Riot Games has put an end date on one of its more nostalgic experiments: the Classic version of League of Legends will end its current run on January 6, 2027. The announcement, which surfaced on October 14, comes with a refund plan for players who bought Classic-exclusive content, and with a long list of regional queue changes that start with Patch 26.21.
Why Riot is pulling the plug
According to Riot, the reason is simple: player numbers have dropped. Most people who tried the older-version mode have gone back to the modern game, and in smaller regions that has led to long queue times and wide gaps in matchmaking rating. Rather than let the experience get worse, the developer is closing the mode for now. Riot also says it hopes to bring Classic back at some point, possibly as an event or rotating mode with changes and new content. No date or format has been confirmed.
What changes with Patch 26.21
From Patch 26.21 the Classic Store will only sell champions, runes and rune pages. Classic-exclusive cosmetics will no longer be available, and a free Battle Pass track is planned. On the queue side, Japan (JP1) and MENA (ME1) are limited to custom matches only. Korea, both Latin American regions, Taiwan, Vietnam, Turkey, Southeast Asia, Oceania and Russia keep scheduled matchmaking, with weekday sessions from 4 PM to midnight server time and longer weekend windows. Custom Classic games stay open in every region around the clock.
Riot will keep adding older champion versions until Patch 26.23. Irelia, Karma, Quinn, Aatrox and Caitlyn arrived with Patch 26.20, Mordekaiser, Yorick, Hecarim and Lucian follow in 26.21, and Volibear, Urgot and Udyr are slated for later patches.
How the refunds work
Refunds begin 30 days after the announcement, and most are due by November 30, 2026. Portraits bought directly are refunded in RP. Paid Classic Pass Act I portraits return 200 RP each, and players who paid cash for that pass can ask Player Support for a refund to their original payment method within 30 days of the announcement. The Resplendent Explorer Ezreal portrait from the Classic Welcome Bundle is worth 2,000 RP, and separately bought chromas are refunded in RP as well.
Collector’s Box owners have a choice. The portion of the price tied to portraits is refunded in RP, or they can request a refund to their payment method within the same 30-day window. Anyone who prefers to keep the physical box can remove the digital content and receive 12,212 RP instead. Riot’s support article has the full terms, so owners should check it before acting.
Does this matter for the competitive scene?
Not directly. The announcement makes no mention of Worlds or any other pro tournament, and Classic was never part of the competitive ecosystem. It is a player-side story, and the live competitive game continues unchanged. Still, it shows how Riot manages its player base ahead of a busy season. Anyone following the bookmakers that offer League of Legends markets should keep in mind that news like this has no bearing on team form or odds, which depend on the current patch and roster changes instead.
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