Riot Games is starting 2025 with the debut of League of Legends' first-ever themed season, “Season One: Noxian Domination,” set to launch on January 9. The new seasonal model introduces a wealth of changes, including a new champion, gameplay updates, thematic cosmetics, and adjustments to ranked play.

Players will experience the power of Noxus on Summoner’s Rift with new visuals, music, and the addition of Atakhan, Bringer of Ruin, a game-altering objective that spawns at the 20-minute mark. Atakhan appears in one of two forms, creating permanent terrain changes and providing buffs to the team that defeats him. Gameplay changes include revamped runes, items, an update to Teleport, and the introduction of Feats of Strength, a system that unlocks powerful new boots.

Season One will span eight patches, divided into two Acts, each featuring its own Battle Pass with themed rewards such as skins and borders. Ranked play will undergo a single reset this year, which will coincide with the season’s launch at 12:00 p.m. local time across regions.

Mel Medarda, a champion first introduced in Arcane, will join the game’s roster in the season’s second patch. Embracing her Noxian heritage, Mel brings a unique gameplay mechanic with her Rebuttal ability, allowing her to reflect enemy projectiles back at their source. She will be available for free through a seasonal mission, and her story will continue in the upcoming novel Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf, releasing in February.

The new season also brings the Masque of the Black Rose skin line, featuring characters like Samira, Renata Glasc, Elise, and Vladimir. Prestige skins for Katarina and Darius will be tied to the Battle Pass, while other cosmetics, including Exalted skins like Radiant Serpent Sett, will celebrate events such as the Year of the Snake. Fan-favorite skin lines and entirely new thematics are also set to release throughout the year.

Narrative expansions include new in-game elements like the Reckoning Pits of Noxus, the return of Arena mode with a Noxian twist, and the debut of a mini-game later in the season. Riot has also confirmed updates for champions such as LeBlanc, with more visual and gameplay updates planned for the year.

Esports fans can look forward to the introduction of Full Fearless Draft, which bans champions previously used in a series, fostering creativity and adaptability in competitive play. The First Stand Tournament will take place from March 10-16 in Seoul, featuring top teams from Split 1 vying for a bracket-stage spot at MSI 2025. MSI will run from June 27 to July 12 in Vancouver, while Worlds 2025 will take place across China, culminating in Chengdu.

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