Latest whispers suggest that Riot Games might bring back the beloved winter-themed version of Summoner’s Rift toward the end of the year. This would mark the map’s return after several years of absence, despite a winter skin existing. As with previous editions, the winter map is expected to appear around the holiday season. This would be the fourth map design of the year, following the Noxus map, the Spirit Blossom map, and the base version.

The return of an official Winter map

Riot Games has been experimenting heavily with Summoner’s Rift’s cosmetic design throughout 2025. With the competitive season now divided into three segments, the map has taken on a new look for each one—matching the theme of the segment it represents. The year began with a Noxus-inspired red Rift, later shifting to a cool blue Spirit Blossom theme for the second segment. For the final stretch of the year, Riot announced in their mid-August DevBlog that Summoner’s Rift would revert to its classic green appearance—no extra flourishes, no thematic overlays.

That was the official plan outlined alongside two other major updates: the return of the Doom Bots game mode and the experimental rollout of WASD controls. While the exact theme of the third segment hasn’t been fully revealed, Riot has teased that it will “pull characters and storylines from Noxus and Spirit Blossom together.” Rumors and leaks suggest that the upcoming champion, Zaahen, a Darkin, will launch during this period—possibly accompanied by a Darkin-themed event pass. If true, the segment could still carry a strong regional flavor despite the Rift returning to its base look.