League of Legends has seen many game modes come and go over the years, but two classic maps are still permanently retired with no signs of return. Dominion and Twisted Treeline, once core alternative game modes in League, have been completely removed from the game and won’t be making a comeback—even through the Rotating Game Mode (RGM) system that has brought back other retired modes.
Dominion was the first to go in 2016, with its capture-point gameplay on the Crystal Scar map falling victim to dwindling player numbers. Twisted Treeline followed in 2019, ending the 3v3 format that had been with League almost since its launch. In both cases, Riot Games cited extremely low player engagement that no longer justified the resources needed to maintain them.
Unlike other temporarily shelved game modes like URF (Ultra Rapid Fire) and One for All, neither Dominion nor Twisted Treeline has returned through the rotating mode system. The technical reasons behind this permanent retirement run deeper than simple popularity issues.
League‘s ongoing engine updates and infrastructure changes have made these old maps incompatible with the current game. Converting or modernizing them would require rebuilding them almost from scratch—a significant investment of developer resources that Riot has chosen not to make.
The player numbers tell the story clearly. Before their removal, both modes suffered from extremely low engagement compared to Summoner’s Rift and ARAM. Queue times could stretch to 20–30 minutes in certain regions and ranks. Both modes also became plagued with bots and account-leveling abuse, further driving away legitimate players.
Twisted Treeline had its own unique charm with features like the spider boss Vilemaw and a compact two-lane format designed for quick, action-packed matches. Dominion introduced a completely different gameplay style focused on capturing and holding points rather than the traditional base destruction.
While some spiritual successors have appeared temporarily—Ascension borrowed elements from Dominion, and Nexus Blitz incorporated aspects of 3v3 gameplay—these too failed to maintain long-term popularity. Riot has instead focused on modes that use existing maps like Summoner’s Rift or ARAM to minimize maintenance needs.
The community-created custom games that once thrived on these maps, like “hide and seek” on Dominion, have also disappeared with the removal of their playing fields. For newer players who joined after 2019, these modes exist only in YouTube videos and nostalgic discussions.
