The latest LoL Dev Update unveils new ARAM Mayhem game mode and system against smurfing

In the latest dev update from Riot Games, the developers unveiled a series of updates coming to the game, including the new ARAM Mayhem game mode, anti-cheat initiatives, and the return of special skins as Arcane celebrates its first anniversary.

LoL Dev Update – debuting ARAM Mayhem

In the dev video, game developers Andrei “Meddler” van Roon, Paul “Pabro” Bellezza, Eduardo “Riot Cadmus” Cortejoso, Ezra “Riot Phlox” Lynn, Matt “Phroxzon” Leung-Harrison, and Drew “justacapybara” Levin shared a couple of insights regarding the latest changes as League of Legends will be kicking off Worlds later next week.

The main highlight is the launch of a new limited-time game mode, ARAM: Mayhem. Debuting in Season 3 Act 2, the new mode will bring Arena-style Augments to the ARAM 5v5 format, bringing a refreshing dynamic to one of the longest-standing modes in the game. ARAM: Mayhem will have its own queue, so it won’t collide with users who still want to stick to the standard format. Riot also added that Butcher’s Bridge and Koeshin’s Crossing will become permanent ARAM maps, as performance improvements are planned for both going forward.

Botting, Smurfing, and Account Selling

In recent weeks, Riot has been hammering players who abuse botting, smurfing, and account selling. According to their dev update, Riot has banned a total of 400,000 purchased ranked accounts, with 1.5 million botted and sold accounts and another 2.5 million that are awaiting sale: “If an account is purchased or sold as of 25.18, we will catch it eventually and it will be destroyed,” said Phroxzon in his own X post.

He also stated that starting with Patch 25.23, penalties will be extended to accounts linked to the same owner, using Vanguard, account data, and other patterns to track down potential trespassers. The Riot designer also explained that there will be a player behavior summary coming out in the next few patches.

Player Behavior summary: 
In the next few patches we're rolling out a bunch of features to make your game experience better.

Boosting and Hitchiking

– We banned and reverted the ranks of tens of thousands of accounts that have been boosted or hitchiked. We're taking it slow to… https://t.co/lh08Lpn8J9

— Matt Leung-Harrison (@RiotPhroxzon) October 6, 2025

Streamer Mode to receive Overhaul in the next patch

The dev update also confirmed a major overhaul for the streamer mode, which will come with three privacy options:

• Hide Other Names – Only hide other players’ game names on your screen. Your identity will still be visible to other players in-game.
• Hide My Name – Hide Riot ID and Game Name to all other players in champ select, in game, and in third-party apps, but account progression (Mastery Score, Challenges, Title, Profile Pic, Ranked Border, etc.) will still be visible.
• Hide My Everything –Hide RiotID, Game Name, and all account progression to all other players in champ select, in-game, and in third-party apps.

The aim is to give content creators greater control over personal information. The update will roll out with the release of Patch 25.20.

Riot brings back Arcane skins in Patch 25.23

Speaking of patch notes, Riot also confirmed that, in celebration of Arcane’s first anniversary, all Arcane-related skins will be brought back in Patch 25.23, including visual upgrades to Arcane Fractured Jinx. Returning players will receive the updates for free. The team also announced full champion access in Practice Tool, the return of the Blue Essence Emporium, and “Your Shop” in the last patch of the year.

With the season coming to an end, Riot will be releasing a new dev update in late November or early December to talk about the upcoming 2026 season.