Influence Points and Classic Currency
Guide to Influence Points and currency in League Classic. How to earn IP, unlock champions, and Classic Pass currency rewards.
Influence Points Return
Influence Points—the original League champion unlock currency replaced by Blue Essence in 2017—return exclusively in League Classic. IP represents the economic heartbeat of Classic progression: earn IP through gameplay, spend IP on champions you do not already own from live League, and accumulate IP faster through Classic Pass reward tracks.
Champion ownership carries over from live League. If you own all 60 launch champions on live, IP becomes purely cosmetic and rune page slot currency. New players and partial-roster accounts use IP as the primary champion acquisition path.
Earning IP Efficiently
IP awards per game based on duration, outcome, and Classic Level bonuses from Classic Levels. First-win-of-the-day bonuses provide the largest single-game IP injection—prioritize daily play during active Classic Pass seasons.
Classic Pass paid track accelerates IP generation with multiplier bonuses at milestone levels. Free track still provides meaningful IP income for unlocking champions over several weeks of regular play. Detailed farming strategies on Get IP in Classic.
IP Spending Priorities
Prioritize S-tier and A-tier champions from Overall Tier List that cover multiple roles. Kassadin mid, Amumu jungle, Ashe ADC, and Morgana support form a cost-efficient core covering four roles for Draft flexibility. Expand into specialized picks like Master Yi and Blitzcrank as IP accumulates.
Avoid spending IP on C-tier niche picks until your core roster is complete. The Council will add champions requiring IP reserves—see Future Additions for planned additions like Caitlyn and LeBlanc that may become immediate priorities after voting.
Other Classic Currencies
Classic Pass distributes Blue Essence alongside IP in some reward tiers for cross-mode convenience. Riot confirmed Classic Skins and Portraits unlock through pass progression rather than direct IP purchase—see Classic Skins for cosmetic reward details.
Council voting tokens are not purchasable with IP—they come from Classic Level milestones and active participation documented on How Voting Works. This prevents pay-to-vote dynamics while rewarding engaged Classic players.
IP vs RP in Classic
RP purchases apply primarily to Classic Pass premium track, Classic Skins bundles, and cosmetic content. Champion unlocks intentionally favor IP to recreate the old League progression feeling without paywalling the 60-champion roster behind real-money gates.
Veterans with full champion rosters from live League enter Classic without IP pressure—focus on Classic Pass cosmetics and Council participation instead. New players should expect 4–8 weeks of regular play to unlock a comfortable 16+ champion Draft pool through IP alone.