How Long Is Swarm in League of Legends? Exploring Riot’s Action-Packed PvE Mode

Updated: 19th April 2025 2 min read

In the ever-evolving universe of League of Legends, Riot Games surprised players with a fresh twist: Swarm, a fast-paced, bullet-heaven-style PvE game mode that’s unlike anything the franchise has offered before. But as players dive into this explosive mode filled with Primordians, augments, and chaotic showdowns, one question naturally arises: How long is Swarm?

A Different Kind of Match Format

Unlike the typical 30- to 40-minute matches of Summoner’s Rift, Swarm is designed to be short, intense, and replayable. Each session lasts around 15 minutes, depending on player performance, team coordination, and decision-making during the run.

Foreseen Yasuo

That shorter format is intentional—Swarm is meant to be a high-replayability mode, mixing roguelike elements with League’s fast-twitch gameplay. Whether you’re queuing solo or playing co-op, you’ll find the timer ticking fast toward the ultimate challenge: the boss fight.

Boss Battles and Time Pressure

Each map in Swarm is a race against the clock. Players must:

  • Fight off increasingly difficult waves of enemies
  • Collect experience, items, and augments
  • Prepare for a boss fight that caps off the run

If players take too long, the boss may enter an enraged state, increasing difficulty and making survival more challenging. While the typical run ends at around 15 minutes, it can stretch slightly longer depending on pacing—but lingering too long without progressing makes enemies tougher and survival less likely.

The Event’s Lifespan

Beyond the duration of a single match, players have also asked how long Swarm as a game mode will be available. Riot typically runs special game modes like this for a limited time, and Swarm follows that trend. While exact timelines can vary, most PvE or event-based game modes last about 4–5 weeks.

Once the event concludes, the mode is removed from the client—at least temporarily. Based on community response and Riot’s future plans, it could return in seasonal updates or special events.

Is Swarm Replayable?

Absolutely. With multiple champions, augments, difficulty levels, and unlockable upgrades, Swarm is built for replay value. Each session might be short, but with unique combinations and scaling challenges, no two runs feel exactly the same. That keeps players coming back for more, even within a limited release window.

Final Thoughts

Swarm may not last forever, but that’s part of its appeal—short sessions, limited availability, long-lasting impact. Whether you’re chasing high scores, farming rewards, or just enjoying the chaos with friends, each 15-minute run in Swarm packs more thrill than most full-length games.

So if you’re wondering how long Swarm is: it’s just long enough to test your skill, and just short enough to make you queue again immediately. If you want to read more about the topic, click the following to know where to play LoL swarm.

Written by:

Christian