League of Legends 2027 preseason changes — what to expect from the next big update (jungle rework, item overhaul, new objective)

League of Legends 2027 preseason changes — what to expect

Riot's lead gameplay designer Matt "Phroxzon" Leung-Harrison published the first official preseason 2027 preview on the League of Legends dev blog on August 1, 2026. The blog confirms three major changes shipping in late November, ahead of the 2027 ranked season starting in January.

This is the first time in 5 years that Riot has shipped a jungle rework, the first item-system overhaul since 2024's "item system rework," and the first new epic monster objective since Void Grubs (added in 2024). The changes are expected to be the largest preseason update since 2022.

Jungle camp rework

The biggest change to the jungle since the introduction of Smite upgrades in 2024. Three changes:

• Gromp is being removed. The blue-side frog camp is being replaced with a new "Grove" camp that gives 80 gold (vs 90 for Gromp) and a 10-second "bush vision" buff. The change is intended to reward junglers who path through the bush-heavy top-side and reduce the "skip camps" efficiency that has dominated high-elo play.
• Wolves are being merged with Raptors into a single "Beast Den" camp. The new camp gives the gold and XP of both camps combined but is harder to clear (1.5x monster HP, scales with game time). The change is intended to reduce the "1:30 wolves clear" bot-lane first-clear meta.
• Krugs lose their level-up mechanic. Previously, Krugs spawned 2 smaller Krugs on first clear, 4 on second, etc. The new Krugs are a single-camp with 2 smaller Krugs always present, but with +30% HP. The change is intended to slow down the power-farming junglers (Master Yi, Shyvana, Lillia) and reward ganking junglers.

The combined effect: jungle clear times increase by ~15 seconds, and junglers who can gank at level 3 (Lee Sin, Jarvan, Elise) get a meaningful advantage over the power farmers.

Item system overhaul

The item system gets its biggest change since 2024:

• Mythic items are removed. Riot confirmed in the dev blog that the Mythic/ Legendary / Epic tier structure is being collapsed into a single tier of "Legendary" items. The change ends the "every champion must build their Mythic first" meta that has been criticized since 2022.
• Boots are now optional in the first 2 items. The change is targeted at top-lane tanks and supports who often delay boots for a more impactful first item. Boots can now be purchased at any time and grant 25 movement speed (vs the current 45). The +25 movement speed becomes an upgrade that costs 500 gold and adds the missing 20 movement speed.
• A new "component" tier is added: 200 gold items that give a single stat and a minor effect. Example: a "Long Sword +5 AD" component, a "Sapphire Crystal +50 mana" component, etc. The change is intended to reduce the "stuck on a component for 5 minutes" frustration in early game.

The combined effect: more build diversity, fewer "must-buy" items, and more early-game power for non-junglers.

New epic monster: "The Rift Herald" rework + "The Hextech Drake"

Two epic monster changes:

• The Rift Herald gets a major rework. The new Herald has 50% more HP, deals 50% more damage, and spawns at 8:00 (was 10:00). When killed, the Herald now drops the "Eye of the Herald" buff, which can be used to summon a 2nd Rift Herald between 18:00-25:00. The change is intended to make Herald a more contested objective and give the team that takes it a real mid-game power spike.
• A new epic monster is added: "The Hextech Drake" spawns at 20:00 in the Dragon pit (replacing one of the 4 elemental Drakes). The Hextech Drake gives a team-wide +10% ability haste buff and +5% cooldown reduction. The change is intended to add a 5th elemental drake to the rotation and reduce the "element-locked comp" frustration.

What it means for solo queue and pro play

The 2027 preseason update is expected to be the largest shake-up since 2022's durability patch. Three implications:

1. Jungle clear time increases ~15 seconds. This is a buff to ganking junglers and a nerf to power farmers. Expect Lee Sin, Jarvan, Elise, and Rek'Sai to rise in priority. Expect Master Yi, Shyvana, and Lillia to fall.

2. Build diversity explodes. Without Mythics, every champion will have 3-4 viable "first item" choices instead of 1-2. This is a buff to creative players and a nerf to the "follow the meta build" crowd.

3. Dragon control is even more contested. With 5 elemental drakes + Hextech Drake, the first Dragon is now critical for soul pressure. Expect more early-game jungle invades and more mid-lane priority roaming.

The patch ships on the PBE on November 18, ships to live on November 25, and the 2027 ranked season starts on January 8, 2027. Pro players will have ~6 weeks to prepare before the LEC/LCS/LPL/LCK spring splits start in mid-February.

FAQ

Q: When does the LoL 2027 preseason update release? A: November 25, 2026, on the live servers. The PBE version ships November 18. The 2027 ranked season starts January 8, 2027.

Q: Are Mythic items really being removed? A: Yes. Riot confirmed it in the dev blog: "We're collapsing the Mythic/Legendary/Epic tiers into a single Legendary tier. Every champion will have 3-4 viable first items." This is the biggest item-system change since 2024.

Q: What's the new Hextech Drake? A: The Hextech Drake is a 5th elemental drake that spawns at 20:00 in the Dragon pit. It grants the team a +10% ability haste buff and +5% cooldown reduction. The first team to slay 4 dragons still gets Dragon Soul, but now the Soul can be any of the 5 elements.

Q: Will my mains be buffed or nerfed in the preseason? A: Hard to say without seeing the full patch notes. The jungle rework specifically targets power-farming junglers (Master Yi, Shyvana, Lillia) and buffed ganking junglers (Lee Sin, Jarvan, Elise). The item system overhaul is item-by-item — Riot will publish item-by-item changes on the PBE on November 18.

Q: Where can I read the full preseason preview? A: Riot's dev blog at https://www.leagueoflegends.com/en-us/news/dev/ has the full preview, and we'll cover the patch in detail when it ships on the PBE on November 18. We track the official LoL broadcast at /channels/riotgames — the patch preview will be on the LoL Esports Twitch channel.

Q: Will the jungle changes affect my ranked climb? A: Yes, dramatically. If you play power-farming junglers (Master Yi, Shyvana, Lillia), expect a 5-10% drop in win rate until the meta settles (usually 2-3 weeks after patch). If you play ganking junglers (Lee Sin, Jarvan, Elise), expect a temporary 5-10% boost.