Riot Games to overhaul League of Legends with 2027 “League Next” update

Riot Games, the game developers behind League of Legends, is working on what is set to be the biggest update in the game’s history. Planned to be released in 2027, here’s what we know about the big update, named “League Next”.

League Next could change League of Legends forever

According to the latest dev update from the company, League Next will not only see the release of a new in-game client “that’s fully integrated with the in-game experience” but also a full visual overhaul of Summoner’s Rift, gameplay changes, changes to the rune and pre-game systems, as well as a new player experience. Additionally, a report from Bloomberg revealed that the reorganization of the employees was announced.

“We’re overhauling the new player experience, so that once we’re done, it should be the best time ever to get your friends into League,” said League of Legends executive producer Paul Bellezza in the official X post.

League of Legends has been looking to improve how new players approach the MOBA game, which has been notoriously known for having steep learning curves due to the strategic and gameplay depth. Earlier this year, the company released WASD controls, with the hopes of helping with the integration of players who are familiar with that control scheme. According to Andrei “Riot Meddler” van Roon, more details are set to be revealed in 2026 between MSI and Worlds, with the estimated release of League Next in 2027.

Riot will release a HUGE UPDATE to League of Legends in 2027 ‼️

• A brand new around-game client that's fully integrated with the in-game experience.
• A full visual overhaul of Summoner's Rift.
• Gameplay changes tied to that visual update.
• Some changes to Runes and… pic.twitter.com/IBv8EPyT1r

— League of Legends Leaks & News (@LeagueOfLeaks) December 18, 2025

League of Legends has been one of the successful game titles in the esports space. Released in 2009, the game now counts 15 years of esports, and it continues to be the most-watched esports globally, according to Esports Charts. That said, several members of the community have often complained about the outdated client, making the whole experience subpar for users. Moreover, the last major visual update for Summoner’s Rift was eleven years ago. With League Next, this could be the start of a new era for the game.