Noxus-themed map, new epic monster Atakhan, new runes, gameplay features, swiftplay mode and more exciting news ahead of 2025
Riot Games unveiled on Monday a Dev Blog detailing the gameplay changes coming to League of Legends in 2025 for Season 15. Ranked reset, new epic monster, a Noxus pimped map, turrets respawning, new runes, multiplayer practice tool... Here’s a look at the most significant updates announced.
Ranked Structure
Season 15 will feature a slightly restructured format, divided into three seasons, each split into two acts. Every season will span eight update patches and focus on a specific region of Runeterra, influencing gameplay, skins, and champions. The most significant change, delighting ladder enthusiasts, is a single major rank reset at the beginning of the year, simplifying competitive progression and rewarding consistent climbing.
The theme of the map changes every season of the year
Riot Games is thus refreshing its map for the first time in a decade, introducing significant visual updates at the start of Season 15 in early 2025. The first segment of the year will bring a map inspired by the lore-rich region of Noxus, the map overhaul celebrates the game's universe while enhancing the visual experience. Originally designed to improve clarity and readability during gameplay, the updated map will include thematic changes to structures like the Nexus, inhibitors, turrets, and even side-specific shops, providing a fresh aesthetic deeply tied to the game's storytelling roots.
As announced, the entire map has been visually updated, with the color scheme altered, and key structures like the Nexus, inhibitors, and turrets modified. Additionally, even the shops on the red and blue sides have received thematic adjustments to align with the new aesthetic.
Accompanying this new aesthetic is a surprising gameplay feature: Nexus turrets can now respawn after a short time. Similar to inhibitors, these turrets will return with full health, offering a glimmer of hope for teams that have lost all their defensive structures on the map. This change could provide new strategic opportunities for comebacks.
New epic monster: Atakhan
A major change is being introduced: Atakhan, a new epic monster, makes its debut:
- Atakhan spawns at the 20-minute mark, postponing the arrival of Baron Nashor to minute 25 (and Herald to 16 minutes). It spawns near the side lane with the highest concentration of kills, or overall damage dealt until the 14th minute. At this specific time, players should see walls built in the river entry and see where Atakhan should spawn at 20.
- Ruinous Atakhan appears in high-action games. Defeating him grants permanent Epic monster rewards and spawns Blood Roses, which provide XP and Adaptive Force buffs for your team.
- Voracious Atakhan appears in lower-action games. Defeating him grants a one-time rebirth buff (like Akshan's passive) and increases gold gained from champion takedowns, helping teams in teamfights.
- Scattered roses appear across the map, acting as a new plant to the Rift. They are a small permanent bonus granting the entire team a small amount of XP, bonus AP, or AD to players.
- Defeating Atakhan rewards teams with additional roses and a powerful resurrection buff similar to Guardian Angel. It is available one-time only and lasts for a limited time.
Riot Games has clarified that Atakhan is a permanent addition to the game and not a temporary feature. While his full lore remains mysterious, Atakhan has previously appeared in Legends of Runeterra, offering a glimpse into his potential backstory. Fans curious to delve deeper into the League of Legends universe, especially after enjoying Arcane, are encouraged to explore Legends of Runeterra for more insights into Runeterra's rich narrative landscape.
New mechanic: feats of Strength
It is a system that encourages teams to take risks early. If a team knocks out two out of these three achievements in the early game, they will receive the "Blessing of Noxus" buff: First Blood, First Turret, and the first three epic jungle monsters (Drakes, Herald, any three void grubs). It instantly provides a bonus to any tier 2 boots to the winning team.
Once you get two legendary items, you also have the opportunity to spend gold to upgrade your boots to tier 3 granting unique effects and even more stats bonuses to your boots. Even Cassiopeia will get some specific bonuses.
Multiplayer Practice Tool
This announcement has been eagerly awaited: Riot Games is finally launching a training mode that supports multiple players simultaneously. While it's not specified how many players can connect at the same time, this is a highly significant addition that will impact the professional scene in particular, making specific training sessions much easier to organize.
Swiftplay
Riot is launching a new game mode that is shorter, more forgiving, and less punishing, offering a faster-paced experience. The new mode, designed to replace Quickplay, is a 5v5 on Summoner's Rift with adjustments that reduce the punishments for mistakes, making it beginner-friendly. Key changes include:
- Gold and XP rewards increase as the game progresses.
- Players behind get extra gold and XP.
- Dominating enemies gives less gold while being behind doesn’t hurt as much.
- Faster map timings, such as earlier turret plates, Baron, and elemental drakes.
- Supports earn more gold, but their item prices and stats have been adjusted.
- Multiple roles for the same champion are now allowed.
New Runes
Three runes from the Domination tree will be removed: Zombie Ward, Ghost Poro, and Eyeball Collection. They will be replaced by:
- Sixth Sense: helps you track enemy wards you haven't seen yet.
- Grisly Mementos: grants ability haste when you take down trinkets.
- Deep Ward: enhances deep wards in the enemy jungle by granting them more hp and more time.
Another new rune, Axiom Arcanist, has been introduced in the Sorcery tree, replacing Nullifying Orb. This rune enhances your ultimate abilities by increasing damage, healing, and shields, while also reducing cooldowns upon eliminating an enemy.
Battle Pass & Loot changes
Each of the three seasons will feature a Battle Pass system with both free and paid content. The traditional event tokens and shops will be removed, and instead, each season will have two Battle Passes, totaling six per year. Each pass will last for 8 weeks, double the current duration, and the price will remain the same as it is today.
Here's the full list of the free Battle Pass rewards:
- One thematic Earnable Skin Permanent
- One random 975 RP or lower Skin
- One Title
- Two Emotes
- Two Mystery Emotes
- Three Icons
- Two Mystery Icons
- Four Champion Capsules
- 4750 Blue Essence (plus infinite repeating levels at the end of the track)
Below are the paid Battle Pass rewards:
- Everything from the Free Pass
- Three Ancient Sparks
- One Prestige Skin
- Three Reward Skins
- Three Borders
- Seven Loot Orbs
- One Banner
- One Ward Skin
- Two Emotes
- Two Icons
- 1000 Orange Essence (Plus an infinitely repeatable 25 OE every 5 levels after 50)
More info on the Honor system, chests, etc...
- Riot is making significant changes to the Honor system in 2025. Honor will be integrated into rewards, affecting pass experience and social privileges like access to All Chat and emotes.
- The Honor Shop and tokens are being removed, with the focus shifting to Honor being a part of the overall League experience.
- Masterwork Chests will no longer be sold or used as rewards after January 2025. Hextech Chests will remain available for obtaining skin shards.
- It has been recognized that the Prestige skins will from now on be unique, and won't be based on a regular skin of the game anymore.
- Champion Mastery will be integrated into the Battle Pass to better reward players across all game modes, including ARAM. Instead of chests, players will earn Pass Experience for completing Mastery milestones. New missions will be introduced, including daily objectives for general milestones and special ones for reaching higher levels in Mastery, with significant rewards for completing these tasks.
No official launch date has been announced for Season 15, but more details are expected in the coming month. It is likely, as usual, that these changes will take effect in January, with Mel Medarda also making her debut on Summoner's Rift.
Header Photo Credit: Riot Games
- Clément Chocat -
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