Riot is planning a support-role shakeup for League’s next big update
Riot says the role changes are tied to League Next, the 2027 overhaul that is also expected to reshape the client, engine, and other core systems.
Riot Games is planning a major rework for League of Legends‘ Support role, and the changes are tied to League Next, the studio’s large 2027 overhaul for the game.
The timing is relevant for support mains. Riot has not released a new support champion since Milio arrived in March 2023, and Locke is the only new champion confirmed for 2026. That means the role could go roughly four years without a fresh support pick and possibly longer.
One player, ioki, pointed to that concern on X by joking that he would play Locke as a Support and no one could stop him.
I will be playing Locke as a Support and you cant stop me. https://t.co/2khFGOBDxB
— ioki (@i0ki_LoL) April 14, 2026
Riot’s senior vice president, Andrei “Meddler” van Roon, tried to calm that frustration on Reddit. He said there was nothing concrete to share yet, but added that he plays support more than any other role and feels the lack of new champions too. He also said there are “some systemic changes in League Next” that he is really excited about from a support perspective.
That lines up with Riot’s broader pitch for League Next. The project is being described as more than a normal patch cycle, with plans to connect the client directly to the game engine instead of keeping them separate. Riot has also said the update will touch the Hextech Engine, Summoner’s Rift, Runes, other pre-game systems, game modes and maps, the game’s visuals, and the new-player experience.
There is still a lot Riot has not spelled out. The studio has maintained a tight lid on the details, and we anticipate more information to emerge between MSI 2026 and LoL Worlds 2026.
League Next is also part of the reason some players believe Phreak stepped away from his live designer role, though Riot has not laid out every staffing detail tied to the project.
The big takeaway is simple. Riot is signaling that the role will not remain untouched when League Next arrives in 2027, even if support players have to wait. Share your thoughts in the comments, and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, 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
