As a seasoned League of Legends player, I've witnessed the game evolve over countless seasons. Today, in 2026, Riot Games has fundamentally shifted how we think about acquiring new champions, moving away from the simplistic 'age-based' discount model that has been in place for over a decade. The developers, including Jordan “Barackprobama” Checkman and August “August” Browning, explained that this change reflects the game's matured development strategy. No longer are we on the frantic schedule of releasing a new champion every other patch. Instead, Riot now plans champions with more intention and care, which has prompted a complete re-evaluation of their value over time. The old system had clear flaws—imagine Zoe, a champion released over five years ago, still sitting at the maximum price point of 6300 Blue Essence. That dissonance between a champion's age, their place in the current meta, and their cost is precisely what this new, more nuanced structure aims to fix.
The core philosophy is no longer about how many champions have been released since, but about how many competitive seasons a champion has experienced. This subtle but profound shift acknowledges that a champion's relevance and complexity are shaped by the evolving landscape of the game itself. A champion from Season 8 has lived through metas, item reworks, and systemic changes that a champion from Season 12 simply hasn't. Their price should reflect that journey. Furthermore, Riot is introducing a dynamic element: if a champion receives a major update—be it a Visual and Gameplay Update (VGU), a Core Gameplay Update (CGU), or a significant mid-scope update—their price may be reassessed. The goal here is to recognize when a champion becomes a markedly better experience, especially for new or returning players. Crucially, the developers emphasized they would "try and avoid" using this as a reason to increase prices, aiming instead for fairness and accessibility.
Let's break down the new pricing tiers, which are far more descriptive than the old numeric blocks:
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450 BE / 260 RP – The New Player Gateways: 🧱 This tier is reserved for champions with a strong, clear fantasy and an approachable kit that data shows helps players find early success. Think Malphite, Miss Fortune, and Yuumi. These are your foundational picks.
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1350 BE / 585 RP – The Approachable Favorites: ❤️ A step up in complexity, but still very welcoming. These champions have more nuance in their play patterns but maintain reasonable skill floors. They're often community favorites, like Yasuo, Lucian, and Sett.
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3150 BE / 790 RP – The Specialists: 🎯 Here lie champions with a higher degree of difficulty or very specialized playstyles. Climbing their learning curve is steeper, but mastery is rewarding. Examples include LeBlanc, Shaco, and Yorick.
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4800 BE / 880 RP – The Main Roster: 👥 This is the new home for the majority of champions. It's the standard tier for champions that are past the 'new release' window but don't fit the niche categories above or below.
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6300 BE / 975 RP – The Recent Releases: 🆕 Champions from the past two seasons will reside here. Once a new season begins, they gracefully descend to the 4800 BE tier.
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7800 BE / 975 RP – The Week-One Premium: ⭐ Brand-new champions will have a one-week premium price, a small tax for the thrill of being first on the Rift.
And then, there's the glorious, mysterious 4444 BE / 880 RP tier. The developers' note says it all: "Only perfection and beauty are allowed at this tier. HAHAHAHA." While they humorously question if Jhin will be priced here, it stands as a testament to Riot's willingness to inject character and inside jokes into their systems.
This isn't just a reshuffling; it's a net reduction in the cost of the entire champion roster. The collective price of owning every champion has dropped by a staggering 140,606 Blue Essence or 14,905 Riot Points. That's a massive boon for players building their collections. To further aid this, Riot is introducing champion bundles—themed packs of champions within the same price tier that offer a discount when purchased together. This is a smart, player-friendly move that encourages exploring new roles or champion types.
However, not all changes are reductions. In a move based on player performance data, Riot is increasing the price of Kayle, Singed, Twisted Fate, and Ryze from the lowest tier to 4800 BE. The reasoning is direct: data suggests new players are not finding success with these champions. Their kits, while iconic, present unique challenges that don't align with the "awesome for new players" designation of the 450 BE tier. This demonstrates Riot's commitment to using the pricing tiers as genuine signals of a champion's role in a player's progression.
Looking back from 2026, the implementation of this system with Patch 13.5 feels like a pivotal moment. It marked the point where League of Legends acknowledged that a champion's value is a multi-faceted gem, cut by time, complexity, player success, and thematic identity—not just a counter ticking up with each new release. For us players, it meant a fairer, more logical economy and a clearer path to mastering the vast and wonderful roster of Runeterra.