TL;DW: S1 2026 Theme, Gameplay & More Dev Update

Hey everyone, Pabro, Meddler, Phreak, Riot Endstep, Dashijador, and Riot CallMeKT here with a quick TL;DW of today’s Dev Update: We’ll be kicking off next year with unity, hope, and justice with the theme of Season 1 2026 being Demacia. Summoner’s Rift will be Demacia-themed with petricite, gold and blue accents, and more. The annual cinematic in January will also feature Demacian champions. The Battle Pass skins for Act 1 will feature some non-Demacian champions with Demacia-themed skins, and a Prestige skin for Morgana. We’re focusing on old school Demacia, at a time when they’re in their golden age. We have a suite of gameplay changes to Summoner’s Rift (Ranked and Normal Draft). Summoner’s Rift games will start 35 seconds faster than they do now. We’re adding Faelights: locations that grant temporary bonus vision to wards. Atakhan, his Bloody Roses, and Feats of Strength are removed. We’re adding a new mechanic called Crystalline Overgrowth, which is kinda like a universal demolish