LoL Champions by Release Date – Full Timeline

How League of Legends Launched: The First 17 Champions

League of Legends officially launched on October 27, 2009, but the champion roster itself was locked in months earlier for closed beta — every one of the 17 launch-day champions below shares the exact same release date, February 21, 2009. This original roster set the template for the game's core champion roles that are still recognizable today: bruisers like Warwick and Jax, mages like Annie and Ryze, and supports like Soraka and Alistar.

Champion	Release Date
Alistar	Feb 21, 2009
Annie	Feb 21, 2009
Ashe	Feb 21, 2009
Fiddlesticks	Feb 21, 2009
Jax	Feb 21, 2009
Kayle	Feb 21, 2009
Master Yi	Feb 21, 2009
Morgana	Feb 21, 2009
Nunu & Willump	Feb 21, 2009
Ryze	Feb 21, 2009
Sion	Feb 21, 2009
Sivir	Feb 21, 2009
Soraka	Feb 21, 2009
Teemo	Feb 21, 2009
Tristana	Feb 21, 2009
Twisted Fate	Feb 21, 2009
Warwick	Feb 21, 2009

The Golden Age of Releases: 2009-2012

Riot Games' release pace was fastest in the game's first four years. Between 2009 and 2012 alone, League of Legends added 109 champions — more than a third of today's entire roster. 42 champions launched in 2009 (including the 17 at closed beta), followed by 24 in 2010 and 24 in 2011, the single busiest year in the game's history.

This era established fan-favorites like Lee Sin, Vayne, Leona, and Darius — several of which still rank among the most-played champions today — and it's when the game's champion count first crossed 50, then 100. Release pace has slowed considerably since — Riot now favors fewer, more polished releases with deeper kits over the simpler, faster-shipped champions of the early years.

The 10 Most Recent Champions

The newest champion is Locke, released Jun 24, 2026. Here's the full list of the last 10 additions to the Rift:

Champion	Release Date
Locke	Jun 24, 2026 (Newest)
Zaahen	Nov 19, 2025
Yunara	Jul 16, 2025
Mel	Jan 23, 2025
Ambessa	Nov 6, 2024
Aurora	Jul 17, 2024
Smolder	Jan 31, 2024
Hwei	Dec 5, 2023
Briar	Sep 14, 2023
Naafiri	Jul 19, 2023

FAQ: Champion Release Date Questions

What is the oldest champion in League of Legends?

17 champions share the earliest release date of Feb 21, 2009, including Ashe, Annie, Warwick, and Ryze — the original closed beta roster.

What is the newest League of Legends champion?

Locke is the newest champion, released on Jun 24, 2026.

How many champions does League of Legends have?

League of Legends has 173 champions as of Jun 24, 2026. Riot adds new champions roughly 8 times per year on average, though the pace has slowed significantly since the game's early years.

Which year had the most champion releases?

2009 had the most releases with 42 champions (including the 17-champion launch roster), followed by 2010 and 2011 with 24 and 24 respectively.

How often does Riot release new champions now?

In recent years (2023-2026), Riot has released roughly 3.3333333333333335 champions per year on average — a big slowdown from the 15-40 champions per year pace of 2009-2012.

Track Your Champion Knowledge: Next Steps

Use this timeline alongside our other champion data pages to round out your League of Legends knowledge: