How Many Champion in League of Legends: 2026 Full Official Count Guide

2026-06-18 04:01:31 Beginner's Guide

If you’re just downloading League of Legends for the first time in 2026, or coming back after a multi-year break, one of the first questions you probably have is how many champion in league of legends are currently playable. Riot Games has been releasing new champions and reworking old ones at a steady pace for well over a decade, so the roster has grown way beyond the small initial set that launched with the game. I’ve been playing LoL since I was in high school, and I still get confused when I log in and see three new champions I’ve never heard of in the champion select screen, so I put together this full breakdown to clear up all your questions about the current 2026 roster.

Exact Count of How Many Champion in League of Legends (2026 Official Roster)

If you’ve seen conflicting answers to how many champion in League of Legends exist online, that’s usually because old articles haven’t been updated for 2026 releases, or they count limited mode exclusive characters that aren’t available in standard play. The official number shared by Riot Games as of August 2026 counts only champions available for Summoner’s Rift, ARAM, and all ranked play queues, excluding temporary event characters. As of August 2026, the official playable champion count for League of Legends is 172.

This number counts reworked champions as part of the total, since even when Riot overhauls a character’s kit and visual design, they still retain the same name and core identity. No champions have ever been fully removed from the game, so every character released since launch is still playable in some form, even if they feel completely different from their original version. The count will rise to 173 in late Q4 2026 when the next scheduled champion releases, so if you’re reading this in December 2026, you can expect the number to be slightly higher.

2026 LoL Champion Roster Breakdown by Class and Role

When you’re first learning how many champion in League of Legends are available, breaking them down by class makes the number feel far less overwhelming. All 172 champions are sorted into six core classes, each designed for specific playstyles and roles on the Summoner’s Rift map. Many champions fit into multiple classes, so you may see the same character listed in two categories depending on their kit flexibility:

Tanks: 32 total, designed to absorb damage, lock down enemy teams, and initiate fights. They are most often played in top lane or support, and are a great pick for players who prefer supporting their team over securing kills.

Mages: 38 total, deal high burst or sustained magic damage from short, medium, or long range. Most are played in mid lane, but a growing number of enchanter and artillery mages work well in the support role too.

Assassins: 27 total, specialize in quick, high-damage combos that let them eliminate high-priority enemy carries before escaping unharmed. They are almost exclusively played in mid lane or jungle, and require fast reaction times to play well.

Marksmen: 24 total, also called ADCs, deal consistent long-range physical damage over the course of a fight. They are almost always played in the bot lane carry role, and rely on support champions to keep them alive in the early game.

Fighters: 31 total, also called bruisers, blend damage output and durability to hold their own in 1v1 fights and contribute to team fights. They are most commonly played in top lane or jungle, and are a great pick for players who want a mix of offense and defense.

Supports: 20 total, focused on healing, shielding, buffing teammates, and disabling enemies. They are exclusively played in the bot lane support role, and don’t require large amounts of gold to be effective.

Keep in mind that this breakdown counts champions with multiple class tags in each applicable category, so the total of the class list is higher than the 172 total champion count. If you’re a new player, I recommend sticking to 1-2 classes first to learn the game mechanics before branching out to more complex champions. It’s far easier to learn how to play tanks first, for example, than to jump straight into high-skill assassins that require perfect mechanics to be useful.

2026 New Champion Releases and Upcoming Teases

Riot has adjusted its release schedule for 2026, after years of player feedback that new champions were coming out too fast for most people to keep up with. So far in 2026, three new champions have joined the roster: Lirael, the tide-weaver enchanter support, Kael, the shadow assassin jungler, and Brin, the artillery mage mid laner. All three have been well received by the community, with Lirael quickly becoming one of the most picked supports in ranked play.

Riot has stated they are slowing down champion releases slightly starting in 2026, moving from 5 per year to 4 per year, to focus more on reworking older, underplayed champions. I’m really happy about this change, honestly. For years it felt like I could barely learn one new champion before another dropped, and older champions with loyal fanbases got left behind with outdated kits and visual designs.

Three full reworks are scheduled for late 2026 and early 2027, for Corki, Trundle, and Lux. All three reworks will retain the characters’ core identities, but update their kits to be more viable in modern ranked play, and add updated visual effects and voice lines. None of these reworks will change the total champion count, as they are updates to existing characters rather than new releases. Riot has also teased that the fourth 2026 champion, coming in Q4, will be a Ixtal-based fighter designed for the top lane, with a kit focused on terrain manipulation.

Tips for Navigating the Large 2026 LoL Champion Roster as a New Player

One of the most common questions new players ask after learning how many champion in League of Legends are on the 2026 roster is whether they need to buy all of them. The short answer is no, you absolutely don’t, and trying to collect every champion right away will just leave you frustrated and short on Blue Essence, the in-game currency used to buy champions.

Start with the weekly free champion rotation, which gives you access to 16 random champions for free every week. This lets you test out different roles and classes without spending any currency, so you can figure out what playstyle you enjoy before you spend Blue Essence on a new champion. Once you find a few champions you like playing, stick to them for your first 50 to 100 games, so you can master their kits and learn basic game mechanics without being overwhelmed by new abilities every match.

Use the in-game champion filter to sort champions by difficulty, role, and class, so you don’t have to scroll through all 172 champions every time you load into champion select. You can also mark your favorite champions to make them show up at the top of your list, which saves a ton of time when you’re picking under the 30 second select timer. You don’t have to own every champion to enjoy the game, most players only own 30-40 champions after a year of regular play, and that’s more than enough for casual and ranked play. I’ve been playing for over a decade, and I still only own about 110 champions, mostly because I only spend Blue Essence on champions I actually enjoy playing, not just to collect them.

Whether you’re a new player trying to figure out where to start, or a returning vet curious about how much the roster has grown, knowing how many champion in league of legends are available in 2026 helps you set realistic expectations for learning the game. Don’t stress about the large number of champions right away, take it one game at a time, and focus on finding characters that are fun for you to play. If you want to stay updated on new champion releases and count changes, you can check Riot’s official League of Legends website for the latest updates every month.