League of Legends’ Season 3 is here with Patch 25.17, tying together the year-long narrative arcs of Spirit Blossom Beyond and Welcome to Noxus. Expect key appearances from LeBlanc, Yunara, Atakhan, and Xin Zhao as the story reaches its conclusion—just in time to set the stage for the 2025 World Championship in China.
Worlds 2025
The 15th anniversary edition of Worlds kicks off October 14 in Beijing, with finals on November 9 in Chengdu. The annual Worlds Anthem drops October 10, celebrating some of the game’s most notable competitive players.
Gameplay Updates
- Xin Zhao Visual Update – The champion’s gameplay stays the same, but all skins have been refreshed. Vaulted skins will return during patches 25.17 and 25.18, with Commando and Imperial Xin Zhao getting improvements (and an RP increase from 520 to 750). A new Epic skin arrives later in Act 1.
- Quality-of-Life Tweaks – Jungle camps get individual timers, and the death recap will now show clearer summoner spell tracking.
Doom Bots Make a Comeback
The fan-favorite PvE mode returns with new curses, bots, a boss, and a higher difficulty mode. “Trials of Doom” will introduce rotating challenges in each patch. A dev blog is live with more details.
Control Changes
Riot is testing WASD movement as an alternative to the usual point-and-click controls. The rollout will begin on PBE before hitting non-Ranked and eventually Ranked queues. Both control schemes will be monitored to ensure fairness.
Player Behavior Crackdown
From Patch 25.18, smurfing, boosting, hitchhiking, and account selling/sharing will face penalties across all involved accounts. This is powered by Vanguard’s upgraded detection, alongside expanded player reporting for “Rank Manipulation.” Tests for True Skill 2, a new matchmaking system, continue.
Cosmetics and Skins
- New Prestige Skins: Sylas and Mel (Mythic Shop), Jarvan IV (Act 1 Pass), Zoe (Act 2 Pass).
- 2024 Worlds Winner skins for T1 arrive in September.
- Machine Herald Viktor drops in Patch 25.19, free for players with Viktor Mastery Level 5+ as of August 4.
- Select TFT-exclusive emotes and icons return via the Mythic Shop.
Season 3 rolls out over the coming patches, mixing story closure with quality-of-life improvements, long-requested mode revivals, and a heavier stance on disruptive player behavior.
