League Classic: What Changes in Act II?
League Classic’s free Act II Pass began October 20, and patch 26.21 brings its next four champions and regional access changes. Japan and MENA move to custom matches only with 26.21; other listed regions use server-time queue windows. Riot still lists January 6, 2027 as the end of this Classic run. Check your server’s deployed patch when a 26.21 feature has not appeared yet.
Classic remains a collection of early-League experiences rather than an exact reproduction of one historical patch. Its old champion kits, Runes, Masteries and progression differ from modern Summoner’s Rift. This guide helps you find the announced access window and keep the pass deadlines separate from the mode’s end date.
Key Takeaways
- Riot plans to end the current Classic run after Season 3 Act II, with support listing January 6, 2027.
- Some regions move to limited queue hours; JP1 and ME1 become custom-only from 26.21.
- Classic custom games are announced as available at all times in all regions.
- The Act II Classic Pass is free, but rewards still require mission coins and tier progression.
- Pass progress ends before the pass deactivates and before the mode’s listed closing date.
- Refund arrangements depend on the specific Classic content and how it was acquired.
The access changes are in Riot’s October 14 development update. Exact pass dates and content conditions are in the current Classic Pass support page.
Regional Queue Windows with 26.21
The following windows use server time. They are not automatically your computer’s local time. Check the client schedule for your server before arranging a group, especially if friends play from several time zones.
| Region group | Monday–Friday | Saturday–Sunday |
|---|---|---|
| Korea, Latin America North, Latin America South, Taiwan, Vietnam, Turkey, Southeast Asia, Oceania and Russia | 16:00–00:00 server time | 10:00–01:00 server time |
| Japan (JP1) and MENA (ME1) | Custom matches only from 26.21 | Custom matches only from 26.21 |
| Regions not listed in Riot’s window table | No new limited window specified in this announcement | Confirm current availability in the client |
The weekend window runs past midnight into the following day. Riot separately says custom games remain available at all times in all regions. If public queue entry is unavailable, check whether you are outside a regional window or in a custom-only region before assuming the entire mode has already closed.
Classic Pass Dates: Three Different Endpoints
The pass schedule is more precise than the general mode-end date. Use the progress deadline for earning coins and advancing the track; use the later deactivation deadline for the pass itself.
| Milestone | Published time | UTC conversion |
|---|---|---|
| Act II Pass starts | October 20, 2026 · 11:00 a.m. PT | October 20 · 18:00 UTC |
| Pass progress ends | January 4, 2027 · 11:59 p.m. PT | January 5 · 07:59 UTC |
| Pass deactivates | January 5, 2027 · 11:59 p.m. PT | January 6 · 07:59 UTC |
| Classic current run ends | January 6, 2027 | No exact mode-shutdown hour supplied here |
The countdown tracks the pass progress deadline. It does not pretend that the mode’s shutdown has the same exact timestamp.
The support page says dates can change and the in-game schedule is the most accurate reference. Check it again before making a final-day plan.
How the Free Act II Pass Progresses
The Act II pass has one free track. You complete Classic missions to earn Classic Pass Coins, then spend those coins on content in your current tier to unlock later tiers. It is not simply a passive-XP copy of the modern battle pass.
The support page lists six tiers and a 125-coin spending requirement to advance from a tier. The reward table includes champion loot, icons, emotes, titles, Rune Pages and Skinned Runes. A Random Champion reward converts to 1,000 Blue Essence for players who already own all champions released through 26.20.
| Before spending coins | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Read the current tier’s choices and prices. | A free track still has coin requirements. |
| Check whether the purchase advances the tier threshold. | Unlocking the next tier depends on spending, not merely reaching a play-time target. |
| Confirm the progress deadline in the client. | The mode’s closing date is later than the pass-progress endpoint. |
| Read which rewards work outside Classic. | Classic-only cosmetics do not automatically become modern-mode rewards. |
Skinned Runes change appearance while keeping core Rune stats unchanged. Do not treat a cosmetic Rune reward as a stronger stat tier.
Patch 26.21 Champions: Read the Classic Kit First
The published 26.21 patch notes add Mordekaiser, Yorick, Hecarim and Lucian. These join the 26.20 additions Irelia, Karma, Quinn, Aatrox and Caitlyn. Their familiar names do not mean their modern kits work unchanged in Classic.
| 26.21 addition | Classic identity to learn | Habit to check before queueing |
|---|---|---|
| Mordekaiser | His 2010–2015 kit uses ability damage for a decaying shield and an ultimate that can raise a defeated target’s ghost. | Read Children of the Grave; do not plan around the modern isolated-duel ultimate. |
| Yorick | The original 2011–2016 version summons different ghouls and can temporarily revive an ally through his ultimate. | Learn the Omen abilities instead of expecting the modern Maiden setup. |
| Hecarim | His charge, speed-based damage and sustained fighting remain central. | Review the Classic Q and W behavior and available items before importing a modern build. |
| Lucian | Classic Lucian has 550 attack range; his dash removes slows. | The dash does not reset the attack timer here, and its cooldown refresh has the older ultimate-kill condition. |
For the first match on an unfamiliar kit, pick one interaction to learn: control a Mordekaiser ghost, understand Yorick’s revenant, or practise Lucian’s attack sequence without assuming a modern dash reset. That is more useful than copying a modern ranked item list by champion name.
The same patch also adjusts existing Classic champions and Atma’s Impaler. Those changes belong to Classic’s own section of the notes. Further champion releases are planned through 26.23, including Council choices Volibear, Urgot and Udyr; a planned later addition is not automatically in the current roster.
Old Rift, Runes and Masteries
The original Classic introduction uses Season 3 as an anchor while drawing from several early seasons. The map brings back older jungle elements and combat pacing, with readability improvements rather than a literal untouched client.
Review Runes and Masteries before champion selection. The introduction explains that Classic unlocks the old Tier-3 Rune baseline without a separate Rune-upgrading ladder. If you are returning after years away, inspect the live page and champion abilities before spending a match trying to execute a modern build that does not exist in the mode.
Store Changes and Refund Checks
With 26.21, the Classic store changes to Champions, Runes and Rune Pages. Riot’s support page gives separate refund conditions for Classic-only portraits, chromas and bundles. The correct treatment depends on how the content was acquired, so use the policy for your purchase rather than assuming all content receives the same refund.
Read the official policy for your purchase rather than assuming every item is automatically refunded in cash or every bundle has the same treatment. Keep the purchase record and identify whether the item came from a direct purchase, pass or bundle before contacting Player Support.
For the modern ladder, use our 2026 ranked LP and MMR guide. Classic’s progression should not be read as a substitute for the modern Solo/Duo or Flex ranked rules.
FAQ
Is League Classic becoming permanent?
Riot plans to end this run after Season 3 Act II, with the support page listing January 6, 2027. The developer wants to bring it back later, likely as an event mode, but has not announced a guaranteed return date.
Why is my public queue missing?
Check your region and the deployed patch. Some regions are moving to announced server-time windows, while JP1 and ME1 become custom-only from 26.21. Custom games are separately described as available at all times in all regions.
Is the Act II Classic Pass free?
Yes. It has a unified free track, but you still earn mission coins and spend them through the tier system. Free access does not mean every reward is instantly unlocked.
When should I finish earning pass progress?
The published endpoint is January 4 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific standard time, which is January 5 at 07:59 UTC. Pass deactivation occurs a day later; the mode has a separately listed end date.
Are the new old champions all playable now?
The 26.21 notes add Mordekaiser, Yorick, Hecarim and Lucian; earlier 26.20 additions remain a separate group, and more champions are planned through 26.23. Check your server’s current patch and the actual Classic roster before planning a match around a later release.
Will all my Classic purchases be refunded the same way?
No. Riot’s policy distinguishes content types and acquisition methods. Follow the linked support page for your specific item, including any contact window, rather than relying on a blanket cash-refund promise.
Maintained by WowCarry’s editorial desk. AI-assisted source research; no first-hand gameplay testing is claimed. Last reviewed 2026-10-21 against patch 26.21, Riot’s Classic update and the current pass support page. Added the new Classic kits and updated the post-launch pass/access context.
