League of Legends has seen a resurgence of players thanks to the return of its Arena mode in December. Like all good things, though, it must come to an end.
Originally introduced on July 20 with the Soul Fighters summer event, the Arena game mode, also known as 2v2v2v2, has been a welcome change from the monotony of your regularly scheduled League. From tier lists to constant balance updates to even its own ranked system, Riot clearly has big plans for the playlist, even bringing it back across December and early January for a second just-as-popular run.
Nothing good lasts forever, though, including League Arena (though that may eventually change if enough players speak out about the 2v2v2v2 playlist), which means the limited-time mode’s end date is fast approaching.
When will League Arena mode end?
Riot has confirmed the mode’s doors will swing shut at 1:59am CT on Tuesday, Jan. 9, when the ongoing Winterblessed event ends. For added context, here’s a quick list of the end times for other time zones:
- 11:59pm PT on Monday, Jan. 8
- 2:59am ET on Tuesday, Jan. 9
- 7:59am GMT on Tuesday, Jan. 9
League Arena is likely being shelved again then for two reasons. Firstly, the mode’s challenges are time-limited to that date and will be unavailable past Jan. 9. Secondly, that lines up perfectly for when the new 2024 League season is slated to begin, and it makes sense that Riot would want everyone loading into ranked matches.
Why is League Arena not a permanent mode?
Riot has previously suggested League Arena will not become a permanent game mode, but the developers didn’t give any specific reason why. We can only assume the team wants to keep Summoner’s Rift and Howling Abyss as the title’s focal points without splitting the playerbase too thoroughly with other playlists.
Fortunately, Riot already plans to bring Arena mode back later this year. There’s no word on how long it’ll be back for, but it will see some changes, including bumping the number of participating teams from four to eight. Other absent game modes—URF and One-For-All—will make a comeback, too.
