League of Legends Classic will launch by the end of July, the 60 Champion debut roster has been confirmed

Coming as part of Patch 26.15, this retro gameplay experience aims to give players a blast from the past.

When live-service games get too big and too old, it's not uncommon to see developers pressing a reset button of sorts to overcome the fear of missing out (FOMO) and the overwhelming nature of the current game in the eyes of new players. We saw this a few years ago when World of Warcraft Classic made its arrival, and now something similar is following suit for League of Legends.

It's known as League of Legends Classic and it's exactly what it says on the tin. It's a more retro-oriented, nostalgic experience designed to reflect the original League of Legends, specifically Season 3 of the game, which debuted in 2013. It's regarded as a "collection of greatest hits" rather than a 1:1 recreation of a build of the game from 2013, but it will offer a version of Summoner's Rift veterans will be familiar with, 60 launch Champions, a more streamlined and rudimentary gameplay experience, all while being bolstered by improvements to lighting, textures, shadows, and other elements to enhance gameplay clarity.

At debut, which will be in line with Patch 26.15 for the main game on July 29, League Classic will offer a single PvP draft queue, Co-op vs. AI, and custom games. There will be a basic and one-time progression suite to unlock cosmetics and more, and Riot Games promises wide support for the mode, including new cosmetics and passes down the line, and the progressive inclusion of new Champions in given time.

Riot is also launching a community feature known as The Council, where players can vote and have their say on future development decisions for the mode. We're told: "Game health and balance owned by the development team, but players will be able to influence decisions such as which Champions are added to League Classic next, what skins are made next for League Classic, and even certain gameplay changes." All players will have a say in The Council, with more voting credence granted to those who are a higher level and spend more time in League Classic.

Speaking about Champions, the full list of 60 launch characters has been revealed, and you can see who will be offered up in the mode at debut below.