Riot Games head of League studio Andrei "Meddler" van Roon has confirmed that only one new champion will be released in League of Legends in 2026: Locke. His arrival is tied to Season 2, Act 2 — codenamed "Pandemonium" — targeting Patch 26.15, expected around July 29, 2026.
An AP Assassin from Demacia
Locke is designed as an AP assassin for the mid lane, with potential jungle viability. His visual design immediately evokes Jujutsu Kaisen's Nanami Kento: hooded figure, round red-tinted glasses, and a quiver on his back. His gameplay follows suit — his Q ability, called "Soul Nail," fires a giant ghostly nail in a straight line, a mechanic reminiscent of Nobara Kugisaki's cursed nail techniques from the same anime.
Form Swapping and Sealed Artifacts
Early gameplay footage reveals a second, more spectral form for Locke that deals AoE damage in a circle around him. He can also interact with "sealed artifacts," though their exact role in his kit remains unclear pending an official reveal. His lore is rooted in Demacia: an introductory cinematic shows him speaking to a bartender who warns that "no one that goes into those woods comes back the same."
A Strategic Choice as Riot Builds League Next
The decision to release only one champion this year is directly tied to "League Next," Riot's large-scale rework of the game's core systems, which is absorbing a significant portion of the development team's bandwidth. Two reworks are also on the calendar — Shyvana launched in March 2026, while a second remains unconfirmed. With no other new champion competing for the spotlight, Locke carries enormous community expectations heading into the summer.
Locke is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated champion releases in recent League of Legends history. All eyes turn to summer 2026.