You must now say goodbye to one of the maps in League of Legends (LoL). The Twisted Treeline map is being removed from the game. The developers explain why.
Which map is being removed? The Twisted Treeline map (in English “Twisted Treeline”), which you know from the 3v3 mode, is being removed from the game. It was one of the first alternative game modes in LoL. Now the map is going into “retirement”.
When will Twisted Treeline be deactivated? At the end of the current season in LoL, the map will disappear. The developers emphasize that they are sad about this, as the map has been a part of League of Legends for a long time.
That’s why Twisted Treeline is being removed
What are the reasons? In the developer blog, lead game designer Stephen Mortimer explains that player numbers have always been low, and the mode suffered because of it.
The developers tried with new items, a dedicated game balance, and a redesign in 2012. However, this apparently did not really help.
“Right now, even fewer players are interested in the Twisted Treeline than in the second version of Blitz Mode,” says Mortimer. This reveals the following problems:
- Long waiting times
- Unfair matchmaking
- Dissatisfying PvP experience
Why isn’t more support being provided? The team considered giving Twisted Treeline a similar support as the ARAM game mode to perhaps save it. However, past efforts showed that this would likely not be sufficient to keep the mode alive in the long run.
What’s next in LoL?
What is the focus now? The developers of LoL observed that unique modes like Star Guardians: Invasion did not resonate as well with players as modes with high replay value like U.R.F.
The game mode team is now fully focused on further improving existing modes for long-term motivation. New modes are designed to entertain players for many years after their release.
As an example, they mentioned the Tactical Teamfight, which is now a permanent game mode in League of Legends.
U.R.F (all random): The Ultra-Rapid-Fire mode with random champion selection will return this year. However, the developers are still tweaking a few settings, such as the improved dragon.
Blitz Mode: This mode is set to return several times a year but will not be implemented as a permanent mode.
ARAM: This game mode will be regularly updated in patches and is expected to receive major changes once a year.
Did you play the 3v3 map and will you miss it?
This old LoL champion will soon shine in a new light:
