Winter Comes to the Rift Once More
Riot Games has confirmed that the beloved Winter Map is finally returning to League of Legends with Patch 25.23, set to arrive just in time for the festive season. The announcement was made through a new video titled An Important Message from Pabro, released on the official League of Legends YouTube channel.
“Since you really asked for it, we’re just going to do it,” said Paul “Pabro” Belleza, Executive Producer of League of Legends, confirming what long-time fans have been hoping to hear for years.
The Winter Map will reintroduce snow-covered landscapes, festive decorations, and a wave of nostalgia for players who remember the game’s earlier holiday events. Riot has faced technical challenges in reintroducing the map, particularly with maintaining gameplay clarity, but the team has decided that it’s finally time to bring back the chill.
A Nostalgic Return to Snowdown
The Winter Map first appeared in 2009 as part of League of Legends’ “Snowdown” seasonal event. During its original run, Summoner’s Rift was transformed into a frosty wonderland filled with snow-tipped trees, candy canes, and glowing ornaments. The event also introduced some of the game’s first holiday skins, such as Snowbunny Nidalee and Workshop Nunu, alongside festive login screens and exclusive game modes.
Although the Snowdown event returned in later years, its hallmark Winter Map was missing from editions between 2013 and 2015. By 2019, Riot officially discontinued the event altogether, citing technical limitations tied to the game’s evolving features, particularly the introduction of elemental drakes that altered the Rift’s terrain.
Since then, smaller themed events like Night & Dawn have filled the seasonal void, but none have quite recaptured the magic of Snowdown’s original festive charm.
Patch 25.23 Brings Snow, Poros, and a Santa Baron
This year’s Winter Map brings back that iconic atmosphere with modern flair. Players can expect the nexus to appear as a glowing snowglobe, complete with a Poro train circling its base. Minions will don tiny winter coats, and even Baron Nashor is getting in the spirit with his own Santa hat and mittens.
While Riot hasn’t confirmed a full Snowdown-style event, fans can look forward to the Chosen of Winter event, which will reportedly include returning festive skins and potentially a new prestige skin for Mel, according to early leaks.
The winter-themed map will be available to all players globally, regardless of the real-world season in their region, because as Riot put it, “Winter has returned to the Rift.”
Launching During Worlds 2025
The timing of the announcement couldn’t be more fitting. The League of Legends World Championship 2025 is currently underway, with sixteen of the world’s best teams battling through the Swiss Stage.
For fans who’ve waited years to see snow return to Summoner’s Rift, this winter promises to be a special one.