The Summoner's Rift is the iconic map of League of Legends. In addition to being the first game mode that players have experienced, it is the one that has experienced the most significant changes.
Released at the same time as the game in 2009, the Rift received several small graphic updates in the following years, but the most important one was implemented on November 12, 2014. Regularly, it evolved with the seasons, covered with snow during the Christmas period for instance. It is commonly animated by Events, such as the Star Guardians or Bilgewater.
A constantly evolving map
Ranked games were added in season 1 for the Summoner's Rift, and the Twisted Treeline.
Since Season 1, the first one has undergone many tweaks — especially the jungle. Do you remember the Ancient Lizard and the Ancient Golem from Season 1? Because we do, and we feel old.
Before Season 1, the camps did not return after an expected time, but randomly. Over the seasons, the camps have been replaced by others, such as the Ancien Lizard by the Red Brambleback. Previously, the dragon only gave Golds and no buff associated with its elements; indeed, there was only one dragon that came back every five minutes, all without timer. Baron Nashor gave a bonus to the henchmen, as he does now, but he was not preceded by the Rift Herald, who arrived in 2016. He was giving a 20-minute buff to the player who picked it up, before it was removed from the game in 2017 to make it a pet to be invoked as a push.
When the Summoner's Rift was completely reworked in 2015 for a visual update, it had a major impact on the jungle. With his arrival, a new way of jungling appeared: each small camp was giving a specific buff. The wolves were giving a little ghost who went scouting, the Gromp to poison the other camps with self-attacks. For the other side, the Raptors were giving a buff similar to Drakhtar, while the Krugs a stun every five self-attacks.
The Elementary Dragons appeared alongside Season 6. Before that, killing the dragon gave stacks. The first one gave a burning-damage effect on the towers, the second one reduced the damage that the players suffered by 20%, etc. The appearance of the Elementary Dragons and the Ancestral Dragon has changed a big aspect of the gameplay, to the point of becoming essential over the seasons to win a tight game.
New runes for a new life
However, League of Legends' gameplay has taken a new turn with the Reforged Runes in season 7. Previously, players had access to runes that were placed on rune pages, giving various bonuses, such as AP, AD, but also CDR, etc... in addition to having pages of mastery that influenced the gameplay. Three branches for each master pages, including one utility, which were changed in season 6 to defense, attack and utility pages. It also included the idea of a main master's degree (such as Thunderlord) that had become a fundamental keystone in a specific branch.
As it has evolved over the years, the Summoner's Rift has seen items appear and disappear.
The Heart of Gold, of which we find a wink on the counter of the shop in game, which allowed the support to survive economically speaking during the game (at the time when the trinket system did not exist, with a number of vision milestones placed unlimitedly on the map)
The Deathfire Grasp is another example: we need to admit it was breaking the game a little with assassins such as Leblanc who at the time was the fear of all the bronzes.
At one time, we could even put enchantments on our boots! Homeguard wasn't innate at that time: among other boot enchantments, you had to buy it! You could also enchant the boots to give them another bonus: alacrity (20 extra points in travel speed), captain (giving 10% travel speed near allied champions), distortion (which reduced flash or teleportation CDs), fury (a speed bonus when you hit the same target several times),...
This year, Riot Games is no exception to the rule and has reserved for us important changes for the coming season, the Summoner's Rift is even at the heart of the pre-season. A more dynamic map with Rise of the Elements, the Elementary Dragons changes, new areas and much more...
League of Legends should undergo big changes following the Rise of Elements update. A more dynamic Rift with new side lane alcoves and brush, the drake buffs completely reworked — the whole gameplay experience is going to change!
