Will Riot Bring Twisted Treeline Back?

As a fervent follower of League of Legends, you were likely crestfallen to hear of Riot Games’ decision to retire Twisted Treeline in 2019. This 3v3 map had been a staple of the game for over a decade, offering players a distinct and adrenaline-fueled gameplay experience.

Despite its popularity, Riot Games made the difficult choice to retire the map due to several factors, including a dwindling player base, resource allocation, gameplay balance issues, and waning competitive relevance. While the decision to retire Twisted Treeline was not taken lightly, many fans have been clamoring for its return.

In this article, we will examine the likelihood of the map making a comeback, the reasons for its retirement, and potential changes that could be made to enhance its gameplay experience.

The Reasons Behind Twisted Treeline’s Retirement

Surprisingly, Riot Games had a lot of legitimate reasons for retiring Twisted Treeline. By default, one would just blame it on the player base, but in this case, the mode just didn’t offer much in terms of value.

With that said, here are the main reasons for Twisted Treeline shutting down:

Declining Player Base:

It’s important to note that Twisted Treeline’s retirement was primarily due to a diminishing player base, which made the map less of a priority for Riot Games.

Let’s be real, playing League of Legends for such a long time, you’re bound to have a group of friends interested in playing with you.

While the 3v3 map is great and all, it doesn’t grant enough space to fit more players in. Thereby making it limited in what it could and could not do!

Resource Allocation:

Maintaining and developing the map required significant resources, and the company decided that it was no longer a worthwhile investment.

These modes – at times – can hog more resources than Summoner’s Rift considering you have to keep a tight check on the balance to ensure you’re not overstepping your bounds!

Gameplay Balance:

Twisted Treeline had several balance issues that made it challenging to provide a fair and engaging gameplay experience for all players.

Considering you need to introduce changes that would not only maintain the meta changes in Summoner’s Rift but would also not break anything in Twisted Treeline, it can get pretty hard to keep track of everything.

With the game mode gone, it can be exponentially simpler to maintain and track the meta states in League of Legends!

Competitive Relevance:

The map was no longer relevant to the competitive scene, as it was not utilized in official tournaments or events. Riot Games recognized the need to focus on other aspects of the game to maintain the overall esports ecosystem.

Let’s be fair, no one would play the Ranked mode in Twisted Treeline even if it comes back. The reason is quite simple; Riot seems to endorse Summoner’s Rift for their Esports scene, and with no opportunities for Twisted Treeline coming up, there’s no actual merit in competing in Twisted Treeline!

Also check: League of Legends Twisted Treeline Tier List

Is Twisted Treeline Coming Back?

Now that we’ve delved into the reasons behind Twisted Treeline’s retirement, many players are wondering if there’s a chance for the beloved map to make a comeback. While nothing is set in stone, there are some promising factors to consider.

Although Riot Games has not yet made any official announcements regarding the return of Twisted Treeline, the company has a long history of listening to player feedback and making changes accordingly. With the passionate community of Twisted Treeline players making their voices heard, there’s a good chance that Riot Games will take notice and consider bringing back the map.

Furthermore, while declining player numbers were a significant factor in Twisted Treeline’s retirement, there’s a chance that the map’s absence may have reignited players’ interest. With Summoner’s Rift and Howling Abyss being the only options for a while, players may be eager for a change and excited to revisit the unique challenges of Twisted Treeline.

Finally, Riot Games has shown a commitment to innovation and adding new content to the game. While champion balance and new game modes have been the focus in recent years, there’s always the possibility that Twisted Treeline could make a comeback in the future.

The Future is Looking Bright!

In an interview, Riot Brightmoon and Meddler have already mentioned that the old League of Legends game modes team was shifted to create Teamfight Tactics, a newly emerging game that kind of leeched a lot of investment compared to League of Legends.

Despite this, Riot games had no plans of giving up. Therefore, after many months of sounding around, Riot Games rebuilt their game modes team and is dedicated to serving new and old game modes in rotations.

While the schedule for this rotation hasn’t yet been revealed, it’s safe to assume we might be seeing a return of Twisted Treeline!

Also check: League of Legends Slang Terms and Their Meanings

Will The Return Be Permanent?

No, even if Twisted Treeline comes back, it will, at most, be a recurring game mode like URF. It takes a lot of resources and balance changes to maintain a game mode with each patch.

While Summoner’s Rift is League of Legends’ staple game mode, it’s difficult to compromise champion balance for it in favor of another mode.

Add the lack of player base in the old Twisted Treeline, and it’ll be very hard for Riot to bring it as a permanent game mode.

What Could The New Twisted Treeline Have?

What exciting possibilities lie ahead for the new Twisted Treeline? Let’s take a closer look at some potential changes that could make this game mode even more dynamic and engaging.

Rebalancing of Champions:

Rebalancing the champions is essential to ensuring fair and enjoyable gameplay. While some champions may excel on Summoner’s Rift, they may not be as effective on the smaller Twisted Treeline map.

By tweaking the abilities of champions with high mobility or crowd control, the playing field can be leveled, allowing for a more diverse and exciting range of play styles.

Map Changes:

The addition of new features to the map could provide even more opportunities for thrilling battles. New jungle camps or objectives would not only keep gameplay fresh and unpredictable but would also add greater depth to the game mode.

With potential changes to the layout of the jungle or objective placements, each game could become a unique and thrilling experience.

Riot Games have done this before to Nexus Blitz, so it’s very likely!

Ranked Mode:

When the Twisted Treeline was previously available, ranked mode was a vital aspect of the game. With its reintroduction, players would have the chance to compete at a higher level and gain prestige within the community.

This would encourage even more players to participate in the game mode and provide an even greater challenge for those who do.

New Rewards:

Offering exclusive skins, icons, or emotes that can only be obtained through playing the Twisted Treeline would add even more value to the game mode.

This would not only incentivize players to play more often, but it would also create a greater sense of community and excitement around the mode.

Conclusion

Overall, the potential changes to the Twisted Treeline offer an exciting and optimistic outlook for this game mode.

By balancing champions, adding new features to the map, reintroducing ranked mode, and offering unique rewards, the new Twisted Treeline promises to be a thrilling and dynamic experience for all players.