Riot Games is preparing the most significant transformation League of Legends has ever seen, a move that could reshape the long-running MOBA for a new generation of players while creating friction with its veteran community.
Initial reports by Bloomberg, later confirmed by Riot, stated that the dev team has been quietly developing a large-scale project internally known as League Next, which is expected to launch around 2027.
The project is not positioned as a sequel, but as a foundational rework that modernizes the game’s technology and presentation without redefining what it is.
What Exactly Is Riot’s “League Next” Project?
Sources familiar with the project have characterized League Next as the biggest update in the game’s history.
Riot is reworking League of Legends’ visual foundation from the ground up, including champion models, Summoner’s Rift, menus, and the overall user interface.
The intent appears to be making the game visually competitive with modern live-service titles and more approachable for newcomers who may be discovering the franchise through Arcane or other Riot properties.
At the same time, the studio is rebuilding parts of the game’s backend infrastructure, which has long been criticized for being outdated and difficult to maintain.
These changes are expected to make future updates easier to deliver and reduce long-standing technical limitations.
Is Riot Redesigning League of Legends for New Players?
One of the main motivations behind the overhaul is believed to be accessibility, given how League of Legends has evolved into a far more complex game since its 2009 debut.
Riot has already begun moving in this direction, including testing alternative control schemes like WASD movement, which has generated debate among players.
League Next is expected to expand on these efforts by significantly improving the new-player experience, refining onboarding systems, and lowering early-game friction without fundamentally simplifying high-level play.
What Major System Changes Could Be Coming?
One of the most notable changes involves the game’s client. Riot is said to be planning a fully integrated in-game client, removing the need for a separate launcher.
This would modernize how players navigate menus, social features, and matchmaking, bringing League of Legends in line with contemporary PC titles.
There are also gameplay-related adjustments, including changes to runes and pre-game decision-making systems, though there has been no confirmation how much will the core MOBA mechanics will be drastically altered.
Despite the scale of the project, Riot leadership has publicly pushed back against the idea of a “League of Legends 2.”
Developers have reiterated that the company’s philosophy remains centered on evolving the same game rather than replacing it.
Even so, the size of the reported changes (and the fact that much of the League team is now focused on the 2027 update) has reinforced the idea that League Next may feel more like a remake than an incremental update.
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