The gaming community is buzzing with excitement as League of Legends kicked off its 2025 season on January 9, introducing a wealth of new features and updates. Among the most talked-about is the newly implemented Feats of Strength, alongside game-altering elements like respawning turrets, fresh jungle monsters, and the much-anticipated Battle Pass.
Despite these exciting enhancements, the introduction of Feats of Strength has not been received universally. This feature is aimed at rewarding teams for early-game successes with upgrades to their boots if they complete certain objectives—namely, scoring first blood, destroying the first turret, and slaying three Epic jungle monsters. The team which completes two of these objectives permanently locks the opposing team out of upgrading their boots, theoretically creating more exciting gameplay and fostering teamwork.
Players, unfortunately, have expressed significant frustration toward this new feature, particularly with the First Blood objective. The current match dynamics, where players often invade enemy territory, have made early kills more of a gamble than strategic play. One player voiced this sentiment on Reddit: “First blood being equivalent to these is absolutely ridiculous. It’s a coin flip, or goes to the successful invade. It is nowhere near the same significance or effort of the other two.” This situation has led to concerns about morale and balance within matches, as teams could find themselves at an uneven advantage based purely on chance.
Riot Games is aware of the backlash surrounding the Feats of Strength and has committed to making adjustments. Matt Leung-Harrison, the lead gameplay designer, tweeted about these plans, stating: “We are actively developing some changes to replace First Blood as a Feat.” He mentioned these changes would not be rolled out until the 15.2 or 15.3 patches, allowing adequate time to monitor player feedback and fine-tune the mechanics involved.
Along with addressing player feedback, Riot is shifting its focus toward thematic updates to keep the game fresh. The 2025 season begins with the 'Welcome to Noxus' theme, which signifies the developers’ intent to introduce new narratives and content tied to specific regions of Runeterra. Riot Mackivor and Riot Athelas, both gameplay directors, outlined this strategy during the first Dev Update of the year.
The aim is to create rich, thematic experiences with every season rollout. Players can expect champion updates, new skins, and lore elements associated directly with the chosen theme. For now, Act 1—tied to Noxus—will run until March 5, with new content scheduled to come out during subsequent Acts. There are speculations about future themes, potentially drawing from diverse universes like Star Guardian or Bee universes, which would diversify gameplay experiences. The next Act is set to launch on April 30, 2025.
To provide players with additional motivation and excitement, Riot has also launched gameplay trailers showcasing the plethora of changes awaiting players. With the introduction of new champion Mel and map transformations, there's no denying the anticipation surrounding Season 2025.
The Revamped Season 1 promise to offer players thrilling interactions, yet the road to balance and content satisfaction is clearly just beginning. Riot’s commitment to pack seasons with continuous updates reveals the team’s dedication to keeping their player base engaged. This strategic pivot toward shorter seasonal updates means there will be much to explore as players navigate their journeys through the dynamic world of League of Legends.
Players will be keeping their fingers crossed for meaningful changes to the Feats of Strength. With their feedback shaping future updates and Riot’s open communication, there is hope for improved competitive balance and overall enjoyment as the season progresses.