is likely aimed at bringing in fresh blood, with Riot’s video even saying that post-update will be “the best time ever to get your friends into League.”
Riot has diversified the League of Legends franchise in recent years, with spin-offs including new TCG Riftbound, fighting game 2XKO, and the popular Netflix animated series Arcane. Riot has also proved itself more willing to experiment with the core League of Legends experience, with recent years seeing major changes to the classic Summoner’s Rift map, new jungle bosses, and even the addition of a new themed seasonal model.
Riot has said that it will reveal more about the upcoming overhaul in the later half of next year, in between its two major esports events MSI and Worlds.