LoL patch notes 25.23: Winter map, Zaahen, Arcane, and more

Just as Mariah Carey declares every year, “It’s time!” and indeed, it is. The winter map is making its return to Summoner’s Rift with the League of Legends (LoL) patch notes 25.23. As we head into the final stretch of the year, there’s a flurry of updates on the horizon: numerous champion buffs, seasonal festivities, and the grand arrival of Zaheen, the final champion release of 2025.

The LoL patch notes 25.23 go live on Nov. 19, 2025. With many updates on the way, follow us to stay up to date throughout the journey.

Jingle bells will be ringing across Summoner’s Rift once again. The Winter Map has finally returned, ushering in the Christmas season and the arrival of winter, at least for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere.

You’ll be greeted by a transformed Rift, blanketed in snow and decked out with festive Christmas decorations. Even Baron and the Drakes have shown up in full holiday spirit, ready to celebrate right alongside you!

That’s not all, because every Winter Legacy skin will return to the store once Patch 25.23 goes live. You’ll have until the start of 2026 to grab your favorites, so don’t miss your chance. And tis certainly not all. A fresh batch of winter-themed skins is set to arrive with the LoL patch notes 25.24, giving you the choice between beloved classics and brand-new festive looks… or both, if your wallet can handle it!

This patch also marks the arrival of League’s newest champion. Zaahen, the latest addition to the top lane roster, is stepping onto the Rift with a unique and dynamic kit, more than ready to shake up your ranked games and redefine the meta. Curious about Zaahen’s story?

Here’s a complete look at his journey: where he came from, what shaped him, and how he ultimately found his place as a playable champion on the Rift.

However, his Eternals will be delayed until the next patch. According to Riot, because Zaahen didn’t receive the usual development cycle or enough time for polish, the team needs a few extra weeks to finalize and refine his Eternals.

This November marks one year since Arcane Season 2’s finale, and Riot Games isn’t letting the moment pass without a proper celebration. The Arcane team will be making an appearance to reflect on the series, share behind-the-scenes insights, and even revive some fan-favorite merchandise. On the game side, the LoL patch notes 25.23 will bring back all Arcane skins from both Season 1 and Season 2.

That includes Arcane Fractured Jinx, who will be returning to the Sanctum for the next two patches with several upgrades: a brand-new spawn animation, visual improvements across all three of her forms, and updated recalls and Chompers that better match Shimmer Jinx and Powder. If you already own the skin, you’ll receive all of these enhancements for free. Note that the original loading screen border will not be returning.

Riot Games is also giving eight Arcane-themed rewards during the LoL patch notes 25.23. All you need to do is play four matches during the patch to unlock each milestone. If you play premade, it counts as two games, so bring your duo to complete the event pass earlier. The rewards will only be available during this patch, so make sure you complete it before it ends.

In this patch, Riot Games is introducing several jungle-specific adjustments to help certain champions achieve smoother and more competitive first clears. With autofill occasionally turning matches into uphill battles, being able to properly pilot your champion in the jungle can have a major impact on the outcome of a game.

On the flip side, some additions, such as Sylas jungle, can even boost the popularity of the entire role, drawing more players into the jungle queue. Riot acknowledges that some of the upcoming changes carry a bit of risk, so the team will be monitoring their impact closely throughout the patch.

In this patch, the only item receiving adjustments is Sunfire Aegis, the staple of tank builds. Previously, it consistently lost out to Liandry’s in effectiveness. Therefore, Riot is shifting itemization back in a tank-friendly direction to bring Aegis back to the forefront where it belongs.

For ARAM Mayhem enjoyers, some exciting updates are arriving on the Bridge. Riot is tuning up a few Augments that previously felt a bit out of place and addressing several system-level issues. The Bloom Portal has also been updated to function more like a traditional Hexgate. This change is intended to give players more control over their teleporting while still allowing for dynamic, in-combat plays.

When it comes to overall game pacing, Riot is keeping a close eye on things. Specifically, the goal is to create more comeback opportunities for teams that fall behind. In this patch, a new item is also introduced: Stat Anvil.

As a late-game option, it allows players to convert excess gold into raw stats, thereby helping them stay competitive as matches go long. Furthermore, Stat Anvils become available at level 9. However, for now, there is no Shard Holder that enhances their effects.

You can find all the ARAM Mayhem changes on the official LoL patch notes 25.23 page, along with a handful of smaller updates to the Arena game mode.

The fan-favorite chroma shop is returning to League of Legends: the Blue Essence Emporium is back. It will be open from Nov. 19 through Jan. 7, 2026, so now’s the perfect time to spend that mountain of Blue Essence you’ve been saving. This round, Riot is also introducing a new title for the most dedicated (and most notorious) Blue Essence hoarders.

Champion Select can often feel long and stressful before a match even begins. To help streamline the pre-game experience, Riot has trimmed down the SR draft phase. The adjustments are small, but they should give players back a bit of time and make champ select feel noticeably smoother overall.

These changes will roll out first as a pilot in the NA and OCE champion select queues, as noted in the LoL patch notes 25.23. Additional regions will be included in the following patches. The adjustments will apply to:

Get ready for a cuteness overload because the Rain Shepherd skins are finally coming to the game with new skins. This time, Tristana and Gwen are the lucky girls. Both skins come with an adorable selection of chromas you can pick up as well.

Not in the mood to read the full patch notes? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with a recap of the biggest and most important changes in the LoL patch notes 25.23.

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