Locke — Everything We Know About LoL's Next Champion

League of Legends is preparing to welcome its 173rd champion: Locke, a Demacian fighter who wields petricite weapons capable of absorbing and neutralising magic. As the only new champion confirmed for 2026, Locke is one of the most anticipated releases in years. Here is everything we know so far — from his lore and rumored abilities to the builds and runes you should prepare before he hits live servers.

Who Is Locke?

Locke was first revealed through Riot Games' "For the Fallen" motion comic, released as part of the For Demacia season in early 2026. In the comic, a hooded figure wearing distinctive round red glasses enters a tavern where a bartender warns of mysterious woods from which "no one comes back the same." Locke then ventures out into the night, hinting at a champion who operates on the fringes of Demacian society.

He will become the 16th Demacian champion in the roster, joining the ranks of Garen, Lux, Sylas, Jarvan IV, and Xin Zhao. Unlike the armored knights and noble mages that typically represent Demacia, Locke has a more weathered, grounded look — closer to a rogue operative than a traditional warrior.

Rumored Role and Playstyle

According to multiple leak sources, including Big Bad Bear and the League of Legends Leaks & News account, Locke is expected to be an AP-oriented fighter with an assassin or bruiser playstyle. The most common comparisons place him alongside Ekko, Diana, and Sylas — champions who blend ability power scaling with aggressive melee combat.

His primary weapon is described as "Soul Nails" — dagger-like instruments made of petricite, Demacia's signature anti-magical material. Petricite has the unique ability to absorb and dissipate magic, which is a core element of Demacian architecture and military equipment. This suggests Locke's kit could involve neutralising or turning enemy magic against them — a thematic fit for a Demacian champion who hunts magical threats.

What We Know About His Abilities

Riot Games has not officially revealed Locke's ability kit yet. However, preliminary leaks suggest his abilities are tied to magic seals, rituals, and ancient artifacts. Given the petricite weapon theme, expect mechanics that interact with enemy spells — possibly spell absorption, magic resistance scaling, or anti-mage utility similar to how Galio's passive and shield interact with magic damage.

The AP fighter classification also suggests he will have sustained damage rather than pure one-shot burst. Champions in this archetype typically have some form of gap-closer, a sustained damage steroid, and moderate durability through their kit or itemisation. Think Diana's Moonfall engage combined with Sylas's ability to keep fighting through Petricite Burst healing.

Predicted Builds for Locke

While we cannot confirm Locke's exact item build until his abilities are revealed, AP fighters in League of Legends share a well-established core item pool. Based on comparable champions, here are the items most likely to define his builds:

Core Items to Watch

• Riftmaker — The go-to mythic for sustained AP fighters like Gwen and Mordekaiser. Its omnivamp and ramping true damage reward extended trades, which fits Locke's expected bruiser playstyle perfectly.
• Dusk and Dawn — Season 2026's new AP Spellblade item grants 300 HP, 70 AP, 25% attack speed, and 20 ability haste. Its double on-hit passive after spell casts is tailor-made for AP fighters who weave auto-attacks between abilities.
• Nashor's Tooth — The classic AP auto-attack enhancer. If Locke's kit involves empowered basic attacks (as Soul Nails suggest), Nashor's will be a natural fit.
• Zhonya's Hourglass — Essential for any melee AP champion who needs to dive into fights. The Stasis active buys time for cooldowns and team follow-up.

Situational Options

• Banshee's Veil — If Locke's anti-magic theme translates into MR-scaling mechanics, Banshee's could double as both offence and defence.
• Hextech Gunblade — The returning Season 2026 hybrid item could be strong if Locke scales with both AP and AD, given the Soul Nails physical weapon paired with magical abilities.
• Cosmic Drive — For builds prioritising ability haste and sustained kiting through movement speed.

Best Runes to Prepare

AP fighters typically run one of two primary keystones depending on their playstyle. Here are the two most likely rune setups for Locke:

Conqueror (Sustained Fights)

If Locke favours extended trades — as his AP bruiser classification suggests — Conqueror will be his go-to keystone. It stacks adaptive force during combat and provides healing at max stacks. Pair it with Triumph, Legend: Haste, and Last Stand in the Precision tree, with Conditioning and Revitalise from Resolve as secondaries.

Electrocute (Burst Assassin)

If his kit leans more toward the assassin side of the spectrum (closer to Ekko than Diana), Electrocute offers front-loaded burst for quick trades. Sudden Impact, Eyeball Collection, and Treasure Hunter complement an aggressive playstyle. Take Cosmic Insight and Magical Footwear from Inspiration for secondary runes.

Release Timeline

Head of League studio Andrei "Meddler" van Roon confirmed that Locke will be the only new champion released in 2026, arriving "around the middle of the year." He is expected to launch during Season 2, likely timed around the summer event leading into MSI's July finale. This means we should see his full reveal on the PBE sometime in the coming weeks or months.

With recent champion releases like Mel, Yunara, and Zaahen all arriving in late 2025, Riot has clearly shifted toward fewer but more polished champion launches — making each release a bigger event for the community.

How to Prepare for Locke's Release

• Practise AP fighters now: play Ekko, Diana, or Sylas to get comfortable with the melee AP playstyle and build paths Locke will likely share
• Familiarise yourself with Dusk and Dawn and Riftmaker — these items are expected to be core on Locke and learning their power spikes will give you an edge on day one
• Watch for PBE updates: Locke's abilities will appear on the Public Beta Environment before going live, giving you roughly two weeks to study his kit
• Bookmark LeagueBuildFast and search for early Locke games as soon as he launches — high-elo players will experiment with builds immediately, and you can copy the ones that work