League of Legends 2: Riot announces "League Next", the massive overhaul planned for 2027.

If you have seen rumors about a League of Legends 2 , we will clarify right away: Riot Games is not going to release a full sequel. Instead, the studio is preparing the biggest update in the history of the game , an internal project named "League Next" . The goal? Completely modernize League of Legends so that it remains competitive and attractive for the next 15 years.

It all started in late 2025, when a Chinese insider known as Summoner Park posted on Weibo information about a "LoL 2" with a new engine, revised graphics, and completely rewritten code. The post was quickly deleted, but the rumors were already circulating. In December 2025, Riot decided to take the lead: Paul "Pabro" Bellezza (Executive Producer) and Andrei "Meddler" van Roon (The Head of Studio) has released a video to confirm that a major overhaul is indeed in preparation, but it is not a separate game.

The answer was, and remains, no. There will be no League of Legends 2. But we are preparing something big. - Riot Games

Concretely, it is a thorough overhaul of the client, the game engine, the map, and the overall experience. Your skins, your account, your progress: everything is preserved. It's the same game, but much, much better.

The current League of Legends client, let's be honest, has been a bit of a weak point in the game for years. Bugs, slowness, aging interface... Riot is well aware of this. With League Next, the studio will completely merge the client and the game engine in a single unified application, just like they did with VALORANT.

What does it change for you? No more separation between the launcher and the game. The experience will be seamless from start to finish: you launch the game, you navigate through the menus, you start a game, all in the same environment. No more loading bugs between the client and the game, no more interface lag when you accept a game.

This new client will also allow displaying complex elements directly in the interface, such as the 3D models of champions in the menus, selection animations, and a much more modern overall rendering. If you have already played VALORANT, you see the level of quality we are talking about.

The Summoner's Rift is going to have a complete lifting . Riot has confirmed that the game's iconic map will be completely redesigned visually, with new assets, better lighting, more detailed textures, and a more immersive atmosphere. This represents a real graphical leap forward.

But it's not just aesthetic. Riot also mentioned some gameplay changes related to the map . Without going into details (they keep that for later), some modifications will be specific to Summoner's Rift, while others will apply to all game modes and maps. The game engine itself will be upgraded to support all of this.

For gamers who have been following LoL since its debut in 2009, this is a historic moment. The last true visual overhaul of the Rift dates back to 2014, and even though the game has received regular updates, the engine is seriously starting to show its age. League Next promises to bring things up to date.

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League Next is not limited to the map. Riot has confirmed a complete visual refresh of champions The 3D models, animations, and textures will be updated. If you have ever compared a champion released in 2012 with a recent champion, you can see the difference. The idea is to bring the entire roster to the same level of quality.

On the gaming system side, the runes and pre-game systems are also going to be revisited. Riot has not yet given the precise details, but the general idea is to simplify entry into the game without sacrificing strategic depth. The current rune system, despite its qualities, remains a real headache for new players.

Good news if you have invested in skins over the years: everything is preserved . Your account, your skins, your progress, your ranks, everything remains intact. League Next is an evolution, not a reset.

One of the major projects of League Next is onboarding Let's be honest: League of Legends is one of the most complex games to get started with. With over 160 champions, items, runes, the jungle, objectives... a new player in 2026 is quickly overwhelmed.

Riot wants to change that radically. The studio has stated that the goal is simple: Once we're done, it will be the best time to introduce League to your friends. This implies a redesigned tutorial, a more guided progression, and probably an interface that better explains the basic mechanics without overwhelming the player with information.

It is a crucial issue for the long-term survival of the game. League may be the most played MOBA in the world with tens of millions of active players, but renewing the player base is essential. If the game fails to attract new players, it ends up stagnating. League Next is clearly Riot's response to this challenge.

Here's what we know about Riot's schedule:

• December 2025 : official announcement of the League Next project by Riot Games
• 2026 (between MSI and Worlds, i.e. July-October) : Riot promises to share many more details about the planned changes
• 2027 : deployment target of League Next. The exact date is not yet confirmed

So we are still over a year away from the launch, but the main lines are drawn. Riot apparently wanted to calm the rumors and control the narrative, which is rather a good sign: it shows that the project is advanced enough to talk about it publicly.

It is important to distinguish between what is confirmed and what is rumor. The initial leaks from Summoner Park mentioned a new complete game engine and code rewritten from scratch . Riot has neither confirmed nor denied these specific elements. What we know is that the engine will be "upgraded," which can range from a major improvement to a partial rewrite.

In fact, what Riot calls "League Next" or "LoL 2", the extent of the changes announced is comparable to what one would expect from a sequel. New client, new visuals, adjusted gameplay, redesigned onboarding... it's anything but a simple patch. The difference is that you won't have to buy the game again or start from scratch.

In parallel with League Next, Riot continues to develop the League of Legends ecosystem. 2XKO , the 2v2 free-to-play combat game set in the LoL universe, has officially been released on January 20, 2026 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series after early access starting in early October 2025. If you love the League universe but want something other than a MOBA, this is an excellent alternative while waiting for League Next.

On the esports side, the 2026 season of League of Legends is progressing with format adjustments for regional leagues, but these changes are independent of League Next.

If you are already playing League of Legends, here is the summary of what League Next changes (and does not change) for you:

• Your skins and your account are preserved : no reset, no buyout
• The basic gameplay remains the same : League remains League, 5v5 on the Rift
• The customer will finally be modern and stable : no more chronic bugs from the current launcher
• The graphics take a leap forward : champions, card, interface, everything is updated
• The rune system will be redesigned : potentially more accessible without losing depth
• It's free : it's an update, not a new paid game

League Next is exactly what the game needed. After 17 years of existence in 2027, LoL was starting to accumulate a considerable technical debt. The client had become a meme in itself, the models of some champions were showing their age, and the experience for new players was, frankly, quite hostile.

By choosing to modernize the existing game rather than launching a sequel, Riot makes a clever choice. Players keep everything they have accumulated, the community remains united, and the game still benefits from a thorough overhaul. It's a bit of the best of both worlds.

The co-founder of Riot, Marc Merrill , has stated that the objective is to ensure the longevity of League for the 15 next years minimum If League Next keeps its promises, this could well be the case. See you between July and October 2026 to find out a lot more.

No, there will not be a "League of Legends 2" per se. Riot Games is preparing a major overhaul of the current game, called "League Next", scheduled for 2027. It is a massive update, not a separate game.

No. Riot has explicitly confirmed that all your skins, your account, and your progress will be preserved. League Next is an evolution of the existing game, not a reset.

Riot aims for a deployment in 2027, but the exact date is not yet confirmed. More details will be shared between the MSI and the Worlds 2026 (July to October 2026).

Yes. League of Legends remains a free-to-play game and League Next is a free update. You won't have to pay anything to enjoy it.

2XKO is a 2v2 free-to-play fighting game set in the League of Legends universe, released in January 2026. It is a completely separate project from League Next, but shares the same universe and characters.