Riot Games has outlined a significant set of changes arriving with Season 2 of League of Legends, headlined by the official release of WASD controls in Ranked mode starting with patch 26.9. The update also covers role quest adjustments, lane balance changes, item system overhauls, and new keystone runes.
WASD Controls Clear the Bar for Ranked
After months of testing that began in 2025, Riot has confirmed WASD controls are ready for competitive play. Internal data showed only a small win rate gap between WASD and traditional point-and-click input, a difference developers expect to shrink further as players accumulate experience with the scheme. Player feedback surveys reinforced the case — most respondents could not identify which control method their lane opponent was using during matches, indicating the two systems are functionally indistinguishable from the outside.
To support the rollout, Riot improved pathfinding and ability interactions, with particular attention paid to movement near walls and automatic attack follow-ups. Accessibility features have also been expanded alongside the WASD release, including options to remap mouse inputs and increase cursor size.
Role Quests Become More Forgiving
The role quest system introduced in Season 1 is being adjusted to better accommodate champions that rely on roaming or proxy strategies. The previous implementation punished players for deviating from strict lane presence, which created friction for certain playstyles. The revised system still requires time in lane but allows more flexibility in how players pursue their intended role without falling behind on quest progression.
Lane Balance Shifts in Top and Mid
Top lane quest rewards are being updated to grant more experience for team fighting contribution, a change that should benefit champions oriented around skirmishing and group play over pure split-pushing. Mid lane bonuses are shifting away from an empowered recall mechanic toward a flat six percent increase to both AD and AP, a direction Riot says is intended to support a wider range of champion archetypes in the role rather than favoring picks that rarely leave the lane.
New Keystones and Item Changes
Season 2 brings meaningful changes to the rune and item landscape. Deathfire Touch returns to the keystone pool, and Stormraider’s Surge comes back as a replacement for Phase Rush in the Sorcery tree. On the item side, Trailblazer and Opportunity are being removed from the game entirely, while Dusk and Dawn remain but will receive adjustments. New starting items and omnivamp boots are being added, with further item details expected in upcoming patch notes ahead of the Season 2 launch with patch 26.9.
