Riot Games is changing League Classic after early player feedback, making its Classic Skins free and unlocked for everyone. The skins will also become the default appearance for champions that support them when the retro mode launches on July 29.
The change came shortly after League Classic entered the Public Beta Environment. Riot had initially planned to charge 500 RP, or $5, for each older champion model, which led to strong criticism from players. The League of Legends team confirmed the reversal in an official announcement.
Hey everyone. Thank you for your feedback on League Classic. We have a small update we wanted to share on:
👗Classic skins
💰Gameplay
🔧Champion kits pic.twitter.com/CkoW1EJHZj— League of Legends (@LeagueOfLegends) July 17, 2026
Classic Skins Will Replace Current Defaults
Classic Skins will replace the current base appearances for supported champions in League Classic. Not every one of the mode’s 60 launch champions will have a Classic Skin ready, and some current skins will remain available to use.
Chromas are still listed at 300 RP on the PBE, according to SkinSpotlights’ PBE update. Riot has not clarified what will happen to any Classic Skin tokens that may have been planned before the change.
All Classic default skins are now unlocked on the PBE, unsure what Riot will do with the Classic skin tokens. The chromas for them still cost 300 rp. pic.twitter.com/tuKNj7RvFk
— SkinSpotlights (@SkinSpotlights) July 16, 2026
Riot is also working to restore as many old champion voiceovers as possible. The work will arrive at different times because the original voice lines were not recorded or released in every language at the same point in League’s history. Supporting them across all localizations requires a large amount of additional recording and implementation work.
The Mode Is Moving Back to Season 3
League Classic was originally built around content from the first five seasons, with the initial cutoff placed near the start of Season 4 and Yasuo’s release. Riot is now moving the mode’s content cutoff back to Season 3 after reviewing player feedback.
That decision leaves room for more champions from League’s 2009-to-2013 era to join the mode in later updates. Riot is also reconsidering individual champion versions. Katarina, for example, will receive the 2012 kit that players requested in an upcoming PBE update instead of the version Riot first selected.
The team may move the cutoff further into League’s past if doing so would improve the mode. Some current features will stay in place, including the newer ping system, so players do not have to relearn those controls when switching between the two versions.
League Classic will use the old bounty system, although it will display that system through the current user interface. For a broader look at the mode’s returning champions and systems, this League Classic overview covers the planned launch setup.
League Classic is scheduled to arrive on July 29. Tell us what you think about free Classic Skins and Riot’s Season 3 cutoff, and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, and Instagram.
League of Legends
Developed by Riot Games
League of Legends is a fast-paced, competitive online game that blends the speed and intensity of an RTS with RPG elements. Two teams of powerful champions, each with a unique design and playstyle, battle head-to-head across multiple battlefields and game modes. With an ever-expanding roster of champions, frequent updates and a thriving tournament scene, League of Legends offers endless replayability for players of every skill level.
- Genre: Role-playing (RPG), Strategy, MOBA
- Platforms: PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac
- Modes: Multiplayer, Co-operative
- Release: 2009-10-27
- Publisher: Riot Games, Tencent Holdings, GOA Games Services Ltd.
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Age Rating:
CLASS_IND 12 / ESRB T / GRAC 12+ / ACB M / USK 12 / PEGI 12
- IGDB Rating: 75.0/100
