Riot Games announced today that the pre-season for League of Legends will begin on Oct. 27, which is when the game will become available in retail stores and fully open online. The game will be operated in seasons, which is why the team feels it makes sense to have a pre-season period so players can learn the game and build relationships. The first season will begin in the first half of 2010 and will "include clans, teams, tournaments, ranked play and ladders, draft mode, as well as additional content such as new Champions and maps."

League of Legends is currently in closed beta, although a short open beta will be held before the pre-season begins. If you'd like to participate in the closed beta, we're still giving away keys! Just head over to this page to claim your key. More information on the pre-season can be found in the FAQ after the jump.

Q: What does pre-season mean? Is that different from the game launching?
Moving forward, League of Legends will be operated in seasons. We believe that seasons are a great way to help facilitate competitive gaming and competitive communities. The reason we are launching in a pre-season is to allow time for players to start learning the game, building relationships, and building teams before the first season starts. We’re going to be releasing additional information about how seasons will work in the coming weeks. The pre-season is an opportunity for players and teams to become familiar with the game and begin developing advanced strategies and tactics that will help them climb to the top of the ladder when Season One begins!

Q: If the pre-season starts on October 27th, when does Season One begin, and what features will it have?
The first season of League of Legends will begin in the first half of 2010. We’re going to take the time during the pre-season to ensure that all of the features that we believe are required for competitive play are available, as well as taking the necessary time to balance and polish the game, and the PVP.net client. The features we plan to release between now and the beginning of Season One include clans, teams, tournaments, ranked play and ladders, draft mode, as well as additional content such as new Champions and maps.

Q: Will League of Legends have an open beta?
There will be a short open beta prior to the pre-season starting on October 27th.

Q: I pre-ordered, when will I be able to redeem my code?
You will be able to redeem your pre-order code on October 27th.

Q: Will I be able to keep my Summoner name and account after the beta ends?
Beta testers will be able to keep their Summoner names and accounts after the beta ends.

Q: Will the beta continue until October 27th?
The closed beta will continue until the start of open beta.

Q: I’m reading this but I’m not already in the beta, how do I get in!?
The best way to get a closed beta key is to follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/leagueoflegends. Once we hit 40,000 fans, every fan of the League of Legends page will get a Closed Beta key!