League Classic continues to grow in September.
Following the ninja update featuring Akali, Kennen, and Shen. Patch 26.18 is now expected to add Fiora, Galio, Poppy, Shyvana, and Xin Zhao to the League Classic champion pool. This is more than just another roster drop: these five champions could give Classic exactly the kind of old, rough-edged identity that many players have been missing since launch.
Riot Is Speeding Up the Champion Rollout
League Classic was deliberately launched with a smaller champion pool. Riot wanted to keep the entry point manageable, because 60 champions are easier to learn or relearn than a roster with more than 100 picks. At the same time, it quickly became clear that this smaller pool would also draw criticism.
After the first few weeks, many players felt that Classic brought back old systems, but not enough truly old champion fantasies. Some launch champions feel relatively close to their modern versions. That sometimes creates a strange middle ground: less comfort than modern League, but not always enough “janky” nostalgia to feel completely different.
That is exactly why the new champion drop matters. Riot now seems to be prioritizing roster expansion more strongly and thinking more in thematic groups. After the Ninjas, the next batch strongly feels like Demacia and early bruiser/fighter fantasies. Fiora, Galio, Poppy, Shyvana, and Xin Zhao do not just bring new role options but also a lot more old League DNA.
Fiora and Poppy Bring Real Classic Chaos Back
Fiora and Poppy in particular are exciting picks because their old versions show very clearly how different champion design used to be. Old Fiora was not the precise duelist fantasy of today, built around vitals, spacing and clean 1v1 mechanics. Her most iconic moment was Blade Waltz: an ultimate where she dashed through enemies and almost felt like an untouchable stat check.
That is exactly the kind of design modern League has largely moved away from. Whether it was healthier is another question. But it was clearly different. And that is exactly what Classic needs more of if the mode is not supposed to feel like just a slower version of today’s game.
Poppy may be even more extreme. Her old ultimate, Diplomatic Immunity, is one of the most infamous abilities in early League history. It selected one target and made Poppy immune to all other enemies for several seconds. That could create absurd situations where Poppy simply ran past an entire team straight toward the carry.
Abilities like that would probably be hard to imagine in modern League. In Classic, however, they are exactly the point. The mode lives from old designs that were not always clean but absolutely memorable.
Galio, Shyvana and Xin Zhao Expand the Map
Galio brings back a different kind of nostalgia. His old kit was heavily built around Magic Resist, AoE control, and his taunt ultimate, Idol of Durand. His earlier identity as an anti-magic tank/mage is clearly different from his modern version. For Classic, that is valuable because Galio is not just another frontliner but brings back an old build and draft idea.
Shyvana and Xin Zhao, meanwhile, are especially interesting for jungle and skirmishes. Both champions stand for an older form of League fighting: more direct, less flashy, and more focused on stats, tempo, and clear engage moments. Shyvana brings back her classic dragon-form fantasy, while Xin Zhao uses Three Talon Strike, Audacious Charge, and Crescent Sweep to create simple but brutal early fights.
That could be good for the Classic meta. The mode does not only need more mid lane or top lane nostalgia but also more jungle identity. If Classic is supposed to stay interesting long-term, the map needs more different types of pressure. Shyvana and Xin Zhao could help provide exactly that.
Classic Needs More Differences From Modern League
The new champion drop also fits into the larger discussion around League Classic. Many players have recently realized that modern League is clearly better, more readable, and more comfortable in many areas. That is not wrong. But if Classic is supposed to work long-term, it cannot only be compared to modern League. It needs its own identity.
These five champions help with that. Fiora and Poppy bring back old, almost absurd kit fantasies. Galio delivers a different tank-mage identity. Shyvana and Xin Zhao strengthen old bruiser and jungle patterns. Together, this batch feels more like Classic than a simple balance patch or small quality-of-life changes.
Of course, it remains to be seen how strong the champions will actually be in the end. Classic is difficult to balance anyway, because modern players exploit old kits much more efficiently than players did back then. But that is also part of the appeal. The mode is not supposed to be perfectly sterile. It is supposed to feel different.
With Patch 26.18, League Classic could therefore take an important step. Not only because five new champions are coming, but also because these five champions bring the mode closer to what many players were actually looking for: a version of League that is not necessarily fairer or cleaner – but much more distinct.