Summoner's Rift



The Summoner's Rift is the most commonly used Field of Justice.

The map was given a graphical and technical update on May 23rd, 2012 and remade from scratch on November 12th, 2014.

Lore
Summoner's Rift is located in a remote forest between Freljord, and the Ironspike Mountains. The Summoner’s Rift is one of a few locations in Valoran where magical energy is at its greatest concentration, making it a highly sought-after locale to pursue magical endeavors.

The structure, according to Ornn, is made of Noxian Granite.

History
The Rune War began with the failure of a legal body founded to curtail political power—when this institute faltered, the fate of all was sealed. Historically, the forest where the Rift resides was the site of several battles between two summoner factions symbolized with the Stag and Owl crests.

The Stag, or the Protectorate, was an order dedicated to enforcing a rigid, unforgiving system of laws, in an attempt to slow the seemingly inevitable rise of the Magelords.

The Owl, or the Magelord, was a culture which once conquered more than half the world at the dawn of civilization. It was strictly segregated into brutal warrior-castes, whose rise and fall was dictated by their victories in battle. Though the great armies of the Magelord Empire have vanished into antiquity, their modern descendants uphold the vicious brutality of their ancestors.

Marauders are the remnants of that once powerful empire just as the Wardens are the remnants of the Protectorate order.

Wildlife
The large amount of concentrated magic has mutated the local wildlife. From, to  it has also attracted the attention of a powerful  who currently resides in one of the battle torn ruins. , and  are creatures made from local flora and earth infused to construct a magical being. The Rifts unstable magic has inadvertently cause the reemergence of, a large Serpent/Worm largely believed to be dead for centuries. It has his corruption affecting the land around him.

Other known creature that live in this area are species of forest chameleons, ducks, Antlermice, Porowls, dragonflies and butterflies. Land=

Antlermice
Antlermice are a quadruped mammalian species native to Summoner's Rift. They have large ears for hearing and a long skinny tail for movability against larger predators. Their fur varies from light to medium dark drown, and their eyes are of a light green color. Their antlers are used for attracting mates, contesting with other males and generally for mating seasons and self-defense.

Bantha
Bantha are large quadruped mammalian species used by Yordle merchants for transport. They have long brown fur across their whole body, large front tusks, hooves, and horns to fend off carnivorous predators. They are mainly herbivores. Despite its enormous and intimidating look, Banthas are gentle giants. One such creature was spotted on the Summoner's Rift.

Blast Cones
are a type of plant native to Summoner's Rift with with explosive fruit. Their explosive properties are powerful enough to fling a humanoid several meters away.

Bramblebacks

 * Fore more details, see Red Brambleback and Cinderling.

are magical fusion of flora and fauna native to Summoner's Rift. Despite its plant like appearance, having tree bark for its skin and leaves as fur, its behavior is very much of an animal reminiscent of a bear or wolf. The creature is powered by fire magic. Smaller forms of this creature are called.

Dragons

 * For more detail, see Dragon.

are winged, elemental-breathing reptiles that can reach near-giant sizes over their long, long lifespans, they are the indisputable ruler of the skies. Both fearsome and majestic, dragons have a society that revolves around strength and might and because of their egoistic and narcissistic pride, mixing their blood with that of races outside of dragonkind are seen as an abomination, a cancer that must be eradicated utterly. Many dragons persecute such defiled creations and their perpetrators to no end, a thing that, and her deceased father found out firsthand.

There are five types of dragons:
 * Elemental Drakes:, , , drakes.

The most powerful dragons have World Rune shards within them, which gives them their elemental powers.

Forest Chameleons
Forest chameleons are a quadruped lizard species native to Runeterra but are a common sight on Summoner's Rift. Their scales of an orange color and their eyes are light green. They can usually be seen on forest trees and rocks, where they blend very well away from dangers.

Krugs

 * For more detail, see Krug.

are magical fusion of flora, fauna, and rock native to Summoner's Rift. Despite its rock like appearance, its behavior is very much of an animal reminiscent of a bear, wolf, or a bettle. The creature is powered by nature magic. Larger forms of this creature are called.

Murk Wolves

 * Fore more detail, see Murk Wolf.

are mammalian creatures that are magically altered by runic magical energy scattered across the Summoner's Rift. They usually live near caves and dense forest growths. The color of their fur varies upon how much a murk wolf was altered by magical energy in the womb, ether a light brown color or a murky gray color. They have also been instances of mutations in this species, where some murk wolves are born with. It is said that killing a Greater Murk Wolf with the spell of Smite summons forth a forest spirit to act as watcher for the victor.

Porowls
Porowls are an avian species native to Summoner's Rift. Their feathers are a gray-brownish color and have small dark brown horns. They appearance inspired many of the Magelords architecture. They can usually be seen atop of trees, curiously watching the goings-on around them.

Raptors

 * For more detail, see Raptor.

are an avian species native to Summoner's Rift. While incapable of flight, they have large strong back legs and large front teeth used for hunting. This species tents to its young until they can fend for themselves against larger predators. When born their feathers are the predominantly blue-greenish color, once they mature their obtain the look. Their feathers are used for making. It is said that killing a Crimson Raptor with the spell of Smite grants unto the victor the keen senses of the beast, allowing them to see unseen threats.

Scryer's Blooms
are a type of plant with magical properties, being used for.

Sentinels

 * For more detail, see Blue Sentinel and Sentry.

, or stone-golems, are magical fusion of flora, fauna, and rock native to Summoner's Rift. Despite its rock like appearance, its behavior is very much of an animal reminiscent of a bear or wolf. The creature is powered by nature magic. Smaller forms of this creature are called.

has befriended an injured. Knowing the poor creature was on the verge of death, he fashioned her a new heart from a river pebble. Adhering to the tradition of all mineral beings, the golem became Ivern's devoted life-friend. He named her, after the flowers that mysteriously sprouted from her stone body. Today, if Ivern is threatened, she to his side.

Aquatic=

Baron Nashor

 * For more detail, see Baron Nashor.

is a voidborn creature residing on Summoner's Rift. This one of a kind creature has a shape and behavior of a river serpent. What differentiates it from a regular serpent is its numerous arachnid appendages, as well as two additional mouths protruding from its head area. The creature has 12 eyes (some of them injured due to past battles), a mouth with sharp theeth that can gape open wide for larger prey, and horned like crests on the top of the head. The colours of the creatures exoskeleton go from dark purple to light teal. This creature was believed to be deceased for numereous centuries, but due to rescent Void rifts opening on Summoner's Rift it has reemerged again.

Frogs

 * For more detail, see Gromp.

are amphibious creatures that inhabit specific magical locations, such as Summoner's Rift. Although frogs are a common sight, an amalgamation of a frog specimen and a magical anomaly borne the monsters known as. These monsters are hardy and tough and its hide can deflect the sharpest of blades and the strongest of spells. It is said that killing a Gromp with the spell of Smite grants unto the victor the creature's poisonous presence, giving even the fiercest predator pause.

Honeyfruits
are a type of edible plant native to Summoner's Rift and can be seen harvested near the city of Palcyff. Its healing properties are also used for medicinal purposes such as. Being a semi-aquatic plant, it can be seen on the shores of rivers, lakes, and other bodies of fresh water.

Scuttle Crabs

 * For more detail, see Rift Scuttler.

or Rift Scuttlers live in the fresh waters of Valoran and can be found near the docks of Bilgewater and in Summoner's Rift. They are small green-shelled crustaceans with 3 pairs of legs and one pair of front claws. They sometimes bury themselves into the muck of the river to avoid predators and are known to either avoid or flee from dangers. To confer peaceful resolution (hence the elusive pacifist nickname) to the force that subdues it, it will grant them a boon: a persistent field around it that grants vision and magical speed to the aggressor and its allies. If corrupted by The Void, a Rift Scuttler turns into a.

Gameplay
General=



The objective of Summoner's Rift is simple – destroy the enemy nexus. In order to do this, champions must traverse down one of three different paths (or lanes) in order to attack their enemy at their weakest points they can exploit. Both teams have their lanes defended by numerous turrets; each turret grows in strength the closer it gets to its respective nexus and each turret must be eliminated in order to gain access to the next turret in that lane. Cooperating with fellow summoners is an absolute requirement for success, as it is easy for a champion to find themselves ambushed by enemies in the lanes of the Rift.

Description=

The newest and most venerated battleground is known as Summoner's Rift. Traverse down on of three different paths in order to attack your enemy at their weakest point. Work with your allies to siege the enemy base and destroy their Nexus!

Features
General=

Shopkeepers=
 * 19000 unit distance from Blue Team Nexus Obelisk to Red Team Nexus Obelisk (measured with ).
 * Three lanes to fight your way to the enemy base.
 * A forest populated by neutral monsters of varying degrees of toughness, the toughest of which provide buffs and/or gold for your whole team.
 * Powerful turrets defend key areas on the map. You must confront these in addition to your enemies if you are to make headway toward victory.
 * A map dividing river that lies in neutral territory, allowing for quick travel between lanes.
 * Two bases at opposite corners of the map, populated by a shop, a Nexus, two turrets to defend the nexus, two base gates that only the team aligned with the base can pass through, and inhibitors that suppress the other team's minions.
 * Current

Summoner's Rift during its history had a total of four shopkeepers.
 * The first one was a Manbacon. This is an infamous race that is living in Runeterra. Manbacionians usually set up shops in a small pack and they also like to smoke. He sold some standard starting items like the, the , the . He was selling his weaponry at both the Blue team and the Purple team bases.
 * The second shopkeeper was an elderly male Yordle with a cart pulled by an animal resembling a big cat or a rabbit of an unknown species (PBE data mining posted here revealed it to be a "yonkey"). He replaced Manbacon and he was also present for both the Blue and the Purple bases.
 * A pair of new shopkeepers replacing the previous vendor: in the Blue base there's an elderly female Yordle with a large animal resembling a Bantha from and in the Red base there's an elderly male otter merchant attending his shop inside a large hot-air balloon that got punctured.
 * -|Versions=

Winter Version


A variant of the regular Summoner's Rift with a winter seasonal variants, designed for the 2009 Snowdown Showdown event. This version was a permanent option before it was replaced with the Autumn Version on November 2010. It was also available during the 2010 Snowdown Showdown, replacing the Autumn version temporarily and made a return for the 2011 Snowdown Showdown in December 2011. An updated version was released for the 2016 Snowdown Showdown. The Winter Version of Summoner's Rift has a few differences:
 * A mostly white background, because of the snow.
 * Snow falling and covering the terrain.
 * The River is frozen.
 * Presents and Poros can be seen throughout the map.
 * Baron Nashor wears a Santa hat and earmuffs.

Autumn Version


The Autumn Version of Summoner's Rift was a special variant designed for the 2010 Harrowing Seasonal Event. It replaced the Winter Version as the secondary version available and renamed Autumn Version after a poll on November 2010. It was temporarily replaced again with the Winter Version for the 2010 Snowdown Showdown. The Autumn Version uses music from the Twisted Treeline.
 * There are coffins at bottom right area of the map. These signify the "death" (cancellation) of several champions.

Blood Moon Version
The Blood Moon Version of Summoner's Rift was a special variant designed for the 2017 Blood Moon Event.

Arcade Version
The Arcade Version of Summoner's Rift was a special variant designed for the August 2017 release of three Battle Boss skins.

Trivia
General= Map= Summoner's Rift map has been used for certain special, limited-time, featured game modes that circulate in and out.
 * The Summoner Rift concepts are usually done before Riot make 3D in-game models. Sometimes they will make a concept, but it does not work in the game. Examples: The design is hard to click on; Or it does not fit the environment; Or it does not look like tanky enough; or look weak enough; The creatures have to look, in relation to each other; at the correct power level or defensive power level. An environment piece has to be visually appealing but not distracting to champions or effects. All the concept work is about trying to answer those questions. Does it work with gameplay? Does it fit the big picture? Art serves gameplay.
 * A Raptor, Forest chameleon, and Antlermice can be seen in classic splash art.
 * The stag symbol of the Protectorate looks similar to shield.
 * The owl symbol of the Magelords looks similar to the Porowl, a species of owls that live in Summoner's Rift.
 * Summoners Rift Shopkeepers will be getting their Voice-over in future game patches, similar to the Howling Abyss shopkeepers.
 * This map has ties with the Protectorate and Magelords showcased in retconed lore.
 * Later on the map was made part of the Marauder / Warden alternate universe which is closely connected to Protectorates and Magelords.
 * The general layout of two long lanes extending on the border of the map and a middle lane between them, each crossed by a river, was inspired by the fan-made mod Defense of the Ancients, popular map for Warcraft III of which once Steve 'Guinsoo' Feak was serving as the main designer.
 * The monster camps in this map were made to spawn everytime the same places since V1.0.0.96: before that, wolf camps and golem camps randomly alternated.
 * Ghost can be found in the halloween version near the top of the river (Top Lane) just to the right of the top most brush found in blue's jungle. He will even attack passing and either do 1 damage or pop his  if the bubble is up on the Autumn version of the map.
 * Garena announced that the map will polished red (Be aware that news source is Turkish) within Play it Red event due to Garena Carnival for a limited period in Garena server on June 2014.
 * A will spawn in each of the bases if a Freljord champion is on the team.
 * On Summoner's Rift near the bottom Middle part of river, a duck has 10% chance of spawning at the beginning of the game. This duck's name is Karl.
 * If five Pool Party skins (or or ) are present on the map, a yellow rubber duck will spawn on same place, as normal Duck, that, when stood on, explode
 * If five or more Bilgewater champions (or champions with Bilgewater skins) are present on the map, two sharks will spawn in the lower right corner of the map.
 * Numerous Helmet Bro helmets can been seen in various locations on the map:
 * South nest.
 * pit.
 * North west red team Jungle entrance.
 * Several Items that have been removed from the game can be seen on the map:
 * Two can be seen in one of the towers surrounding Summoner's Rift.
 * A can be seen in the Red Shopkeeper shop. The sign on the item use to say "sold".
 * Old shield can be seen in the Blue Shopkeeper shop.
 * A can be seen hanged up on a stone tablet at the south-west part of the map.
 * Old skull can been seen in the Baron pit.
 * A smiley face is a tribute to a smiley face that was present on the old map, which was also located on exactly the same spot, at the southern part of the map.
 * "The Sword in the Stone" at the north-east part of the map is a reference to and to  legend.
 * A random cogwheels can be seen on the eastern part of the map.
 * At the eastern entrance of the Red base, when first entering the map, a frog can be seen scurrying and falling to his death.
 * His official fandom name is "George, the Suicidal Frog".
 * A grave altar with a The 99,999 RP Icon profileicon.png gold spatula of is at the same location as his old grave on the Autumn map grave was.
 * Elder mage face can be seen carved on one of the tables on the map . It is a reference to the mage statues from the old Summoner's Rift map.
 * A statue can be seen at the north-east part of the map, near red teams Gromp.
 * Numerous rune writings can be seen carved on the walls and into the floors of both the Blue and Red bases, as well as around the map.
 * face symbol have been seen in various locations on the map before his initial reveal. Since his release, those symbols have been removed from the map.
 * A stone wall carved with the Protectorate and Magelords around a crystal can be seen at the north east part of red teams lane. In the Beta version of the map, the wall had no carvings and it was cracked.
 * silhouette can be seen on the left side of the stone wall, as seen here.
 * laugh could have been heard in the river area by using the laugh command, it was used as an initial teaser for the champion.
 * would show up randomly above a champions head at the beginning of the game and during death in a form of Lamb's Mask profileicon.png Lamb and Wolf's Mask profileicon.png Wolf masks. These were used as initial champion teasers for.
 * would spawn in both Summoner's Rift bases at the beginning of the game. These were used as initial champion teasers for.
 * While playing a game on Summoner's Rift flock of  (depending on the skin it could also be Snow Owls, Macaws, Demon birds, or Dragons) can be seen around the map.
 * When time runs out, a Void arrow would appear and shoot it. This was a teaser released for  in patch V8.3.
 * -|Game Modes=
 * During the Fall of 2013, Riot's first featured game mode was called One for All mode
 * The mechanics were similar to Classic mode, with the only different being that all champions on each team are the same
 * This mode would later inspire the creation of the One for All: Mirrored mode
 * An Icon was to be given by playing this mode.
 * Between April 1 and April 13, 2014, Riot made Ultra Rapid Fire mode and since then this mode has been coming back each year for April Fools' Day
 * An Icon was to be given by playing this mode.
 * The mechanics were similar to Classic mode, with the added twist of the mode:
 * Between July 17 and July 27, 2014, Riot made Doom Bots mode.
 * In this mode players fought against champions controlled by computer generated AI.
 * The Bots themselves got enhancements to their abilities and passives.
 * There were 3 levels of mode difficulty, with each level the bots would get considerably "cheaper".
 * An Icon was to be given by playing this mode.
 * Between April 1 and April 13, 2015, Ultra Rapid Fire mode returned for another yearly celebration of April Fools' Day
 * An Icon was to be given by playing this mode.
 * -|Development=

Summoner’s Rift Update


May 23, 2012 brought graphical and technical updates to Summoner’s Rift. The updates brought players better aesthetics as well as improved overall graphical performance for players on lower settings. Some of the enhancements included:


 * Better game performance at low and mid spec.
 * Updated textures across Summoner’s Rift.
 * Improved animations on many of the monsters, including the Ancient Golem, the Lizard Elder and, of course, Baron Nashor.
 * A new, animated shopkeeper to service all of your champion’s item purchases.

Summoner's Rift Evolves
On November 12, 2014 a new update to Summoner's Rift went live for use on the Team Builder queue and all bot modes. Then in November 19 the updated Summoner’s Rift was released for all queues, replacing the old one entirely. This time the update has been more heavier than the previous one, and the map was remade from scratch, changing the overall art style. From the minions, to the monsters, the structures, the decorations, the vegetation and even the music it was all completely remade. The new Summoner's Rift is in all respects a new map, made preserving the spirit and gameplay of the older Summoner’s Rift. The new elements are:


 * General
 * A new handcrafted artistic style to Summoner's Rift.
 * Gameplay on the map is more readable than in the previous map. Making action the top priority on the screen rather than the environment.
 * Cleaned up a lot of the terrain (so that the widths of the visuals match the width of the mesh).
 * This is particularly noticeable in Red-side jungle.
 * Purple Team changed to Red Team.
 * Red base features an owl and mage motif with curved linear shapes. Blue base is inspired by a stag and paladin theme with blockier shapes. Both of the owl and stag sigils meet in middle lane.
 * Fog of war upgrade - fog is darker and the fade between fog and non-fog is now more abrupt/crisp (it's not a gradual fade).
 * General bug fixes.
 * Camera angle adjusted to be more similar to Howling Abyss (higher angled, less perspective).
 * This should make the difference between playing up and down less significant.
 * Large and Epic Jungle monsters now show their current health value above their health bar.
 * Bottom and top lane brushes are now centered between their respective towers (previously off-centered by ~450 units).
 * Ambient critters have been added in the map.
 * New minion and monster icons.
 * New Kill indicators on screen (including a hexakill indicator).
 * Updated look to minions, cannon minions and super minions.
 * Red minions wield axes while blue minions war hammers.
 * Two new shopkeepers for both of the Bases.
 * Each jungle quadrant has a unique theme. Blue buff jungle has a blue hue, while the Red jungle has a red hue. West jungle is more destroyed by the influence of Baron Nashor while the east one retains its more natural look.
 * New Summoner's Rift music.


 * Jungle
 * The and its  henchmen were replaced with the  golem and two monolithic, the Sentries were removed in preseason 7
 * The and  have been replaced by the  and, respectively.
 * The and the  have been respectively replaced with the  and the.
 * The have been replaced with bird-like  led by a.
 * The has been replaced with the, a walrus-frog hybrid.
 * The camp is now inhabited by the, a fiery ent-like creature, and two . The cinderlings were removed in preseason 7
 * and have received Visual updates and kit reworks.
 * A new passive monster has been added in the north and south parts of the river,.
 * Plants were added to the jungle in Season 7: knock units back,  provides vision, and  provides HP and mana.

Check out some Summoner's Rift concept art!
By Riot ForScience

Summoner's Rift has come a long way since League's launch in 2009, but our latest update to ol' trusty was the biggest change in the map's history.

While all updates go through iterations and testing, Summoner's Rift required a huge team of artists to concept and sketch out art for months before we started working in 3D. To celebrate the end of SR's beta run, we're releasing a few of the concept art pieces the environment team created, complete with notes and insights from the artists themselves.


 * SRU Concept Art Gallery

Media
Music=
 * Related Music