Nina Forneloza 
Following its success during the Soul Fighter event, Arena is once again returning to League of Legends.
The Rings of Wrath have finally come back. Arena is a League of Legends game mode that pits four pairs of players against each other, in a thrilling round-robin battle. This game mode was well-received by players and left them clamoring for its return. Fortunately, the wait won’t be that long for players who enjoyed the game mode.
League of Legends’ development team discussed the comeback of Arena, offering a sneak peek at all the exciting content and features that await players. The crew also discussed the possibility of Arena becoming a permanent game mode.
Arena is finally returning to League of Legends
Arena is coming back to League of Legends in Patch 12.23, featuring brand new augments, a queue system, cameos, and more. Riot Games appears to have listened to player feedback and implemented major changes to the game mode.
In the brand-new Arena, multiple players can now enter the queue together in a single match, unlike during its initial release which only allowed two. In this mode, groups of 2, 3, 4, and even 8 players can enter the queue together and choose teammates among themselves. However, it is highlighted that all players will enter into a normal match, where they can rack up points with each victory and lose them if they fail to secure a win.
Inside the game, the new Arena will also offer features such as the Downed State, which creates a circular area at the location where a player has fallen. After a certain period, their teammate can step into this area to revive them, similar to battle royales like Fortnite and Apex Legends. Hexgates also arrive, allowing players to maneuver across the map through terrains.
Alongside this, 60 new augments will be added and each one will now have only two copies. With this change, players will be less likely to receive the same augment in a single game.
It was also mentioned that the Arena will keep the cameo system and the champions Sett, Pyke, and Gwen. It will also have cameos from the Winter Blessed skin line, Thresh and Sylas.
Release date for League of Legends’ Arena game mode
Arena is expected to hit the live servers in patch 12.23, on November 21, 2023.
Arena is currently available in the PBE server, allowing players to test the latest additions to the game mode. This will also give Riot the chance to implement adjustments before its official release on live servers. It also comes as major changes are coming to LoL with the removal of summoner names and the impending removal of mythic items.
Patch 12.23 will also bring big changes to ARAM.
“This update goes out to our ARAM players! From the new stat adjustments introduced in the last patch to falling towers and Frostgates, new and exciting updates are coming to the Howling Abyss this patch,” Riot Games said on its news site
Is Arena going to be a permanent mode in League of Legends?
The Arena game mode will come back as a rotating game mode to League of Legends and is not permanent.
It is stated in the dev blog that Arena is currently in the experimental phase and the team is exploring its options before turning it into a permanent mode. Interestingly, as revealed by a known leaker, LeagueofLeaks, Arena no longer uses the icon for rotating game modes, and is now replaced by its own.
Riot indicated the Arena could become a permanent game mode, and this leak suggests that the plan is to do so. If Arena is popular and can be effectively maintained, it could be made a fixture of League of Legends in early 2024.
