League of Legends welcomes you to Noxus
The universe of League of Legends is very rich. It has expanded beyond the original game, even landing on our screens with the excellent animated series on Netflix, namely Arcane. Two other very interesting projects will also come to light: the fighting game 2XKO and Project K, a real-life card game. In the meantime, we have just started the new year. After a little necessary downtime to recover from the end-of-year celebrations, it's time to dive into the 2025 Season of the game where it all began.
Welcome to Noxus
To start off well, nothing beats a magnificent cinematic that illustrates what awaits the players of League of Legends during this new season. If you are captivated by this video, it's normal. It was created in partnership with Fortiche, the French animation studio to which we owe the superb Arcane series derived from LoL. Note that the images are accompanied by the original song “Bite Marks” by TEYA. Before telling you more specifically about the upcoming content, your host wants to share two important clarifications. The first is that the ranked mode was reset on January 9 at 12:00 local time in all regions. It is and will be the only reset of the season. The second is that this S1 will be divided into two acts (each with its battle pass and thematic rewards) and will evolve through eight patches.
The Champions will welcome Mel and more
To mark this year 2025, a strong novelty was needed... And it's even better if it connects with the Arcane series, a true gateway for newcomers allowing them to get interested in League of Legends. That's why the next patch will add Mel Medarda to the cast, who can be unlocked for free by completing one of the seasonal missions. She will also benefit from a new appearance inspired by Noxus. Enough to echo the series... Besides the visual aspect, she will shake up the gameplay by introducing a new mechanic called skill return. As its name suggests, she will be able to return targeted skills to their original caster and untargeted ones to an enemy. All this will be made possible thanks to Mel's Refutation skill. A little extra, in February, you will be able to get the book Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf by C.L. Clark, which will allow you to learn more about her story and that of Ambessa Medarda, her mother.
Then, during the season, two Champions will be entitled to an update, including the enigmatic LeBlanc who will benefit from a visual update. For those who are unaware, this mysterious pale woman has been manipulating the fate of Noxus since its early days. Developers also plan to integrate new forms of thematic storytelling in the game. Our little finger tells us that interested individuals might take a tour through the Arena game mode in Act 2. Who knows, they might stumble upon the arenas of Noxus.
Game modes to spice up the recipe
As you understood from the lines above, the second act of this 2025 Season will bring back the Arena mode which will feature a Noxus map. This will benefit from its own mechanics, echoing the gladiator arenas. For the first act, players can dive into the random URF mode. This mode is also back to energize the games. Get ready for wacky gaming sessions. Another novelty to note, besides the modifications that will be made to the maps (including the Koi Pond one), is the addition of “Guests of Honor.” Behind this name hides a system that will allow players to vote. They will be able to elect a famous Noxian for whom they wish to modify the rules in each game.
Getting dressed up for the Black Rose Masquerade
With Noxus at the heart of this year, Samira, Renata Glasc, Vladimir, Ezreal, and Elise will have the right to a new skin labeled the Black Rose Masquerade. The first three will be available via the paid version of the pass, while Elise will be accessible via the free version and Ezreal will be available for direct purchase. In addition, there will be another skin, the Black Rose Masquerade Prestige Katarina. This “prestige” will make her the main reward of the first paid pass. Cassiopeia and Qiyana will also have a prestige skin but, to obtain it, one will need to part with fantastic essences. Several other skin themes will be featured throughout the season. Without saying too much, we can already announce that the Café Cuties will make their return. Finally, there will also be three War Hero skins, including Radiant Serpent Sett to celebrate the Year of the Serpent and a skin for Mordekaiser.
A new target to eliminate
Noxus invades the Summoner's Rift and brings several new features, including new illustrations, music, and structures, in addition to new items and runes. But what would Champions be without an enemy to defeat? Without a quest, a mission? Certainly nothing. So Riot Games invites players to try to eliminate Atakhan, the Herald of Ruin, who appears either at the top or bottom of the map. A little patience will be required since he will only show up after twenty minutes in one of his two forms. However, be careful, as the terrain will be permanently modified. Of course, Champions who manage to defeat him will receive a reward, a permanent bonus in this case. One last little detail, Riot Games also introduces the "exploits of strength" system, allowing access to more powerful and advanced boots.
