I’m writing this in 2026, which means Aphelios has been in League of Legends for over six years. That’s wild to me. I still remember the 2019 preseason like it was yesterday: Senna had just dropped, Riot was teasing a new marksman, and Summoner’s Rift was about to get the kind of overhaul that made every ranked game feel like a puzzle box. The champion was Aphelios, the Weapon of the Faithful, and he arrived mid-December. Back then, we only had a brief description, a mysterious sister, and a whole lot of moonstone weapon speculation.

Aphelios is a mute Targonian guided by his sister Alune. According to the game’s website at the time, a poison both silenced him and 'fuels him.' Alune leads him from a sanctuary — presumably on Targon — where she 'pushes an arsenal of moonstone weapons into his hands.' That description made it pretty clear he’d be a weapon-swapping marksman, and the October roadmap tease backed it up: a champion 'constantly training, mastering diverse weapons of faith, swapping through them like cycles of the moon with nothing but that one lone voice,' whose purpose was to 'protect the faith from those who stand in the sun.'

It felt like Diana and Zoe — both tied to the moon in different ways — were getting company, and the long-running conflict between Diana’s Lunari and the Solari looked ready to move forward. In 2026, we know Aphelios became a fixture in pro play and solo queue, even if his weapon rotation still scares off new players. Some things never change. 😅

The Rift Got Elemental

The preseason patch notes brought Elemental Rifts to Summoner’s Rift. The idea was simple but chaotic: when the second Elemental Drake died, the map would change based on the element of the third announced Drake. Each version tweaked the terrain — opening new pathways, adding rocks, creating air currents that gave speed boosts, or growing larger brush. It made every game feel a little different before the first tower even fell.

Here’s a quick breakdown of what Riot added back then and how it looks from a 2026 perspective:

Change	What it did in 2019	How it feels in 2026
Elemental Rifts	Map changes after the second Drake dies, based on the third Drake’s element	A core part of modern League’s pacing and strategy
Lane alcoves	Added alcoves in both side lanes	Still useful for jukes, ganks, and clutch escapes
River brush	New brushes near the river entrances in both blue buff quadrants	Changed early vision control and jungle pathing
Dragon Soul	Permanent end-game buff based on the element	A must-fight objective that can decide games
Baron and Elder buffs	Reduced from 3.5 minutes to 3 minutes	Shorter windows mean cleaner, more decisive pushes

I remember thinking Dragon Soul sounded like a win-more mechanic. In practice, it became one of the biggest reasons to contest every Drake. The permanent bonus made late-game teamfights feel different depending on which soul spawned. And the Baron/Elder duration cut? That made ending games less forgiving. You had to use your buff, not just sit on it.

Teamfight Tactics Ate the Preseason

While Aphelios and the Rift changes stole headlines, the real long-term winner was Teamfight Tactics. The smash-hit auto battler was getting a ranked queue, plus balancing and bug fixes. The ranked rules were player-friendly: you wouldn’t lose LP for your first 5 games, and you wouldn’t lose LP if you placed 4th or better. That made climbing feel less punishing for newcomers and more appealing to competitive players.

Twisted Treeline, on the other hand, was officially dead. Riot made it clear they were pouring everything into TFT instead. I know a few stubborn 3v3 fans who are still mad about it. RIP Twisted Treeline, you will be missed, just like Dominion. Or not, considering that their lack of popularity was their death sentence. 😬

Looking back from 2026, it’s easy to see how right Riot was about TFT. The mode has grown into its own ecosystem with multiple sets, a mobile version, and a dedicated ranked community. It never replaced Summoner’s Rift as the flagship, but it became a genuine pillar of League of Legends. At the time, people wondered if professional players would care about TFT ranked. They did — and then some.

What It All Means in 2026

All of those 2019 preseason changes influenced the next year’s championships and the game’s long-term identity. Elemental Rifts and Dragon Souls are now just part of the language of League. Aphelios is no longer the new marksman; he’s a legacy champion with a dedicated fan base and a permanent spot in balance discussions. Twisted Treeline is a memory. TFT is a juggernaut.

If I could go back and tell my 2019 self one thing, it would be this: the preseason that felt like a small shake-up was actually a blueprint for the next six years. Aphelios, Alune, moonstone weapons, dragon souls, and a ranked auto battler — it all sounded like a lot. It was. And somehow, in 2026, it still feels like League of Legends is building on that same patch.

So yeah, I’m nostalgic. Sue me. 🎮