Riot Games will close League Classic on January 6, 2027, ending the mode's current run less than six months after it launched. The studio said in a /dev post from Rioters Meddler and Pabro that the mode will stay available through the end of Season 3 of 2026. The reason is simple: most of its players have gone back to the rest of League.
Classic went live on July 29 with Patch 26.15, built directly into the main League client. It lasted a little over five months and now enters a wind-down that starts with Patch 26.21 on October 21.
Why Riot is shutting Classic down
The dev post is direct about the cause. Riot said the mode saw strong early interest, but migration back to modern queues has since left Classic with long waits and large MMR gaps in several regions.
"At this point though, most have gone back to other parts of League."
Riot's plan is to "put Classic back in the box for now, with the goal of bringing it back, likely as an event mode with adjustments and additions." No return date has been given. Coverage of the announcement has compared the possible format to limited-time modes like URF, but that comparison comes from outlets, not from Riot.
One detail on the date itself: the dev post only says "end of Season 3." Riftdaily notes that the January 6 date comes from Riot's updated player support documentation, and Dot Esports has also reported it.
Riot also said it will share more about what it learned from the run, including where it got Classic right, where it could have gone "more classic," and where sticking too closely to the past may have held the experience back.
Some outlets have pointed to the mode's monetization as one possible factor in its drop-off, citing criticism on social media and forums. Riot has not named monetization as a reason.
Nine regions get windowed queues in Patch 26.21
The most immediate change is access. Riot is moving Oceania, Korea, LAN, LAS, Taiwan, Vietnam, Turkey, Southeast Asia and Russia to scheduled matchmaking from Patch 26.21. The studio says it is adding these windows where it has seen especially strong migration back to modern modes, causing especially long queue times and large MMR discrepancies.
For Oceania, Riot's table sets the queue hours in server time:
| Days | Classic queue window (server time) |
|---|---|
| Monday to Friday | 4 PM to 12 AM |
| Saturday and Sunday | 10 AM to 1 AM |
Inven Global's coverage of the Korean server reports the same schedule for Korea. The material available does not detail hours for the other windowed regions.
Japan and MENA face tighter restrictions. Both servers will be limited to custom games only from the same patch. Classic custom games stay available at all times in every region.
Queue hours may still change
Riot says players should watch patch notes for further updates to League Classic and its queue windows, so the schedule could be adjusted before the January shutdown.
Refunds, a free-only Act II pass and a thinner store
Riot says it is issuing refunds on Classic-specific content that will no longer be usable. Dot Esports reports the refunds arrive as RP, with most scheduled by November 30, 2026. Another report, citing Riot's official site, says refunds are only available before November 14. The sources do not reconcile the two dates, and they may describe different steps of the process, so players should check Riot's official refund details.
The Act II Classic Battle Pass still ships in Patch 26.21, but with a free track only and no premium tier. After that patch, the Classic store will sell only Champions, Runes and Rune Pages.
FullCleared notes that this is the second Riot project this year to end with refunds, after the studio ended active development on 2XKO in August.
One last run of champion additions
Development on Classic's roster is not stopping yet. Irelia, Karma, Quinn, Aatrox and Caitlyn joined in Patch 26.20, and Mordekaiser, Yorick, Hecarim and Lucian follow in 26.21. MMOHuts reports that more champions are planned every patch through 26.23, including Volibear, Urgot and Udyr, the top three picks in the latest Classic Council poll.
The announcement landed one day before the 2026 League of Legends World Championship opened on October 15, according to Game Rant, so the mode's final months will play out alongside Worlds coverage.
League Classic: key dates
What happens next
Patch 26.21 on October 21 is the next checkpoint: windowed queues start in the nine regions, Japan and MENA go custom-only, and the Act II pass and store changes take effect. Classic keeps receiving champions through 26.23, and the mode closes on January 6, 2027. Whether it returns as an event mode, and in what form, is still unannounced.
League of Legends
Riot Games
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