Get ready for Season 1 of 2026! This Developer Update brings massive changes to Summoner’s Rift, ranked play, and an exciting new Demacian theme.
Season 1 2026: The Age of Demacia
The new year kicks off with a focus on unity, hope, and justice, bringing the glory of ancient Demacia to the forefront.
Thematic & Visuals
- Thematic: The entire season will revolve around Demacia at its golden age.
- Visual Update: Expect the Summoner’s Rift map to be decked out in petricite, gold, and blue accents.
- Cinematic: The annual January cinematic will feature prominent Demacian champions.
- Battle Pass: Act 1 Battle Pass will include Demacia-inspired skins for non-Demacian champions and a Prestige Morgana skin.
Summoner’s Rift Core Gameplay Changes
A huge array of changes are coming to core gameplay (Ranked and Normal Draft) to shake up the meta and speed up the game.
Faster Game Start & Map Mechanics
- Game Start: Matches will now begin 35 seconds faster.
- Fairy Lights: New spots granting temporary extra ward vision.
- Removal: Atakhan (and his Blood Roses and Feats of Strength) are removed.
- New Mechanic: Crystalline Overgrowth: A universal “Demolish” effect, using a three-hit passive.
Expanded Tower Plating
- New Plating: Inner and Inhibitor turrets now also have Plating (without increasing global bonus gold).
Role Missions: New Objectives for Every Lane
Similar to Support and Jungle items, new Role Missions reward players for playing their lane correctly.
| Role | Mission Focus | Reward Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Top | Minion Kills, Fighting, Turret Takedowns | Increased Max Level, Bonus EXP, Improved Teleport (if taken) |
| Mid | Minion Kills, Fighting, Turret Takedowns | Free Tier 3 Boot Upgrade, Faster Recall |
| ADC | Minion Kills, Fighting, Turret Takedowns | Big Gold Payout, Bonus Gold for rest of game, 7th Item Slot |
| Jungle | Clearing Camps, Objective Control | Smarter Smite (more damage), Increased Gold/EXP from camps, Movement Speed in jungle |
| Support | Warding, Vision Control | Discounted Control Wards, Increased Gold Over Time, New Control Ward Slot |
Item Overhaul
- A plethora of new and returning items are hitting the Rift.
- Critical Damage returns to 200%.
Ranked & Matchmaking Improvements
Climbing & Fairness
- Ascension Indicator: The loading screen will now show if a player has higher MMR than their visible rank.
- Flex Queue: The difference between Flex and Solo/Duo MMR will be reduced for fairer matches.
Auto-Fill & Dodge Prevention
- Auto-Fill Logic: Now matches auto-filled players with other auto-filled players or lobbies with the same number of auto-filled players.
- Aegis of Valor: A new reward system for playing auto-fill or less popular roles:
- Reward: Earn Aegis by scoring a C or higher.
- Benefit: Grants double LP on win or Loss Mitigation on defeat.
- Dodge Penalty: Dodging to avoid auto-fill is now penalized. Master+ players will count a dodge as a loss.
- Champion Select Time: Reduced for faster game entry.
- Duo Queue: Re-enabled for higher tiers.
Quickplay Mode Updates
Most Summoner’s Rift changes will apply to Quickplay, with a focus on making the mode even faster.
- Starting Conditions: Start at Level 3 with Bonus Gold (similar to ARAM).
- Early Game: Void Grubs and Rift Herald are removed.
- Objectives: Dragon and Elemental Rift timers are accelerated.
- Sudden Death: Starts earlier.
- Role Missions are not implemented in Quickplay.
Is the MMR reset hard or soft?
It's a soft reset. Your MMR carries over, but your rank is slightly reduced to start the climb anew.
When will WASD controls be available?
WASD controls will be available tomorrow!
What is the 7th Item Slot for ADCs?
It's an exclusive slot for a bonus item, rewarding ADCs for successfully completing their role mission.