Season 3 Act One Overview
Everything in League of Legends Season 3 Act One: League Classic launch, ARAM Mayhem Classic-ish, Classic Pass, and the 2026 celebration roadmap.
Celebrating Past and Present
Pabro and Meddler framed Season 3 as Riot's celebration of League's past and present—honoring the game's roots while continuing live development. Act One centers on two launch-day modes: League Classic permanent Draft experience and ARAM Mayhem Classic-ish limited-time queue, both arriving July 29 with Patch 26.15.
Act One is not Classic-only. Riot bundled Hall of Legends announcements, Partner Program reopening, and Worlds 2026 roadmap teasers into the same July 14 Dev Update that detailed Classic systems.
League Classic — The Permanent Mode
Classic restores pre-rework kits, Season 3 items, Tier 3 runes and masteries, early Summoner's Rift with wraith camps, and 60 champions from 2009–2013. Three queues at launch: Classic Draft, Co-op vs AI, and custom games. Positional preference system replaces role call-outs on Role Preferences.
Progression systems include Classic Levels one-time track, Seasonal Classic Passes with free and paid tracks, Summoner's Journey ranks from Salt to Legend, and The Council community voting on How Voting Works. Full systems on Classic Levels and July Dev Blog.
ARAM Mayhem Classic-ish
The limited-time companion mode launches alongside Classic with its own queue separate from standard ARAM Mayhem. Classic-ish uses modern champion kits with Classic items, Classic-themed Augments, and a Classic-inspired map—not Howling Abyss. Only the 60 Classic launch champions are playable with separate pools per team enabling mirror matches.
Meddler explained Augments were built for modern kits, making Classic-ish the bridge for Mayhem fans. Full guide on ARAM Mayhem Classic-ish. Play during launch week before Riot rotates the queue out.
Act One Roadmap Beyond July 29
Hall of Legends next inductee revealed August 17 with skins and pass September 10—Hall of Legends 2026. League Partner Program applications September 1–30—Partner Program 2026. Riot will share Season 3 Act 2 details before it begins and preview 2027 plans at Worlds.
Classic post-launch champion additions via The Council on Future Additions. Wave 2 promo art suggests Mordekaiser, Irelia, Akali, Caitlyn, and Fiora on Wave 2 / Patch 26.16. Balance updates follow Classic-specific philosophy per FeralPony in Dev Update Video.