Look Sports Media – After a seven-year hiatus, Riot Games has finally answered the prayers of countless League of Legends fans, announcing the return of the highly anticipated Winter-themed Summoner’s Rift. The festive map, last seen during the 2018 Snowdown Showdown event, is set to make its grand comeback with Patch 25.23, slated for release on November 19th, just days after the conclusion of the 2025 LoL World Championships.
The winter map’s absence has been a recurring source of disappointment for the LoL community, particularly during the holiday season. Riot Games previously cited the introduction of Elemental Drakes in 2019, which dynamically alter the map’s terrain, as a major obstacle to implementing the winter theme. The complexity of creating winter-themed variations for each Drake-altered map, especially the fiery Infernal Drake map, was deemed too time-consuming.
However, the wait is finally over. An announcement video from Riot Games’ Executive Producer of League of Legends, Paul "Pabro" Bellezza, offered a tantalizing sneak peek at the updated version. The new Winter Summoner’s Rift is brimming with festive details, including a poro riding a train around the Nexus, Christmas decorations adorning the rocks, and even a snowman version of Urgot. The river will be frozen and the map will be covered in snow.
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This marks the fourth new iteration of Summoner’s Rift released by Riot Games this year, following the regular version, as well as Noxus and Spirit Blossom themed maps. The Winter Map, which was first introduced in 2009, has become a beloved tradition, often accompanied by the popular Poro King game mode, a unique ARAM variant featuring a giant, biscuit-powered Poro. The 2016 iteration of the Winter Summoner’s Rift further enhanced the experience with snow-covered terrain, scattered poros and presents, and a Santa hat and earmuffs for Baron Nashor.
The return of the Winter Map is sure to bring a wave of festive cheer to the League of Legends community, offering a nostalgic and visually appealing experience for players old and new.
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