Riot Games kicked off the 2025 League of Legends season with Bite Marks, a cinematic video created in partnership with Fortiche. Featuring vocals by TEYA, the cinematic masterfully blends storytelling, music, and animation, setting the stage for a first part of the year set in Noxus.
While the cinematic is not as shrouded in mystery as last year’s, there are still a few details that needed clarification. In an interview with Dot Esports, Riot’s principal marketing creative director, Matt Costa, and head of League studio, Andrei “Meddler” van Roon, shed light on the cinematic’s deeper connections to League lore and what fans can expect in the months ahead.
The cinematic is, of course, connected with the new season’s theme and with the end of Arcane season two, with Mel Medarda arriving in Noxus for the first time. As we see her approach the Immortal Bastion, she has a vision tied to the Noxtoraa, a monolith that symbolizes Noxian victories and challenges. This vision reflects the threats her mother had warned her about, but despite the foreboding imagery, Mel chooses to press on, “preparing herself for what Noxus demands,” said Costa.
But while Mel will “play a key part” this season, continued Costa, this season’s story is not about her, and will explore other major power players in Noxus as well.
Meanwhile, near the Freljord border, Darius faces Trundle in a brutal clash. His axe gets corrupted by True Ice, known to harm even its wielders. And while the fight ends with Darius winning and Trundle retreating, Costa confirmed the contact with True Ice will affect the Noxian, though any “long term” consequences remains to be seen.
In another scene, a grand masquerade ball showcases Noxian elites, teasing the upcoming skin line, Masque of the Black Rose. While attempting an assassination, Katarina engages in a fight with Elise, who transforms into her spider form at the climax of the fight. Meanwhile, Vladimir and a figure resembling LeBlanc discuss their plans, with Vladimir urging consideration of Mel as a key figure in Noxus’ future.
Fans have shown their excitement by flooding social media with praise, sharing stills, and lighting up discussion on hidden Easter eggs and details found in the video. The 2025 season cinematic has already been viewed nearly 30 million times on YouTube in just 24 hours, and a lot of the praise has to go to Fortiche, the studio behind Arcane, this year’s cinematic, and many other League-related videos.
Among the most talked details is the last symbol LeBlanc shows in the video. Fans have started theorizing what it could be linked to, but for now, Costa doesn’t want to share any hints on what the answer might be. Riot also emphasized that future seasonal storytelling won’t rely solely on cinematics, but will expand into other forms such as comics, motion graphics, and mini-games, with van Roon pointing at “new ways” to immerse players into Runeterra.
As Riot kicks off the 2025 season, the stage is set for a year filled with conquest, intrigue, and epic storytelling. With “Bite Marks,” they’ve given fans a cinematic experience that’s as powerful as Noxus itself, conquering their attention for the start of the year, but only time will tell if it will be enough to win them over.
Published: Jan 9, 2025 12:00 pm