For several years LoL players have been waiting for Snowdown, but they are slowly beginning to lose hope.
The winter event in LoL is not only a chance for interesting skins, new game modes, but also an amazing and hard to fake atmosphere. Snow is falling all over the map, the river is freezing, and Baron Nashor defends himself against the cold by putting on a warm winter Santa hat.
Unfortunately, for several years Riot has refused to remember this, and the frustration of players is growing. Developers don’t even release new winter skins anymore, because, they say, it’s not worth it.
Where’s the Snowdown?
The heat wave prevailing across Europe has passed. The nights have become cold, and many people have reached into their closets for their already somewhat dusty sweatshirts. Meanwhile, looking out the window, one can see leaves falling, one at a time for the time being. This is a sign that autumn is already approaching, and winter will soon follow.
With this awareness, turning on another ranked game in LoL, one can think about the Christmas event. It certainly brought a tear to the eye of some. The last time Summoner’s Rift changed to one covered in white pixelated fluff was four years ago, and players are left with only slowly blurring memories.
On the other hand, when it comes to skins, the production line of Riot Santa stopped in 2019. The last series was called Sugar Rush, and there was rather little interest in it, which translated into small earnings. For this reason, the elves were sent back to the department to deal with the next edition of Star Guardian.
On the other hand, how does Riot explain the lack of map changes? In a 2020 article, Riot Karadwe stated that a new Summoner’s Rift edition with elemental dragons is technically difficult to implement.
Before y’all ask, “Why can’t you reuse the Winter map you already made?,” we’d like to remind you that the Rift LITERALLY CATCHES ON FIRE. (And grows flowers. And rocks. And… wind?) But in all seriousness, we’d need to make snowy versions of all four Elemental Rifts as well as snowy alcove areas. It’s not a technical challenge but would take some time to make the art for, and it’s not something we’re planning on this year.
However, it turns out that it can be done. Players found out earlier this year when a fan-made version of the white map straight from the player saw the light of day. Without a major fund or billions in profits in the account.
Now that it’s getting colder outside, players are slowly starting to think about this year. Perhaps the developers humiliated by the modder took to work on a new map, if, of course, they had enough strength, after releasing new skins, to break the record again.
Such a step and the introduction of an element that is talked about every year would certainly contribute to the partial restoration of the reputation lost in 2022. At this point, however, nothing is known about it and there is no official information or announcements.