LOL announces a major official update! The designer reveals: the game will be completely revamped, ushering players into a new era

Hello to all LPL viewers and League of Legends summoners, this is Tianxia Game Hub.

Next year marks the 16th anniversary of League of Legends. As a representative MOBA game, it has consistently stayed highly popular over more than ten years, becoming a legendary title in the gaming world.

Recently, the League of Legends designers have made a significant announcement that the game will undergo a huge update.

Complete game overhaul, players enter a new era

Recently, League of Legends released an official video outlining some of its long-term plans, including a full game overhaul. Veteran players understand the scale and significance of such a revamp. Speculation about a "League of Legends 2" has existed for a long time.

Now, this is becoming a reality. The overhaul will include a comprehensive visual remaster of Summoner’s Rift, gameplay changes aligned with the visual update, adjustments to runes and the pre-game setup system, all aimed at enhancing player experience.

This complete overhaul is scheduled for release in 2027. During this year’s MSI and World Championship, Riot will share more detailed information.

There is high anticipation for this overhaul, which aligns with previous leaks about "League of Legends 2." Whether Riot will brand the revamped game with a "2" suffix remains unknown and will be revealed through future announcements. Personally, I believe the key focus of this overhaul lies in the game engine.

Game engine upgrade to fix messy code

First and foremost, a full game overhaul requires replacing the game engine to fix the tangled codebase. League of Legends currently suffers from numerous bugs, especially with new champions introducing new mechanics that increase bugs. This is a critical issue Riot must address to ensure stable game operation.

Secondly, changes to the game’s visuals and user experience are necessary. Similar to the difference between DOTA and DOTA 2, League of Legends needs to refine every aspect related to player experience—champions, maps, interactions—to reconstruct the visual feel and give the game a fresh new look for its next evolution.

Regarding gameplay changes, which many players care about most, I believe the core gameplay will largely remain unchanged. Summoner’s Rift 5v5, ARAM, URF, and Teamfight Tactics will all stay, with only minor gameplay tweaks.

Old champion models will undergo extensive remakes to rejuvenate veteran champions.

If Riot intends to introduce entirely new rules or gameplay styles, these will likely appear as new modes, while the classic 5v5 mode will definitely remain intact.

Current state of League of Legends: game popularity sees a reverse growth

I believe this major update is essential and has likely been in preparation by Riot for many years. Whether League of Legends can experience a second prime in its lifecycle hinges on this. The game’s current foundation remains stable, and this year the game’s popularity has actually seen an upward trend.

The main reason is the launch of the Hextech Mayhem mode, which reignited player enthusiasm. Even with the Unlimited URF mode available, Hextech Mayhem has maintained the top spot in League’s popularity rankings. Additionally, Teamfight Tactics continues to be very popular, showing that players prefer casual modes over traditional matches.

It is expected that in the coming year, League of Legends will maintain a relatively high level of popularity, and its esports events will continue to be among the most prominent, with millions tuning in for the annual World Championship.

The only concern lies within the league ecosystem, which currently looks bleak and difficult to improve. This could potentially affect World Championship viewership in the future. However, if a non-LCK team wins the Worlds, this situation may be alleviated significantly.