League of Legends Is Opening Voice Chat to Full Teams in Patch 26.20

League of Legends is expanding voice chat beyond premade parties, letting players talk with their full team starting in Patch 26.20. Riot says the rollout will begin in North America and Oceania, then move to more regions if the tools and moderation hold up.

The new team voice system will include better noise cancellation, faster connections, and stability improvements. Access to speaking in voice will also be tied to Honor level, which Riot says is part of a broader effort to make Honor better reflect in-game behavior.

Voice skins are coming too. These will change how a player sounds, though Riot says current and future versions are being designed to stay clear enough to understand during busy fights.

There are a few other League updates on the way. Ranked 5s is getting another run in Patch 26.18 after its initial June to September test, with rewards from that first run also arriving in 26.18. This version adds a strategic draft phase, similar in spirit to Clash, where teams can see some opponent information before picks and bans. The weekend queue window is also being extended, starting earlier and ending later.

Classic is getting more changes as well. Riot says it has brightened lighting and map textures, increased IP and XP gains, given players two more Rune Pages, added a second win of the day bonus, and lowered prices on many runes. Poppy, Xin Zhao, Shyvana, Galio, and Fiora are joining Classic in Patch 26.18, with Graves and three other Bilgewater champions planned for the following patch.

The next ARAM: Mayhem set is planned for Patch 26.1 and will follow League’s upcoming music theme, including new Augments and in-game missions with rewards separate from the Mayhem progression track.

Riot also confirmed this year’s Worlds schedule: the tournament starts October 15 in Los Angeles, with Finals set for November 14 in Brooklyn.

Further reading: Official League of Legends dev blog