Riot to let players alpha test new permanent game modes in League, starting with Nexus Blitz

Riot is planning to add a new permanent game mode to League of Legends, one that feels unique and fundamentally different from the game’s current modes, according to the company’s announcement today—and Riot’s wants players’ help to find the right one.

Starting with the new mode Nexus Blitz, which should arrive on the PBE today, players will be able to participate in alpha tests of experimental new game modes until Riot finds one that sticks. Nexus Blitz will be on the PBE for now, but it’s scheduled for release on the live client for players to try out on August 15.

In this new game mode, players will compete on a single-lane map complete with a small jungle, an “On Fire” buff for killstreaks, active events, and Sudden Death when games pass a certain time limit. Otherwise, the overall goal is the same as Summoner’s Rift, Twisted Treeline, and ARAMs—destroy the enemy Nexus to win the game.

Rather than feeling like a standard “kill champions and push turrets” style of game, Riot intends for this to be more like King of the Hill or Escort the Payload. The in-game events will give teams massive buffs when completed, such as granting Blitzcrank’s hook ability to turrets and cannon minions. If Nexus Blitz makes it into full-on production, more events and rewards will be added and expanded upon.

This is a rare thing for Riot, and even with this, it’s not planning on releasing many more. The goal is to find a mode that sticks around for the long-term, and even if it ends up flopping and Riot pulls one game mode for another, eventually it wants to find a queue that remains as a permanent new feature for League.