Riot Axes Details Major Swiftplay Overhaul: Faster Pacing, Better Flow

Hey everyone, I’m Bryan “Riot Axes” Salvatore, Director of Design for League. My team oversees the entire gameplay experience, from Ranked on Summoner’s Rift to our rotating game modes. Today, I’m here to talk about the future of Swiftplay. Whether you’re short on time, testing a new champion, or learning the ropes, Swiftplay is meant to be that perfect, substantive bite of League. But we believe it hasn’t yet reached its full potential.

After nearly a year of live data, player feedback, and internal testing, we’ve identified three key areas for improvement: pacing, laning, and the jungle experience. Our goal is to sharpen Swiftplay into the fast, fulfilling queue it was always meant to be.

Let’s start with pacing. On average, Swiftplay matches are about eight minutes shorter than a standard Summoner’s Rift game, but frankly, that’s still not swift enough. We’ve observed that the mode inherits a lot of SR’s more methodical tempo—a prolonged early laning phase, lengthy death timers, and generally low action density. Compounding this, we cram every neutral objective from a full game into a much shorter timeline. The result? A mode that can feel strategically denser and even slower-paced than the original.

Our primary lever for fixing the “feel” of the game’s pace is objectives. While systems like minion scaling and gold/experience gains affect match length, objective changes directly impact how the pacing unfolds moment-to-moment. We’re focusing our efforts here to create a rhythm that’s genuinely faster and more dynamic.

The laning and jungle experiences are next on our list. The drawn-out early game doesn’t suit a mode built for speed. We want laning to be meaningful but condensed, allowing players to transition into the mid-game skirmishes and objective fights much sooner. For junglers, the compressed objective timeline can feel overwhelming. We’re looking at adjustments to create clearer, more impactful decision points throughout the match.

Swiftplay should be a gateway and a haven—a place to experience the thrilling champion-vs-champion combat, strategic objective plays, and epic comeback potential that defines League, all within a tighter timeframe. These upcoming changes are about honoring that core fantasy. We’re committed to iterating based on your continued feedback as we roll these adjustments out. Get ready for a swifter, more explosive Swiftplay. We’ll see you on the Rift.