When we think of League of Legends, the first things that come to mind are ferocious battles in the river, sneaky backdoors, and exciting outplays—all on Summoner’s Rift. The classic 5v5 game mode cements League’s identity: it’s the primary mode for Ranked and Esports, and it’s what the overwhelming majority of the player base plays exclusively.
But years of the same gameplay, with the identical map, objectives, and overall style, can eventually become overbearing, wearing anyone out over time. This is where alternative, or Rotating Gamemodes, come to the rescue. These modes offer a different style of gameplay compared to Summoner’s Rift. They’re mostly available for a limited time and are introduced every few months to keep the game fresh, often bringing back players who thought they could break free from League’s hold.
These aren’t mere updates. They’re complete overhauls of the game, introducing entirely new mechanics and offering a different spin on what can be achieved with existing champions and assets. Game modes are pretty much the closest we’ll ever get to mods.
When some of these modes drop, they take the entire community by storm. The recent release of Swarm, for example, brought an additional 4.5 million active users this month compared to the previous one! Yes… game modes are kind of a big deal!
To celebrate all the fun they’ve brought and their innovative—and sometimes questionable—premises, we’ve compiled Every Game Mode that has ever come to League of Legends. You might recognize some, and have forgotten many… but fear not, we’ll explore their intricacies and mechanics, and see what made them successful or led to their discontinuation, providing insight into what we could expect going forward with League.
We won’t be counting client visual novels and metagames (i.e., Star Guardian: Another Sky, Tournament of Souls, Cupcakes 4 Heartaches…) as they don’t offer a fully-fledged gameplay experience—they’re also played directly in the client, after all.
Since we’ll be dissecting these game modes from the oldest to the most current, let’s start with the fossils of League: These relics are now mere pages in history and in our memories. This category includes modes that haven't been reintroduced in over seven years, making their return incredibly unlikely.
If you weren’t there when they were released, you’ve missed out on experiencing these lost gems. But we can still talk about them :)
Last Appearance: January 2014
Showdown was a 1v1 (or 2v2) style game mode, where players were dropped into a now-forgotten map: The Magma Chamber. Two players would duel on this one lane until one of them got killed or achieved 100 cs.
This map was short-lived, mostly featured in All-Stars events back in the day. Players later experienced an alternative version called Snowdown Showdown; it was the same as normal Showdown, but on the Howling Abyss map instead of the Magma Chamber.
This was probably the most bare-bones event in League, which might explain why it was only live for two weeks. The game was still in its infancy back then, so we’ll cut them some slack.
Last Appearance: February 2015
Nemesis Draft played out pretty much like a normal game, with the only exception being that you’d pick your enemies’ champions while they also picked yours!
Cool premise but an uninspired game mode. The community didn’t take it lightly, as it was rightfully bashed across online forums. This led to Nemesis Draft being discontinued just 10 days after its release, making it the shortest-lived game mode in League of Legends' history.
Even Riot admitted their failure, stating later:
"This is one mode we can say with confidence will definitely not return, ever.”
Last Appearance: August 2015
Alongside the Gangplank rework and the Bilgewater: Burning Tides event in 2015, Riot released a fresh new game mode titled Black Market Brawlers.
Players gained access to a new currency—Krakens—which was obtained passively and through takedowns. This allowed players to buy and upgrade Brawlers—monsters that spawn alongside each minion wave, offering offensive and defensive abilities.
There was also a new section in the store titled Black Market where players could purchase exclusive items that offered unique, and often overpowered, effects. Some of these items, such as Dead Man’s Plate, Lost Chapter, and Flesheater, are now permanent items on Summoner’s Rift and Arena.
All in all, Black Market Brawlers didn’t break any new ground in terms of creativity, but it offered a simple yet enjoyable one-time experience for players in that era. It also concluded the Burning Tides event quite nicely, serving as the cherry on top, which cemented that event as one of the greatest in League’s history.
Last Appearance: February 2016
This one will make OGs shed a tear or two.
Being the second oldest game mode (after Twisted Treeline), Dominion was released back in 2011 as one of League’s permanent game modes for five years straight.
It was played on the then-novel map The Crystal Scar, where two teams of five players would battle to destroy the enemy’s Nexus—but not in the traditional sense.
Each team’s Nexus started with 500 health, which drained over time when the enemy team captured at least one of the five relics scattered around the map. That’s pretty much it! It’s basically League’s version of a King of the Hill or Capture the Point game mode from most FPS games.
This simple premise of a new *fast and fun alternative to the regular Summoners Rift garnered it a loyal player base at the beginning (keep in mind that ARAM didn’t exist at the time, and with average normal games lasting around 45 minutes*, Dominion catered to a distinct audience).
But with the release of ARAM, which claimed the spot as the go-to fast-paced game mode, horrible balancing issues, and a dwindling player base, Riot had no option but to pull the plug on Dominion in 2016.
A huge part of Dominion’s downfall was an infestation of bots used to level up Smurf accounts. Fortunately, all of our accounts here on UnrankedSmurfs are hand-leveled, ensuring our customers receive high-quality and secure Smurf accounts, so you can get back to the grind in no time!
Last Appearance: July 2016
Remember how the title claimed this isn't Dominion? Well, that was a lie.
This game mode plays on the exact same map—The Crystal Scar—with the same objectives, same layout, same…everything. The only twist this mode brings compared to the old Dominion is that two of the five relics (capture points) are permanently captured by either team, and the addition of a crystal on each base, which grants your team an Ultra Minion (a SUPER super minion) on the next wave (Capture the Flag style).
It’s hard to justify Definitely Not Dominion as its own separate game mode, considering how similar, if not identical, it is to the retired game mode. It did, however, try to iron out some of the issues that plagued Dominion by providing an up-to-date experience of the capture the flag/point style game in League.
Though it was supposedly a rotating game mode, it was only “rotated” once in its lifetime, making it difficult to see it as anything but a failure. It would be interesting to get a taste of it in 2024 though.
Last Appearance: July 2016
Nexus Siege is a unique game mode in that kills don’t matter much. Your single objective as a team is to push as fast as possible or to hold enemy pushes for 20 minutes.
The game is set on the Red half of Summoners Rift (the Blue side of the map is entirely out of bounds) with an attacking team and a defending team that would swap roles either after 20 minutes or after losing your Nexus. When your Nexus gets destroyed as defenders, your timer for destroying the enemy’s would be set as long as you held their push during the previous round (kind of like Overwatch).
Players also had access to special upgrades that could be bought with Crystal Shards (which were obtained passively and by scoring takedowns): These upgrades let you snowball leads, either helping you defend by making your turret invulnerable, for example, or accelerating your attack by giving you access to minion boosters and mortars.
Matches in this game mode were pretty lengthy but quite fun. It encouraged a more strategic approach rather than the constant clashing in normal games or URF, which many—as well as myself—appreciated at the time.
However, this mode became notorious for how boring and overly complicated it was for many players. It took itself a bit too seriously and ultimately strayed far from the premise of rotating game modes, which is to just be fun and simple!
Its absence as a rotating game mode is, therefore, not very surprising.
Last Appearance: November 2016
This one is arguably one of the most iconic game modes in League of Legends, which is quite surprising considering how lackluster it was.
Hexakill had a simple premise: Make the game 6v6 and… that’s it! It brought no gameplay changes, no new mechanics or tricks, just the mere possibility that a player would score a Hexakill. How many Pentakill have you seen in actual games? Maybe a few dozen? Now make that already rare occurrence even rarer, and also make it a temporary game mode.
You can hopefully see now why Hexakill wasn’t quite the success story: It stuffed 12 players into a map designed for 10 (or in the case of Hexakill Twisted Treeline: 12 players in a map made for 6).
You could argue that the chaos induced by these many players was enough to justify this game mode’s existence, I won’t argue that the Twisted Treeline version was quite fun. However, it pales in comparison to what URF or other modes could offer.
Last Appearance: April 2017
Do I even have to explain this one? It’s ARAM, but on Summoners Rift—and somehow way worse.
This mode proudly holds the trophy for the most unoriginal mode in the game’s 15-year-long history! I won’t bore you by bashing it and explaining why it’s obviously horrendous. You can still experience it in some custom games. Or just hop into an Iron Lobby, which would give you a similar experience anyway!
It was released for April Fools, though, which might explain why this mode is an absolute joke.
Last Appearance: May 2017
Doom Bots is one of those modes that shake up the community whenever it drops, and rightfully so!
Players are matched against five bots that are basically scripting—a Lux that shoots lasers in all directions, a Ziggs whose ult blows up half the map… you get the gist. In its first iteration in 2014, you had to destroy the enemy Nexus to win, which is a lot harder than it sounds considering that you’re essentially playing against hackers!
The 2016 version was drastically different, though; only the Blue half of the map was accessible, as you tried to hold the bots’ pushes for 15 minutes. Afterward, a giant Little Devil Teemo would spawn, and you would achieve victory by defeating him.
The chaos in this mode is unheard of, which made it so memorable. So it's quite puzzling why it hasn't made a comeback for so long.
Last Appearance: May 2017
Probably one of, if not the most arcadey game mode that ever came out: Dark Star: Singularity is a 3v3 minigame where Threshes battle it out on this one-of-a-kind map: Cosmic Ruins.
The goal of each round is to score 100 points, which are acquired by flinging enemies and scuttle crabs into the black hole at the center of the map. Whichever team wins two rounds claims victory in the match.
Players could also save their teammates from enemy hooks, throw them heals, damage enemies to yeet them further, and chain hooks on an enemy to nail them right into the goalpost!
Even non-Rocket League enthusiasts had a blast with this mode back in the day. It was quite novel, fast, and fun in its own right, which is why it’s still perceived in such a good light today. But since it was tied to the Dark Star event, it’s highly unlikely that we’ll see it again, which is really unfortunate.
Last Appearance: September 2017
As the first true PvE event in League (we don’t count Doom Bots; that’s cheating), Star Guardian: Invasion introduced a completely new perspective on how League can be played.
This was a fully-fledged co-op campaign where you, along with four of your friends, embarked on a series of missions battling wave after wave of Void monsters through various levels in order to take down the final boss.
Invasion was quite a leap among League game modes; calling it just a "mode" is an understatement. It offered an entirely new experience, with many custom-made maps, a full storyline, and novel game mechanics.
With such significant success and acclaim, many envisioned this as the future of game modes. However, we all know how the next few years played out.
Last Appearance: September 2017
If the smell of fresh blood excites you, then Hunt of the Blood Moon might have been your game mode. The only objective was to KILL.
Your team's goal was to reach 300 points, which you earned by killing the Rift Heralds, slaying spirits in the enemy jungle, and, you guessed it, eliminating your opponents. In this mode, only assassins could be played. Coupled with the damage amplifier and increased movement speed, the game quickly turned into a chaotic frenzy. Killing three opponents or spirits also made you a Demon, which essentially rendered you invisible, quick, and granted bonus true damage on your next attack.
I’m sure the Zed and Talon mains are still daydreaming about replaying this mode once again, and I don’t blame them—it was pretty fun!
Last Appearance: November 2017
Yet another Capture The Point game mode on the Crystal Scar. This wouldn’t fail a third time…right?
While Ascension might look similar to Dominion on the surface, its premise was quite different. The objective was to score 200 points as a team, which you earned by capturing crystals scattered around the map, getting kills, and taking down the ascended Xerath in the center of the map. Whoever killed him would also become Ascended, which granted a huge stat boost and made the player big and shiny :)
Ascension was a breath of fresh air for the dead map, but the “run around and capture things” style of game was quite unpopular among players, which might explain why it’s been absent for so long.
Last Appearance: December 2017
This mode was kind of a mix between Ascension and Hunt of the Blood Moon. Six marksmen were split into two teams that faced off on the Substructure 43 map, with the objective of scoring 50 points. These points were obtained through kills and by taking down roaming Augmentation fragments. Capturing these fragments would also grant you a charge, and collecting five charges would Overcharge your entire team, making you more powerful and earning you *5x more points* through takedowns for 25 seconds.
Overcharge wasn’t entirely unique, but it had a distinct vibe with all its futuristic PROJECT aesthetics, revealing zones, and vents. It wasn’t a jaw-dropping experience but a good addition to the PROJECT event at the time.
Looking back, 2017 was an actual graveyard for rotating game modes! But while we might not see any of them in the future, I think it’s for the better. As the game evolves and adapts to modern times, something like Dominion doesn’t really have a place in 2024 League of Legends (not in that state, at least).
If we look at more recent years, though, a different picture takes shape. We see modes that, while old in their own regard, could still be adapted or have their formula repurposed to make a meaningful comeback today. These are what I’d like to call Bygone Modes: Modes that have been out of the game for longer than three years.
So how about we start off with the most striking one (and the dearest one to me on a personal level)?
Last Appearance: November 2019
Those of you who’ve been around for a while likely have fond memories of Twisted Treeline. This was the first permanent alternative game mode (much like ARAM now), introduced alongside Summoner’s Rift at the game’s release. It even had its own ranked queue! How awesome is that?!
It provided a more toned-down and simpler gameplay experience with its 3v3 style and smaller map. This led to shorter games, more skirmishes, fewer tryhards, and all-around more fun! It sought to capture the spirit of ordinary SR, with the same lane structure, jungle, and epic monster, and frankly, it did.
The most iconic aspect of this mode, however, and what keeps it as memorable as it is, has to be its overall feel. The dark twisted forests of the Shadow Isles, the creepy jungle monsters, the color scheme, the narrow feeling of just moving around—Summoner’s Rift (or ANY other mode for that matter) with its green and neutral vibe simply couldn’t capture this.
The fate that befell Twisted Treeline is a tragedy, honestly. It’s a story of neglect on Riot’s part that eventually repelled players away from it over the years. I’d love to write a full article dedicated to the memory of this map and this mode, especially as leads are pointing to a possible comeback, so definitely stay tuned for that!
Last Appearance: Early 2020
In 2020, yet another arcade-style game mode bit the dust. It seemed like every Christmas, Riot would treat us to some fun with the Poro King on ARAM, but not anymore, I guess.
During the Legend of the Poro King, teams faced off in a snowball fight on the Howling Abyss [technically you’d be throwing Poros, but that’s mean :( ]. Each hit would grant your team a point, and acquiring 10 points summoned The Poro King himself to help you dominate your enemies. You also gained access to special cookies in the shop, which allowed you to command the king with special abilities like fire breath or snowball artillery.
The mode made for some fun back-and-forth gameplay where both teams would take turns controlling the Poro King (and feeding him copious amounts of cookies), which essentially allowed the better commanders to secure victory.
I’ve got my fingers crossed for this Christmas—please don’t let us down, Riot.
Last Appearance: Early 2020
If you asked about the most revolutionary game mode in League’s history (pre-Swarm), Odyssey: Extraction would undoubtedly be the top answer.
It built upon what made Star Guardian: Invasion great and expanded on it: It featured five difficulty modes instead of two, introduced new enemy models instead of recolored Vel’Koz and Kog’Maw, had more maps, was more chaotic, and even featured an out-of-game progression system with RPG-style upgradable augments.
For once, you didn’t feel like you were playing League of Legends anymore. It highlighted the sheer talent and creativity Riot’s developers could channel, and the monumental effort that went into making such a defining mode for the game (which was only featured for just 26 days) is truly astounding and shouldn’t be underestimated.
Odyssey was a showcase by Riot that they could do the unthinkable, and I think this was our first peek into the direction we were heading, with the 10-year anniversary, Valorant, TFT, Legends of Runeterra… And most importantly, it brought hope for similar or even better modes in future events.
Too bad TFT happened, I guess.
The period from 2019 to 2021 might seem like a golden age for League’s game modes, with only a few discontinued back then. But that’s mostly because there weren’t many modes left to even discontinue. Most were purged in 2017 during the modernization of League.
The biggest factor behind this drought in alternative game modes has to be Teamfight Tactics. It was meant to be a temporary game mode, but when it started racking up serious numbers, it became an entirely separate game. And guess who’s working full-time on it? The pandemic wasn’t helping either, let’s be honest.
This shift in priorities left a bad taste in people’s mouths, so Riot kept us entertained with the occasional URF or One for All here and there, but still no innovation in sight. In the last few years, though, we’ve started seeing some steps towards the revival of game modes. We’ll first glance over the Active Modes—those that have been featured at least once in the last three years (these are still mostly in active rotation)—and then unveil what the future of alternative game modes in League is shaping up to be.
Last Appearance: September 2022
This game mode honestly feels
like one day, some guys over at Riot’s HQ thought: “What if everyone was Sylas?”, and thus Ultimate Spellbook was born.
The premise is that one of your summoner spells was swapped for another champion’s ultimate, which you chose from four random picks at the start of the game.
Simple concept, yet highly effective. It was overall well-received, and the community absolutely loved it. To be realistic, it was the first new mode in three years—they could’ve rotated Summoner's Rift 90 degrees and people would’ve been excited back then.
It enabled some pretty cool combos; like Orianna’s ult on Malphite, or Yone’s ult on Yasuo…
The possibilities were endless, and that’s what made it exciting! Diehard Ultimate Spellbook fans are upset that it hasn't been seen for two years, but there's a good chance it will make a comeback in the future.
Last Appearance: November 2023
Nexus Blitz is like Kha’zix; it’s always evolving! The 2018 and 2023 versions of Nexus Blitz look worlds apart, aside from the map’s scaffolding. Each iteration brings something new to the table and polishes what’s already done well.
Essentially, Nexus Blitz is like a game show. It starts off ordinarily; laners are farming, junglers are jungling… then an event drops. These events range from playing a mini Battle Royale, King of the Hill, Colosseum 2v2s, or even URF! Winning will grant the team an even more ridiculous buff, like a round with the Poro King, enhanced dragon souls, or a free Statikk Shiv. And when 20 minutes pass, the two nexuses literally go like “fine… I’ll do it myself” and start attacking each other! The map is also a refurbished Twisted Treeline, so does that make it cannibalism?
Randomness is usually frowned upon, but when it’s done right, oh boy is it fun! Each event feels distinct and special in its own way, with many different variations to keep you engaged. The weirdness you witness in Nexus Blitz is like no other. The mode doesn't drop frequently, but when it does, you can bet everyone is on the edge of their seats!
Last Appearance: March 2024
Does this need any further explanation? It’s the Manatee, the myth, the legend… URRRRRRRFFFFFFF!!!! The timeless classic of League game modes.
If you’ve been living under a rock (...or a mountain), Ultra Rapid Fire can be summed up in one sentence: “If everything is OP, then nothing is OP!” You get a boost in tenacity, no mana, *movement speed, attack speed, 80% cooldown-reducing speed, bonus critical strike damage... speed. It’s mayhem, and everyone loves it!
URF has become a staple in the client, appearing once or twice a year, especially on April Fools. This mode is extremely fun; you wouldn’t find a Jax bunny hopping around like it’s Team Fortress anywhere else! However, it suffered a bit from induced burnout when being live for more than a couple of weeks. Anyone who’s played it knows how hard it is to go back to normals and Ranked after playing URF.
And for the record, there are also two versions of URF: The beta All Random URF (ARURF), and the Draft URF. I have no idea what Riot was thinking when making the one game mode everyone has been requesting random. Balancing it must have been a nightmare, but that didn’t solve anything and just took things out of the player’s agency. Good thing they backtracked on that change in the last few years, though.
It’s crazy to think how Urf: The Manatee evolved from being a canceled champion to an urban legend (and getting eaten by Warwick) and eventually became the most popular game mode in League of Legends’ history. Well done, URF! Or… rest in peace?
Last Appearance: April 2024
Oh, you thought one Blitzcrank hook was annoying? How about five? One for All is just the place where you and your buddies can band together and wreak havoc by picking Teemo and turning the game into Minesweeper.
The premise? Simple: All players on a team play the same champ. The consequences? Catastrophe... This mode unlocks endless possibilities for experimentation with preexisting mechanics, pushing them—and the game’s limits. Chain hooking a poor ADC with Threshes? Sure! Licking an enemy to death with five Kenches? Go for it!
You might be wondering how that champion is determined in a lobby of five random players. Let me inform you that, contrary to popular belief, League of Legends is a democracy (unlike Demacia): Each player votes for their preferred champion, and one is later chosen at random based on how many players voted for it. For example, if you chose Galio while everyone else picked Graves, there’s still a 20% chance for Galio to be chosen.
One for All still holds a sort of “back from the dead” identity. Since its return in 2018 after a five-year hiatus, players continue to value it highly, driven by the fear that this might be their last opportunity to experience it. But as 2017 has shown us, any week could be the last for a rotating game mode.
Currently Active
Odyssey’s success demonstrated high interest in story-based PvE game modes, but nothing followed suit for six entire years. We eventually deduced that PvE modes were essentially dead in the water. Last year, however, a Riot employee who’s also a fan of Vampire Survivors wanted to resurrect this genre. He took it upon himself to singlehandedly forge a working prototype (codenamed “Strawberry”) that piqued their interest. With more manpower allocated to the project, we got Swarm: A bullet heaven survivor where you could team up with three of your friends, progress through levels slaying hordes of enemies, and take down bosses one by one.
This might initially appear to be a rebranded version of Odyssey: Extraction, but Swarm completely overhauled the entire PvE formula from the ground up: The maps are bigger—MUCH bigger than anything we’ve ever seen—the bullet heaven is a lot more bullet than heaven (seriously, even the beefiest PCs would drop in framerate from the chaos), the weapons and augments make each run drastically different from the previous, and the progression system allows for extensive replayability.
We won’t delve too deep into why Swarm is about to change the future of not only game modes but League in general, because we’ve already written a dedicated article addressing it. However, I want to emphasize that what Swarm has achieved is monumental, and what should come next is even more exciting!
Currently Active
Come 2023, the community had been aching for a new map in League of Legends. Yeah, Nexus Blitz was cool, but it's been five years since its release. Ultimate Spellbook was fun, but it’s played on the boring Summoner's Rift. And so, out of the blue, Riot unveiled a fresh game mode promising fast-paced 2v2 action. It’s called Arena.
This is the place to invite one of your buddies for a quick 15-minute game that’s still fun nonetheless. Each of the eight teams starts with 100 health, which diminishes with each loss. For every combat round, you’re matched against a different team than the previous one, giving everyone a fair chance to scale up as the game progresses. After combat, players are rewarded with 2500 gold, an augment of random rarity, or an anvil that boosts a particular stat. There are also High Stakes rounds (which occur in rounds five, nine, and 13): These will award the victor 15 additional health, giving certain teams a chance for a comeback. There can only be one winner, so good luck!
I don’t know if it’s just me, or if Arena is closer to TFT than League of Legends. I mean, it’s got the augments, the same health system, similar tiny maps… I’m not complaining! TFT is brilliant; it’s just an interesting observation.
Since its release last year, Arena has evolved with each patch: It started out as a simple 2v2v2v2 mode, added new items and maps, but was still bare bones. With later reintroductions, it featured hex gates, new maps, augments, teammate revival, cameos (like a Lux ghost shooting lasers or a Jhin sniping players), four more teams, prismatic items, anvils…
Arena isn’t like Showdown, simple 2v2
s. It’s more about pushing boundaries and experimentation than skill expression. No other game mode would let you reach 1500 attack range, which you can do on Kindred with certain augments, or stack seven different burns on your enemy to slowly watch them cook to death after one auto. It’s more of a sandbox than a battlefield, and its success reflects how much the community longed for such an experience. It’s been live for three months already, with another one to go, which is unheard of in the history of featured game modes. There are even discussions about making it permanent with its own ranked queue and dedicated devs, but as long as that doesn’t hinder the development of newer modes going forward, I don’t think anyone would complain.
Featured modes seem to be getting back on their feet as of late. With the success of Arena and Swarm, Riot has realized the power that alternative game modes hold in League. They’re more than just a way to cool down between Ranked matches; they let players break the boundaries set by normal League, allow for experimentation, and even test features that could make their way into Summoner’s Rift.
Casual players will always make up a significant portion of League’s player base, and what better way to enjoy casual fun than with a chaotic match on URF or some limit testing in Arena? Alternative modes also keep the game feeling fresh with new content, offer a break from the intensity of Ranked play, and provide plenty of casual enjoyment. Some of these modes have diehard fans behind them, and so I’d love it if Riot could make them available in custom games.
A recent DEV Blog by Riot Games emphasized the value game modes bring to the game, painting a bright future for them. The random mentions of Heimerdinger in that article are quite peculiar, and guess who’s in season two of Arcane that’s also dropping soon? I’ve got my binoculars ready to scout for any leaks on that Hextech event. I hope you’re as excited to see it as I am!
