Announcing the rotating game mode queue

Riot·Mar 4, 2016·42 votes·331,942 views

From the original clone-tastic One For All to the frenetic manatee magic of Ultra Rapid Fire, featured game modes provide unique spins on the classic League formula. Now, more than two years after the debut of our first game mode, we’re announcing a rotating queue that’ll bring the alternative action on weekends with a suite of familiar game modes and maybe a fresh face or two.

We’ve specially tuned Champion Mastery so you can earn points in each mode, whether you’re summoning our poro overlord in Legend of the Poro King or chaining Final Sparks in a One For All laser light show. Once Hextech Crafting and loot is live, because the rotating game mode queue is optimized for champ mastery, you’ll also be able to earn keys for your wins and loot chests for your (or your premade’s) S-, S, and S+ games.

Rotating queue will join Classic and ARAM in an upcoming patch, but part of why we’re announcing it now is because two years in a row, we delivered the Ultra Rapid Fire game mode in increasingly absurd ways. While we’re pretty sure you aren’t going to believe us anyway, we’re telling you right now that URF will not return on the first of April. We’re not quite ready to announce the full slate of game modes that’ll feature in the new Rotating queue, but we are ready to share that Ultra Rapid Fire will appear at least twice in 2016.

As for the other modes, we’ll publish the schedule ahead of time once it’s locked down, but we wanted to get in front of any ultra rapid speculation this year so you know you’ll be slapping buttons with a spatula eventually, just maybe not when you were expecting it.

We’re excited for the debut of Rotating queue, so stay tuned for the first rotation schedule and let us know what modes you’re hoping to see make it!

1,190 Comments

Valor BotMar 7, 2016495 votes

"We're telling you right now that URF will not return on the first of April."

March 31st URF confirmed.

PrinceBedazzledMar 7, 201655 votes

Oh my god that would be so funny. A really good troll i wish lmao

TaarkiMar 7, 2016296 votes

It will come twice this year. March 31st, gone april 1st, comes back april 2nd. GG Rito you April fooled us.

TelekineMar 7, 2016167 votes

Hyped to possibly see doom bots! Also urf hype is real already.

ChaosBlazeMar 7, 201686 votes

OMG THE DOOM BOTS WILL RETURN?! NO BOT GAME WILL EVER BE SAFE AGAIN!(sorry for the caps, but I loved Doom Bots)

TrojanhunterMar 7, 201623 votes

doom bots was amazing

WindupMar 7, 2016155 votes

[deleted]

YellowDeathBeastMar 7, 201619 votes

I think it can't come back because dominion is gone.

RiotL4T3NCYMar 7, 2016231 votes

That's unrelated. Both Ascension and Dominion are separate, viable options for this queue. ^_^

Oblivious DenialMar 7, 201640 votes

So Dominion will return as a special game mode?

MinardeMar 7, 201630 votes

How will matchmaking work for this new queue, particularly with respect to Dominion? Will MMR be shared between all modes within the queue, be separate for each unique mode, or something else?

RiotL4T3NCYMar 7, 201691 votes

As with all featured game modes to date, each individual mode has its own MMR assigned that will be used for matchmaking. That way, if you're good at Mode #1 but terrible at Mode #2, you'll still be matched with appropriate opponents.

MinardeMar 7, 201637 votes

Oh, neat. Thanks for the clarification. Hypothetically, if Dominion showed up in the rotating queue, would it use our old Dominion MMR or would it re-seed a new MMR?

LevyathynMar 7, 201628 votes

Definitely. Ascension was incredibly fun.

SluicewayMar 7, 201617 votes

I hope so, this was my favorite game mode. Also a thank you to Riot for giving us what we have been asking for.

RiotO2ymandiasMar 7, 2016107 votes

Put NURF Mode in the rotation pls?

(JK it would be awful. And I doubt we could repair all the damage that ham did to the servers.)

RiotL4T3NCYMar 8, 201662 votes

You're a bad human... -_-

FatKidsLoveCakeMar 7, 2016103 votes

URF One For All, anyone?

Kitty DarkstarMar 7, 201619 votes

Kassadin. Lag ensues.

MAGNUM PENISMar 7, 201665 votes

URF one for all would be the greatest and craziest game mode ever, maybe even combined with hexakill, haha

Vistha KaiMar 7, 201659 votes

Now the question is...

What about earning champion mastery on Twisted Treeline?

RiotL4T3NCYMar 7, 201643 votes

Atm the team building this queue is focused on getting Champ Mastery working for all the featured game modes that will be going into it (which is quite a bit of work, still ongoing). Not particularly against Champ Mastery in TT, just haven't got to it yet.

ZielmannMar 7, 201644 votes

Does that apply to ARAM, too? It'd feel really bad for ARAM to not qualify while a series of completely for-fun game modes do.

CraftMar 7, 201614 votes

So wait, they're adding it to these random games but not ARAM or Twisted Treeline? That makes no sense...

Kledy McKledFaceMar 7, 201648 votes

DOOM BOTS OMG I WANT THEM BACK

GrougaloragranMar 7, 201647 votes

You're right, I'm not sure I'll believe you until April 2.

RiotL4T3NCYMar 7, 2016137 votes

I'm not sure I'll believe myself until April 2nd. o.O

Pay To FlayMar 7, 201645 votes

I'm waiting for you guys to change the login screen back into last year's URF, only to introduce rotating queue with Dominion.

If it ends up being something like that, you can bet your ass I'm friending you.

meohmichaelMar 7, 201644 votes

"we’re announcing a rotating queue that’ll bring the alternative action on weekends"

You mean we're getting URF four days out of the year instead of 2 weeks? Hot damn this is exactly what the community asked for.

Toast Is BreadMar 7, 201618 votes

lol exactly what i was thinking

Sweet MangoešMar 7, 201643 votes

That moment when your "weekend" is Monday and Tuesday because you actually work the majority of the time on Saturday and Sunday. RIP item 3070

de swagmaster26Mar 7, 201641 votes

Make URF once every month.......at least

nanolessMar 7, 201640 votes

Tavern Brawl confirmed

BluePaw3Mar 8, 201637 votes

So let's see -URF -One for All -Doom Bots

Cool Ideas I think: -A game mode where summoner 4 is the only Summoner spell you can have, and it's on a ridiculously low cooldown. The rest of the game is normal. MAKE PLAYZ! -Some sort of Hide and Seek game, to make up for the only thing people liked about Dominion. -Would be cool if they included custom maps into this rotation, themed around the current season / event. EDIT: CAPTURE THE FLAG!!! I have no idea how it would work, but I would love to see it happen.

Any other suggestions / ideas? I have high hopes for this rotation!

Dog ButtMar 9, 20169 votes

I would like to see something along the lines of ARAM where each you time die you respawn as a new random champion but keep your build throughout.

CarryLInuxMar 7, 201630 votes

They should bring back DOOM BOTSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Annie

TheMonocleRogueMar 7, 201627 votes

100% agree. Nothing is more exhilarating than fighting AI opponents with unfair advantages at the start of the game.

Like Dark Souls PvE, but with League of Legends champions.

Vice EmargoMar 7, 201629 votes

Praise The URF

diamondlightMar 7, 201626 votes

Does this mean the Rotating Queue will stay forever? Or it's going to be the same as any other special game mode, it will come and go?

RiotL4T3NCYMar 7, 201683 votes

This is a new queue being added to LoL. The rotating part is the modes.

Sold Soul For RPMar 7, 201624 votes

Urf coming march 32nd confirmed

crazybros3Mar 7, 201623 votes

I personally want to see the return of Black Market Brawlers, it was really fun!

DrRyouBakuraMar 7, 201622 votes

PLEASE PLEASE put ascension in the rotating queue. I was by far my favorite game mode and would love to play it again.

Scuttle SlaveMar 7, 201621 votes

Cant wait to play some one for all Illaoi ;)

Sonicblaster33Mar 7, 201623 votes

Doom Bots Illaoi Jhin

SignErrorMar 7, 201630 votes

Illaoi Spawns 1 tentacle anywhere on the map every second which lasts until defeated (the lag alone will kill you, Mua Ha Ha)

Jhin R and W have unlimited range and uncanny accuracy. He will use them whenever marked by another doom bot or when you are trying to recall with less than 50% Hp. Oh, and he gets Essence Reaver as a first item so that he never runs out of mana and has CDR.

ØperatorMar 7, 201615 votes

BOTS OF DOOM. FOR DOOMINATORS.