For more than a decade, League of Legends players have known “preseason” as the experimental stretch between November and January, when Riot Games tested sweeping gameplay changes before the start of ranked competition. It was a time of chaos, creativity, and wild balance swings.
But in 2025, that era has ended. Instead of a dedicated preseason, Riot has restructured the competitive calendar, dropping one massive yearly patch that defines the entire ranked season and sets the stage for the game’s evolving content roadmap.
From Preseason to Yearly Seasons
In the old model, preseason gave Riot weeks of live feedback while players adapted to new champions, items, or mechanics. This “testing ground” approach allowed bugs to surface and strategies to stabilize before official ranked play kicked in.
Now, Riot has condensed that process. Starting with 2025, the year is divided into three distinct thematic seasons, each tied to Runeterra’s lore. All the foundational changes—ranked resets, champion adjustments, jungle tweaks, and new items—land at once in January’s headline patch. This patch doesn’t just start the ranked grind; it establishes the gameplay identity for the year ahead.
The result: a smoother transition for competitive players and a clearer structure for content drops. Instead of bracing for multiple shakeups, the community prepares for one seismic update followed by seasonal refreshes.
Gameplay Changes and Thematic Identity
While the preseason label may be gone, the philosophy remains: Riot uses the start of the year to redefine the meta. The changes include:
- Item reworks and additions that push new builds into viability.
- Jungle updates, such as camp adjustments and altered respawn timers, shaping early-game strategies.
- Map visual overhauls linked to spotlighted regions—like Shurima’s deserts reshaping the Rift’s look and feel.
- Champion releases and reworks that tie directly into seasonal lore, weaving gameplay updates with narrative direction.
Each season, the Rift visually and mechanically evolves. For example, a Noxus-themed patch might add brutalist visuals and aggressive jungle objectives, while a Shurima arc could bring desert motifs and sandstorm-inspired mechanics.
This approach ensures every part of the year feels distinct, giving both casual and pro players fresh metas to master.
Ranked System Overhaul
Perhaps the most noticeable change for competitive players is the new ranked structure. Riot has streamlined progression:
- Only one ranked reset per year, ending the mid-season frustration of losing progress multiple times.
- Exclusive seasonal ranked skins unlocked at 15 wins, lowering the barrier for cosmetic rewards and making ranked play more rewarding for mid-tier players.
- Refined matchmaking and LP systems designed to create fairer games and more predictable climbs.
- Enhanced stat tracking, with detailed breakdowns of progress across acts and seasonal splits.
These updates aim to make the climb more satisfying, transparent, and accessible, while still rewarding top-tier competition.
The New Era of League’s Seasonal Play
The shift away from a drawn-out preseason marks a significant turning point for League of Legends. Riot’s streamlined structure brings clarity: players know when the big patch lands, what to expect, and how to prepare. The tradeoff is the loss of those unpredictable preseason weeks, when off-meta builds and experimental strategies briefly thrived.
Still, for most players, the change represents a net positive. By anchoring updates in a single yearly patch and weaving content into themed seasons, Riot gives League’s ecosystem more rhythm—and more opportunities for both storytelling and competition.
Final Thoughts
Preseason may be gone, but its spirit lives on in the sweeping changes that now arrive every January. The yearly patch not only resets the competitive ladder but also ushers in new champions, mechanics, and a thematic vision that colors the entire Rift. For players, this means less uncertainty, more structure, and a consistent sense of progression.
In 2025, the question isn’t how preseason works—it’s how Riot’s seasonal model reshapes League itself, one bold update at a time.
Written by:
Christian