League of Legends Season 3 starts July 29
No annual-style ranked reset has been announced. Your current climb is expected to continue, while the 15-win Victorious mission starts fresh.
Here is the short answer before the usual ranked panic starts: League of Legends Season 3 begins at noon on July 29, 2026, according to your local server time. Season 2 ends at 23:59 on July 28.
Riot says it does not expect any disruption to LP or ranked progression during the transition. Ranked Solo/Duo and Flex will be unavailable during the downtime, and the Victorious Ranked mission will refresh when Season 3 begins.
That means this is a mid-year season transition, not the big rank reset that happened at the start of 2026. Riot has not announced new placement games or a visible-rank reset for Season 3.
The confirmed schedule comes directly from Riot's Patch 26.14 notes. The article was last checked against Riot's live pages on July 18 and will be updated when the final Patch 26.15 notes are published.
LoL Season 3 2026 Start Time
| Event | Confirmed time | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Season 2 ends | July 28 at 23:59, local server time | Your current Season 2 Victorious mission closes with the season. |
| Ranked downtime | Between the two published season times | Ranked Solo/Duo and Flex are disabled. Shard transfers are also disabled while rewards are processed. |
| Season 3 begins | July 29 at 12:00 noon, local server time | Patch 26.15 marks the new season and the 15-win Victorious mission refreshes. |
"Local server time" is the important part. Do not use a North American patch-time conversion for OCE, EUW or another region. Check the time used by the server on which you actually play.
Does Your Rank Reset in Season 3?
Your displayed rank and LP should therefore continue from where Season 2 ends. If you finish Tuesday night at Emerald II, 42 LP, the published information gives you no reason to expect five placements or an automatic drop when Season 3 opens.
There is one sensible caveat: the final Patch 26.15 notes are not live yet. Riot could publish additional details before July 29. We will update this page if that happens, but we are not going to turn PBE files, leaks or guesses into confirmed ranked rules.
Riot's current Season 3 announcement also names no Master, Grandmaster or Challenger exception. That is worth saying because Season 2 began with a special Apex reset in selected regions. No equivalent Season 3 rule appears in the official 26.14 notes.
Does MMR Reset in Season 3?
Riot has not announced an MMR reset.
The company does not show your individual matchmaking rating, and the Season 3 notice does not use the word MMR. What it does say is that LP and ranked progression are not expected to be disrupted. The safest reading is that matchmaking continues through the transition rather than starting everyone from scratch.
That last sentence is an inference from Riot's progression statement, not a separate promise from Riot. Anyone claiming to know an exact Season 3 MMR formula is claiming more than the published notes support.
In practical terms:
- There is no announced reason to dump games before July 29.
- A bad Season 2 finish is not confirmed to disappear when Season 3 starts.
- A strong finish is not confirmed to be wiped either.
- Your LP gains can still reflect the relationship between your visible rank and underlying matchmaking rating.
If you want a clearer picture before the season changes, the AussyELO Deep Report looks at your current trajectory and recent ranked games instead of waiting for a reset that Riot has not announced.
What Actually Resets on July 29?
The confirmed reset is the Victorious Ranked mission.
Riot says the mission for winning 15 ranked games will refresh when Season 3 begins. Progress from the current mission does not roll into the new one, so finish the Season 2 mission before the July 28 cutoff if you still need wins.
Patch 26.14 lists Victorious Rengar as available from July 15. Riot's Season 3 announcement has not named the next Victorious skin yet, so any article giving you a Season 3 champion at this point is guessing.
What Is Confirmed for Season 3?
Riot describes Season 3 as a celebration of League's past and present. So far, the confirmed headline content is focused on modes rather than a new ranked ruleset.
League Classic
Riot says Classic launches next patch with a 60-champion starting roster, the original Summoner's Rift, older items, runes, masteries and mechanics, plus modern infrastructure and controls.
ARAM: Mayhem Classic-ish
This limited-time queue launches alongside Classic. It uses the same 60-champion pool in their modern forms, with a Classic-inspired map, items and Augments.
Hall of Legends reveal
Riot says the next Hall of Legends inductee will be revealed on August 17, with the in-game event arriving shortly afterward.
More Act 2 news later
Riot has explicitly said it will share more about Season 3 Act 2 before that act begins. No reliable Act 2 date or content list has been published yet.
You can read the full official summary in Riot's Classic, Mayhem & More TL;DW. We also have a separate League Classic launch guide covering its roster, old systems and progression in detail.
What Is Not Confirmed Yet?
Final Patch 26.15 balance changes
The official live patch notes have not been published. PBE changes can move, disappear or ship with different numbers.
A Season 3 Victorious champion
The mission refresh is confirmed. The champion attached to the new mission has not been announced in Riot's current Season 3 posts.
Placements or a rank reset
Neither is in the current announcement. Riot instead says it expects LP and ranked progression to continue without disruption.
Full Act 2 plans
Riot says those details will come later. Dates or themes presented as final today should be treated carefully.
Season 3 and League Classic Are Not the Same Thing
The naming is going to confuse people for at least a week.
Season 3 2026 is the third modern season of the current League year. It starts on July 29 and includes the normal ranked queues you already play.
League Classic is a separate experience launching in the same patch. Riot used old Season 3 as an anchor, then mixed in highlights from several early League eras. It does not replace modern Summoner's Rift or your current ranked climb.
So when somebody says "Season 3 is bringing old League back," they are combining two related announcements: the modern season starts, and Classic arrives beside it.
What Should You Do Before Season 2 Ends?
1. Check your Victorious mission. If you have not completed the current 15-win mission, finish it before 23:59 local server time on July 28. 2. Do not expect a free MMR clean slate. Riot has not announced one. 3. Avoid leaving your final game until the last minute. Ranked queues will go offline during the transition. 4. Do not transfer shards around the cutoff. Riot says shard transfers will be disabled while rewards are processed. 5. Wait for final 26.15 notes before rebuilding your champion pool. PBE changes are not final patch notes.
Start Season 3 with an actual diagnosis
A new season label will not fix the same deaths, throws or weak closing decisions. The Deep Report reviews your recent ranked games and shows where your climb is really leaking.
Get your Deep ReportLoL Season 3 2026 FAQ
When does League of Legends Season 3 start?
Season 3 starts July 29, 2026 at 12:00 noon according to your local server time. Patch 26.15 marks the transition.
When does LoL Season 2 end?
Season 2 ends July 28, 2026 at 23:59 local server time, on the final day of Patch 26.14.
Does rank reset in Season 3?
Riot has not announced a rank reset or placement games. It says it does not expect disruption to LP or ranked progression.
Does MMR reset in Season 3?
No MMR reset has been announced. Riot does not publish individual MMR values, but its statement that ranked progression should continue supports the expectation that matchmaking carries through the transition.
Do I need to play placements?
Riot has not announced Season 3 placement games. The official notice describes a continuation of ranked progression, not the annual reset used at the start of 2026.
What happens to the 15-win Victorious mission?
The mission refreshes when Season 3 starts. Finish your current mission before Season 2 ends if you still need wins.
Is League Classic replacing normal ranked?
No. League Classic is a separate experience launching alongside the modern Season 3 update. Modern Summoner's Rift and its ranked queues continue.
