Setting the Stage
Ah, the Twisted Treeline – the dark, moody, bite-sized League of Legends game mode that dared to be different. Just hearing its name channels waves of nostalgia to the hearts of who've stuck around with the game for long enough. For many, this eerie 3v3 arena is a distant, spooky, fading memory collecting dust among archived wiki pages. But for those who remember it fondly, Twisted Treeline was more than just a “mini Summoner’s Rift.” It was a high-stakes cauldron of chaotic fights, and a breath of fresh air from the sweat-filled lobbies of normal 5v5 SR. This little map had heart, and even after its official removal in 2019, it still haunts the minds of League veterans.
Riot Games, in its eternal wisdom, decided to remove Twisted Treeline a few years ago, citing low player interest and matchmaking issues as a primary culprit for their controversial decision. While that might've probably been true, it left us with a Treeline-sized hole in our hearts that's still waiting to be filled. Join us as we stroll down memory lane in this retrospect of Twisted Treeline, and how it could be possible to get a taste of its charm in 2024.
History of the Twisted Treeline Map
The Twisted Treeline wasn’t just another map. It was Riot’s spooky love letter to those who wanted something faster, more casual, and a bit of undead souls sprinkled into the mix. For the zoomers out there who weren't fortunate enough to witness the Treeline live - in all of its glory, here's a small recap of the map to get you up to speed.
Introduced all the way back in 2010, only a few months after the game officially launched, 3v3 Twisted Treeline was the second permanent game mode make it into League of Legends, right alongside Summoner's rift. But this wasn't just “Rift Lite” – Twisted Treeline had its own compact map, dedicated 3v3 queue, and even an official ranked mode! You heard that right - there was a time when League’s ranked experience wasn’t just limited to 5v5 solo queue. If you were good enough, you could flex your skills for season rewards like Twisted Treeline specific chroma skins and a limited time icon whenever a ranked season officially ends.
But like all things in League, Twisted Treeline went through its phases. To understand what made it so special (and why we still mourn it to this day), let’s break down its journey in two major phases:
First Iteration of the Game Mode
Put yourself in the shoes of a Season 1 League player; The only game mode that existed back then was 5v5 SR with its lengthy 45 min+ matches. Howling Abyss (ARAM) didn't even exist back then, so the thought of a quick yet fun shot of the brilliant MOBA formula was a mere idea. So you can imagine the hype that followed Twisted Treeline's initial release.
Its early days were as raw as it gets. Released as a fresh 3v3 experience, it felt like Summoner's Rift’s rebellious little sibling on adderall. The map was designed to be dense, dark, and brimming with rotten trees, lurking monsters, narrow pathways and lush brushes. Imagine trying to navigate a forest in the middle of the night with one flashlight that's about to go out – that’s the vibe it gave, simple, yet authentic.
In its original form, Twisted Treeline introduced us to a unique 2-lane layout where strategy and spontaneity took center stage. Unlike Summoner’s Rift, where big lanes and epic objectives reign supreme, Treeline’s compact design made every fight feel personal. It featured a vast jungle populated by what would be considered nightmare material in today's landscape; a creepy minion with 8 eyes (Ghast), a huge wolf that gave you a roided up Blue Buff (Rabid Wolf), and the one drake to rule them all (Ebonmaw). Sure, their champion models may have had less pixels than Hwei's abilities, but their fun chaotic mechanics and old school aesthetic has a special charm that I can't put into words. It felt like the game’s designers just said, “You know what, let’s make this feel like a fight club in the woods.” And we loved them for it.
Reworked Twisted Treeline
By the time Riot revamped Twisted Treeline back on October 17th 2012 to bring it up to "modern standards", the stakes were higher – and so was the controversy. The reworked map took us from a generic spooky forest to the very heart of the Shadow Isles, complete with a chilling atmosphere and featuring everyone's favorite spider: Vilemaw, a massive epic monster that haunted our dreams and also paid homage to Elise, who launched around the same time. Vilemaw was a sight to behold and an absolute terror to fight - thought Baron was strong? Try going face to face with the Maw himself.
This update also brought in the disputed Altar system, which was heavily inspired by Dominion (RIP, you were fast, you were fun...). The two altars added an extra layer of strategy to Treeline, where capturing these points gave your team buffs, forcing players into fights as they jockeyed for control.
As wonderful as it may seem, the new version shaved off a big part of what made Twisted Treeline so memorable; The map became significantly brighter, lanes got longer, jungle pathways became wider, and the jungle shrunk drastically - beating the entire purpose of the creepy forest that it once was.
As such, The update wasn’t for everyone – the rework sparked debates across the community. To some, it was a welcome addition; but to long term fans, it was the beginning of the end.
What Made 3v3 Twisted Treeline so Iconic
So, what was it about Twisted Treeline that kept fans invested and mourning its fate to this day? For many, it was a cocktail of unique mechanics, faster games, and a haunting aesthetic that subsequent game modes still fail to capture.
Immersive Environment and Characteristic Theme
One of the best parts about Twisted Treeline was its immersive, claustrophobic design. Unlike the spacious lanes of Summoner’s Rift, Treeline’s tight corridors and oppressive tree cover made everything feel… close. The Shadow Isles theming and soundtrack only dialed up the spookiness, wrapping players in an eerie, undead atmosphere - and Twisted Treeline players rejoiced!
Desaturated colors, fading souls, wandering spirits... it's like you could feel it all from your seat. This was the map you played with the lights off, the kind of place that felt alive in an ominous way, as if the Isles were creeping right into your room. It brought a whole new layer of immersion, creating a lasting player connection still haunting anyone who's set foot there to this day.
Faster Pace
If Summoner’s Rift was the main course, then Twisted Treeline was the snack-sized, action-packed side dish. It was the answer to anyone who loved League but didn’t have 40 minutes to spare for a full 5v5 game. Twisted Treeline games were shorter, with fewer players and fewer lanes, making it perfect for quick rounds of mayhem. With only three players on each side, strategies were more streamlined, and the focus shifted to skirmishes rather than big, organized team fights.
Balance wise, it was... something - let's keep it at that. With the wide collection of broken items and insane strategies that were impossible to pull off in normal games, you had more room to bonk your opponent than farm minions like a 17th century peasant.
The casual vibe of Twisted Treeline made it the primary choice for players who wanted the fun of League without the marathon sessions – a true breath of fresh air for those weary of long matches and endless slow pushing.
Why was Twisted Treeline Removed
Despite its unique charm, Twisted Treeline couldn’t withstand the test of time. It was plagued by several issues that made it unsustainable, ultimately leading to its removal. Let’s break down what went wrong and why Riot finally decided to retire it.
Dwindling Community
In its final years, the game mode's player base had dwindled to a dedicated but small core of players. Queue times stretched longer and the matchmaking experience worsened drastically as players lost interest. Just like any other title in the multiplayer genre, League of Legends is a numbers game, and when those numbers start dipping, it’s usually a bad sign.
The situation became so bad that in lesser populated servers like OCE players only had access to 3v3 Twisted Treeline for a couple of hours every week like recess in middle school! Due to the unbelievably low player counts, 3v3 Draft Queue was only available between 3pm and 1am on the weekends while 3v3 Ranked Queue could only be accessed on Wednesday and Thursday - I'm not even kidding...
By 2019, the population was at a point where even the hardcore fans had to admit the queue times were brutal. Fewer players led to longer waits, and longer waits led to more players abandoning the mode – a vicious cycle.
Bots, Bots Everywhere...
If you were a Twisted Treeline player toward the end, you probably remember the bots. Leveling bots flooded the map, grinding out accounts to sell, turning each game into a frustrating experience that sucked the fun right out. Who wants to play against a bunch of poorly coded AI that just walk into walls? Not exactly peak entertainment. These bots filled the Treeline queue like mosquitoes in a summer swamp. They’d show up, run in circles, feed the enemy team, and leave human players in the lurch. For many, it was the final nail in the coffin.
Don't get me wrong, smurf accounts in League can be a blast—they keep the game fresh, dynamic, and challenging. But bot accounts? They’re just there to ruin the fun for everyone at lower levels, not to mention they come with a huge risk of getting banned since they blatantly violate Riot's terms. This is exactly why each one of our Smurf accounts is fully hand leveled, ensuring your satisfaction! Check out our store page for Legacy Skins and Smurf accounts tailored to your needs!
Outdated Gameplay
One of Twisted Treeline’s biggest downfalls was that it just… didn’t change. I've seen champions with more balance patches, revisions, and skins (looking at you Lux) than all the updates TT received in its 9-year lifespan! Riot had made almost no significant changes to it since 2012, leaving it abandoned, stuck in its own time capsule.
Its gameplay mechanics and design elements remained stagnant for years, leaving the natural evolution of uninteractive meta strategies to fester on their own with no bounds or guardrails. Gold funneling became the optimal strategy, turning the game into a predictable grind where the same champions ruled (Master yi, Tryndamere, Warwick, Taric, AD Carries...). As champions evolved and power crept into the game, Twisted Treeline became more unbalanced and unpolished, and Riot’s failure to balance or update the mode only hastened its decline.
Shifting Priorities
At the end of the day, Riot had other fish to fry. It was around the time when Teamfight Tactics also came out, so they were more busy exploring other game modes and investing resources into ARAM, TFT, and events like Nexus Blitz.
ARAM, in particular, became the go-to “alternative” game mode, stealing the spotlight from the Treeline with its more balanced, faster, all around casual appeal. It felt like TT was the ignored middle child, doomed to be overshadowed by its siblings. And for Riot, it made more sense to channel resources into modes that had the highest player engagement and brought in the big bucks), even if that meant letting Treeline fade into the fog.
This wasn't the first instance of Riot abandoning fan-favorite game modes, the same fate befell other modes throughout League's history. We've actually written a fully dedicated breakdown of Every Game Mode in League's History if you might be interested in checking it out after this one.
Can we Still Play on Twisted Treeline in 2024
Wipe away the tears lads, no one is cutting onions over here. The fire might have died but its ember still lives on. So, is there any hope for a Treeline comeback? Well... not exactly. But that doesn’t mean we’re completely out of options. Let’s take a look at what is still possible for those of us still clinging to the shadowy memories of the Treeline.
Official Statement by Riot
Riot has made it clear that they don’t officially consider any revivals of Twisted Treeline going forward. They've already repurposed most of Treeline’s assets during the development of the Nexus Blitz map. For now, Twisted Treeline lives on only in memory – and in a few clever nods within other modes.
But we all know that when Riot removes something, it doesn’t completely disappear. Cue the passionate fans, developers, and Reddit warriors who just can’t let Treeline go.
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A Glimpse of Hope...
Every now and then, a developer or fan on Reddit surfaces with the idea of bringing Twisted Treeline back. This happened to be the case a few months ago when a solo developer attempted to build a private server to revive the game mode with relative success. This project seemed promising at first, but looks to be dormant for a while due to the developer's shifting focuses.
It’s tough for small-scale developers to recreate such a complex game mode, especially with the risks of copyright issues and technical hurdles, and whether it’ll ever see the light of day remains to be seen.
League of Legends Sandbox
Some passionate fans even attempted to recreate old versions of League, including Twisted Treeline, through various sandbox projects. The most ambitious would be the League of Legends Sandbox project; A community-driven effort to bring back Season 4’s League experience (patch 4.20), which included Twisted Treeline as part of the package.
But in 2022, Riot issued a cease-and-desist, and the project’s main repository on github was subsequently archived, though whispers of its development are still ongoing in certain Discord servers (we won’t link to them here, of course). Getting the game mode up and running is technically possible. But unless you're a coding wizard on .Net and Node.js frameworks, getting these to work is more complicated than just pressing “play.”
Attempted Chronoshift Revival
Chronoshift was another ambitious project that aimed to emulate earlier versions of League, including Twisted Treeline. Though Riot shut it down years ago, enthusiasts are still working to revive it, hoping it won’t meet the same fate. However, given Riot’s track record, it’s likely just a matter of time before this one bites the dust too.
Harrowing Summoner's Rift Skin
If you’re looking for a more legitimate way to experience the spirit of Twisted Treeline, without traversing the shady route, some modders have created a Harrowing-themed skin for Summoner’s Rift. While using custom skins is technically in a “gray area,” Riot’s usually lenient as long as it doesn’t impact gameplay. Many players and streamers regularly use them without issue, so if you’re feeling nostalgic, this is the closest you’ll get to a haunted battlefield without crossing any red lines.
Custom skins in League are a wild and hilarious rabbit hole to dive into. If you've never played as Among Us Pyke or Fridge Xerath, then trust me, you're missing out big time. We might explore this quirky topic in a future blog, so stay tuned for it!
Final Thoughts
Twisted Treeline may be gone, but its impact still lingers in the League community. You’ll still find frequent Reddit posts reminiscing about the glory days of the map every now and then. Looking back at old gameplay footage, though, it’s clear that maybe, just maybe, removing the mode was for the best. The map had its charm, but let’s be real—the gameplay loop was often monotonous to varying degrees, and the overall polish was pretty subpar to say the least.
All in all, I don't think the Treelines deserved such fate. To me at least, I believe that the ultimate responsibility to balance and maintain it fell on Riot's shoulders, and I think they're the primary culprit for its demise. If only they've given it half the attention they showered ARAM with, we wouldn't be discussing 3v3 Twisted Treeline as a relic from the past, but as another game mode to blow off some steam - waiting for us right there in the client. "We're sad to see such a longtime game mode leave our official rotation", yeah I bet you are, Riot. At least you gave us an exclusive icon to wipe away our tears with, i guess...
We may never see an official Twisted Treeline revival, but in the meantime, we’ll remember it fondly—and who knows, maybe one day we’ll meet up in the shadowy forest once more.
