Riot Games is preparing to pull off something ambitious. The studio behind one of the world’s most popular games is working on a massive overhaul of League of Legends, internally codenamed League Next, planned for release in 2027. Bloomberg broke the story this week, revealing that Riot is essentially remaking its 16-year-old flagship title from the ground up while keeping it as an update to the existing game rather than a standalone sequel. After the report went live, Riot quickly released a developer update confirming the plans, though it was originally scheduled for January.
What Is League Next
League Next represents the biggest transformation in League of Legends history. According to Andrei van Roon, head of the League studio, the majority of the development team is now dedicated to this massive project. The overhaul will include a completely rebuilt client that integrates directly with the game instead of existing as a separate application like the current notoriously buggy launcher that players have complained about for years.
Summoner’s Rift, the iconic battleground where millions of matches happen daily, is getting entirely new visuals. Riot promises the map will maintain its familiar layout but with modern graphics that bring it up to current gaming standards. Characters, UI elements, and arenas will all receive comprehensive visual upgrades. Behind the scenes, technical improvements will streamline future updates and content releases, addressing long-standing development bottlenecks that have frustrated both developers and players.
Why Riot Is Making This Move
The timing of this overhaul is no coincidence. While League of Legends still boasts over 100 million monthly players, the numbers tell a concerning story for Riot. The game peaked at 152 million monthly active users in 2022 and 2023, but that figure dropped to 132 million in 2024 and continues declining to approximately 131 million in 2025. For a game that launched in October 2009 and dominated the competitive gaming landscape for over a decade, this downward trend is a wake-up call.
Making matters more complicated, Valorant, Riot’s tactical shooter launched in 2020, now generates more revenue than League of Legends despite having a smaller player base. This shift in Riot’s financial dynamics has forced the company to rethink its approach to its original cash cow. The League Next project appears to be Riot’s answer to reversing the decline and ensuring League remains relevant for another decade or more.
What Changes Are Coming
Beyond the visual overhaul and new client, League Next will introduce gameplay adjustments tied to the map’s redesign. Riot is also planning changes to the Runes system and pre-game experience, though specific details remain under wraps. The company emphasized that these changes will establish a foundation for the next phase of the franchise, suggesting this isn’t just about making things prettier but fundamentally improving how League operates.
One of the most significant focuses is the new player experience. Riot has long struggled to make League accessible to newcomers, with its steep learning curve and sometimes toxic community acting as barriers to entry. The developer update specifically mentioned that after League Next launches, it should be the best time ever to get friends into League. This indicates substantial changes to tutorials, matchmaking for new players, and possibly even adjustments to core mechanics that have intimidated casual players for years.
The Internal Reorganization
Alongside the League Next announcement, Bloomberg reported that Riot Games is undergoing an internal reorganization. Details remain scarce, but such restructuring typically signals significant shifts in priorities, workflows, or leadership structures. Given the scale of League Next and the pressure on Riot to deliver, this reorganization likely aims to align the entire company behind the project’s success.
The reorganization comes at a time when Riot has been making controversial decisions. Earlier in 2025, the company reversed its longstanding ban on gambling sponsorships for League of Legends and Valorant esports, citing a global betting market worth $10.7 billion. This move drew sharp criticism from the community, with many seeing it as a cash grab that prioritizes revenue over player welfare. These financial pressures may be driving some of the internal changes happening at Riot.
The Esports Factor
League of Legends remains one of the world’s biggest esports despite the declining player base. The 2025 World Championship finals in China drew 6.7 million concurrent viewers, demonstrating that competitive League still captures massive global audiences. The esports ecosystem generates significant revenue through sponsorships, broadcasting rights, and in-game purchases tied to professional play.
League Next could revitalize interest in competitive League by attracting new viewers who might find the updated visuals and streamlined experience more appealing. Riot has invested heavily in esports infrastructure, introducing new tournament formats, implementing Fearless Draft mode, and creating multi-region leagues. A refreshed game could provide the perfect marketing opportunity to bring lapsed fans back and introduce younger audiences to the competitive scene.
Timeline and Expectations
With a target release of 2027, Riot has roughly two years to deliver on these ambitious promises. That timeline aligns with typical development cycles for projects of this scale, especially considering the team needs to maintain and update the current version of League while simultaneously building League Next. Riot plans to share more details in the latter half of 2026, between the Mid-Season Invitational and Worlds tournaments.
The developer update emphasized that none of the League Next work is ready to show publicly yet, managing expectations that players won’t see substantial previews for quite some time. This approach makes sense given how early the Bloomberg leak forced Riot’s hand in confirming the project. The company clearly wanted more development progress before making official announcements, but the cat is out of the bag now.
FAQs
What is League Next?
League Next is the internal codename for a massive overhaul of League of Legends planned for 2027. It will include a new integrated client, completely redesigned visuals for Summoner’s Rift, gameplay adjustments, changes to runes and pre-game systems, and an improved new player experience.
Will League Next be a separate game?
No, League Next will be delivered as a major update to the existing League of Legends rather than a standalone sequel. Players won’t need to download a new game or start over with their accounts, champions, and cosmetics.
When is League Next releasing?
Riot is targeting a 2027 release for League Next. More specific details about timing will be shared in the latter half of 2026, between the Mid-Season Invitational and World Championship tournaments.
Why is Riot overhauling League of Legends?
League of Legends has experienced declining player numbers, dropping from 152 million monthly players in 2023 to approximately 131 million in 2025. Additionally, Riot’s newer game Valorant now generates more revenue than League, prompting the company to invest in revitalizing its flagship title.
How many people still play League of Legends?
Despite the decline, League of Legends still maintains over 100 million monthly active players, making it one of the most popular games in the world. The 2025 World Championship finals attracted 6.7 million concurrent viewers.
What happened to the League of Legends client?
The current League client has been plagued with bugs, crashes, and performance issues for years. League Next will replace it with a completely new client that integrates directly with the game rather than running as a separate application.
Will League Next change the gameplay?
Yes, but Riot hasn’t revealed specifics yet. The overhaul will include gameplay adjustments tied to the Summoner’s Rift visual redesign, changes to the Runes system, modifications to the pre-game experience, and improvements aimed at making the game more accessible to new players.
How did Bloomberg find out about League Next?
Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier, known for breaking gaming industry stories, obtained information about the project from sources familiar with Riot’s plans. The report forced Riot to confirm League Next earlier than intended, releasing a developer update that was originally scheduled for January 2026.
Conclusion
League Next represents Riot’s biggest bet on the future of its foundational game. After 16 years of incremental updates, patches, and seasonal changes, the developer is finally acknowledging that League of Legends needs more than small improvements. It needs a fundamental reimagining that addresses technical debt accumulated over nearly two decades while staying true to what made the game special in the first place. The challenge will be massive, threading the needle between modernization and preservation. Change too much, and Riot risks alienating the passionate community that has kept League alive for so long. Change too little, and the overhaul won’t accomplish its goal of reversing declining player numbers and competing with newer, shinier games. With 2027 still two years away, the League community will be watching closely for any glimpses of what League Next actually looks like. For now, players can only speculate about how their favorite champions will look, how the new client will function, and whether Riot can pull off what might be the most ambitious live-service game transformation ever attempted. One thing is certain though: the stakes have never been higher for Riot Games, and the success or failure of League Next will define the company’s next decade.