LoL Season 1 Is Done — Season 2 Starts Tomorrow

If you have been grinding ranked in League of Legends, tonight is the night everything resets. Ranked Season 1 officially closes at midnight regional time on April 28, and Season 2 goes live with the 26.09 patch on April 29. Whether you hit your goal or spent all split swearing at your ADC, here is what you need to know before the new season kicks off.

What Happens to Your Rank?

Every player gets a soft reset at the end of each season. You do not drop straight to Iron — Riot places you a few tiers below where you finished, then runs you through placement matches to re-establish your standing. The higher you ended Season 1, the higher your Season 2 floor will be.

Expect the first week to be chaotic. Players who peaked at Platinum will be matched against Diamonds who also got soft-reset. Queue with friends if you can, and try to play your most consistent champions rather than that one pick you are "still learning."

Lock In Your Season 1 Rewards

Season 1 rewards are tied to your highest rank achieved across the split — not where you end up after decay. Log in before the cutoff and make sure your eligible champions and cosmetics are claimed. Riot typically rewards ranked icons, profile borders, and exclusive emotes based on your peak tier:

Gold and above: Champion skin shard + rank border
Platinum and above: Exclusive emote and additional ward skin
Diamond and above: Rare cosmetic and profile icon set
Master+: Prestige-tier rewards and regional leaderboard recognition

Riot will distribute rewards within two weeks of the season end, but eligibility is locked at the cutoff — you cannot grind your way to a better reward after midnight.

What Is New in Season 2 (Patch 26.09)?

Season 2 is not just a rank reset. Patch 26.09 ships with a batch of meta-shifting changes that will keep theorycrafters busy all week.

Jungle pathing is getting another look, with several early camps having their spawn timers adjusted to open up more viable routes for non-hypercarry junglers. Tanks and bruisers in the top lane are expected to benefit, while early-snowball assassins may struggle more in the opening minutes.

The item shop also sees updates, with two mid-tier mage items receiving cost reductions that could revive some forgotten support builds. Expect players to immediately attempt broken combos in normal games before the nerfs inevitably arrive in 26.10.

The Competitive Scene Shifts Too

Professional play runs on a different schedule from ranked, but the seasonal reset still matters for the broader ecosystem. Analysts expect the 26.09 changes to influence draft priorities in upcoming regional tournaments, with teams already scrim-testing the adjusted jungle paths ahead of the next LEC and LCK broadcast weeks.

If you follow competitive LoL, the next two weeks of pro play will double as a live experiment — a great time to watch how top teams adapt before copying their picks in your own ranked games.

How to Start Season 2 Strong

Veteran players know the first two weeks of a new season are both the most volatile and the most rewarding. Elo is fluid, the meta has not fully settled, and a hot streak early can set your MMR trajectory for months.

Play your strongest champions, not new ones — placements are not the time to experiment
Focus on objective control, as patch 26.09 nudges the game toward teamfight-oriented setups
Track the patch notes for item changes that might open up unusual off-meta picks
Play during off-peak hours if you want more consistent matchmaking quality

One More Season in the Books

Season 1 had its share of drama — from the Challenger races to the mid-split balance overhauls that sent the community into meltdown mode. Whatever your personal story was, it ends tonight.

Season 2 starts fresh tomorrow. Your rank is a number; how you play is the part that actually matters. Good luck on your placements.