Following the success of the Arena game mode, Riot Games has continued to develop new modes for its flagship title, League of Legends (LoL).
Brawl is the latest in this rotating list of featured game modes, replacing the third iteration of the much-loved Arena game mode.
The newest game mode was released with the recent LoL Patch 25.10. Arena was designed to be a quick match where teams of five battle over a small area, killing each other and pushing minions into the enemy base to win.
Arena takes inspiration from similar game modes found in Smite and Predecessor, the latter ironically also titled as Arena.
In a blog post from the developers at Riot Games, the team explained that Brawl was designed to be a quick game with low strategy and high action.
Many players might take issue with the philosophy of low strategy, however, they elaborated that they wanted to create a “place for friends of all skill levels.”
Adding that “Summoner’s Rift requires a lot of knowledge of game mechanics[…] But it’s not for everyone[…] New players may also be looking for a lower-pressure way to have fun in League.”
The team described Brawl as the LoL version of a team deathmatch, where players can test their mechanics and enjoy the core gameplay.
Arena is Riot Games’ latest effort to please its increasingly dissatisfied player base, with many in the past criticising the lack of new game modes.
However, one day after Brawl’s release, players have vocalised a mixed response. Focusing on its close similarities to LoL’s permanent casual game mode, ARAM.
This should come as no surprise since the developer blog post also drew a direct comparison between the two.
“Think ARAM, but you get to pick your favourite champ”
Posted on /dev: Get Ready to Brawl
Meanwhile, others have criticised Brawl’s comeback mechanics of damage increases or decreases, similar to ARAM’s champion balancing.
Some players have taken issue with this, with one Reddit user claiming that it “punishes you for winning the match.”
However, LoL’s main game mode has had comeback mechanics for many years now, such as the gold bounty system.
Others have expressed their excitement for the new game mode with feedback for the developers.
For now, Brawl remains a small experiment in Riot Games’ new direction toward a fan-driven experience.
The game mode will be available until Patch 25.13’s release on Wednesday, June 4th 2025.
Having written for Esports News UK since 2022, I’ve cultivated an extensive knowledge of all things esports.
Covering a wide variety of topics during my time as an esports journalist, it’s safe to say I’m a jack of all trades, if you’ll pardon the pun.
