The League of Legends seasons aren’t just a date on the calendar; for many League players, they're a reset leading to a new ranked climb.

For millions upon millions of players, knowing the exact start and end dates of League of Legends (LoL) seasons is crucial, as it dictates the rhythm of the ranked grind, the anticipation of end-of-season rewards, and the excitement for upcoming patch changes.

From the early days of a single, year-long climb to the newer three-season structure introduced recently, with Season 2025, the League of Legends pulse keeps beating, so as we go through the 2025 season, let's look back at the history and map out what this ranked year holds.

A Look Back at All Seasons in League of Legends

Before the multi-split year and battle pass model that League introduced, Season 1 existed. Season 1 commenced on July 13, 2010, and set the very cornerstone of competitive League of Legends itself.

However, even a couple of years ago, the League cycle was fairly straightforward in concept: a typical season usually launched in January of every year and persisted through most of the year before concluding in mid-November with a few weeks of preseason gameplay where game patches were being tested and polished.

This model enabled players to spend a significant amount of time climbing the ranked queue to earn end-of-season rewards.

Here’s a summary of all season start and end dates leading up to the current season:

Season	Start Date	End Date
1	July 13, 2010	August 23, 2011
2	November 29, 2011	November 12, 2012
3	February 1, 2013	November 11, 2013
4	January 10, 2014	November 11, 2014
5	January 21, 2015	November 11, 2015
6	January 20, 2016	November 8, 2016
7	December 8, 2016	November 7, 2017
8	January 16, 2018	November 12, 2018
9	January 23, 2019	November 19, 2019
10	January 10, 2020	November 10, 2020
11	January 8, 2021	November 15, 2021
12	January 7, 2022	November 14, 2022
13	January 11, 2023	January 9, 2024
14	January 10, 2024	January 6, 2025
15 (2025 Split 1)	January 9, 2025	April 28, 2025
15 (2025 Split 2)	April 30, 2025	August 12, 2025 (Expected)
15 (2025 Split 3)	August 26, 2025 (Expected)	December 9, 2025 (Expected)

Each League of Legends season above brought its flavour, introducing new champions, reworks, map updates, item overhauls, and meta shifts that kept the gameplay fresh and the esports scene chugging along.

Understanding the 2024/2025 Three-Season Structure

Things changed significantly starting with the 2024 ranked year. Riot Games moved away from the single-season-plus-preseason model. Now, the ranked year is divided into three distinct seasons (initially called splits, but now seemingly referred to as full seasons within the year). Each season lasts approximately four months, featuring its own theme-based progression, ranked climb, and rewards.

This faster tempo means more frequent resets, keeping the ranked climb fresh throughout the year. It also allows Riot to align gameplay changes and theme-based content drops (such as the Noxus focus for the 2025 Season 1) more closely with the competitive periods.

League of Legends Season 2025 Schedule

The 2025 year fully embraces this new structure, marking a departure from the old "Season 15" naming convention. Instead, we have the Year 2025, Season 1, Season 2, and Season 3. Here’s the breakdown based on official schedules and informed speculation:

League of Legends 2025 Season 1 (Noxus)

Start Date: January 9, 2025
End Date: April 28, 2025
Theme: Noxus. This season brought visual updates to the Rift reflecting the imposing Noxian aesthetic, along with gameplay tweaks and the introduction of the epic jungle monster Atakhan. The first Battle Pass of 2025 was also launched alongside these changes.

League of Legends 2025 Season 2 (Ionia / Spirit Blossom)

Start Date: April 30, 2025
Estimated End Date: August 27, 2025
Theme: Ionia, featuring the return of the popular Spirit Blossom thematic. Season 2 is centered around Ionia’s mystical and spiritual aesthetic, with a major focus on Spirit Blossom skins, events, and cosmetics. This second season is also expected to introduce the new champion, Yunara, whose role (Support or ADC) remains undisclosed. However, we expect gameplay changes and cosmetics to fit the overall Ionia vibe that we’re seeing in Season 2.

League of Legends 2025 Season 3

Estimated Start Date: August 27, 2025
Estimated End Date: Early January 2026
Theme: To Be Announced. The final season of the 2025 ranked year will bring its own unique identity, new features, and the concluding climb before the next annual reset.

Knowing seasonal dates is more important than ever. With three seasons packed into one year, players will need to track deadlines for ranked rewards, while knowing when their ranks will soft-reset.

End-of-Season Rewards Explained

What drives the relentless climb for many? The end-of-season rewards. The system has also seen adjustments with the new season structure:

Victorious Skin: The crown jewel, and a big reason why people buy League of Legends boosting. Previously awarded for reaching Gold rank or higher, the system changed. Now, players primarily earn the Victorious skin by accumulating enough Split Points (earned by playing ranked games). The exact SP requirement might vary slightly per season, but winning 15 ranked games is also cited as a direct path. While accessibility increased, your final rank still matters – higher ranks unlock exclusive chromas for the Victorious skin. A minimum Honor level 3 is also typically required.
Ranked Regalia: These are the visual markers of your achievement.
Crests: Display your current rank on your profile and in lobbies.
Loading Screen Borders: Show off your rank achieved in that specific queue during the loading screen.
Other Rewards: Each season (split) may offer additional goodies, such as unique emotes, icons, or ward skins, based on participation or reaching certain milestones within that season.
Honor Rewards: Consistently good sportsmanship pays off, and reaching Honor Level 5 by the end of the season grants access to the rare Three Honors skin line.

Keep an eye on the official League of Legends website and support pages about a month before the end of each season for the specific reward details.

Stay Ahead of the Game

The League of Legends season cycle is the lifeblood of the game and the essence that keeps competition, storylines, and growth in motion. Whether you’re chasing the peaks of the ranked climbs, grabbing every Victorious skin, or merely taking in the fresh offerings and the thematic events, each seasonal timer inspires it all.

With Season 1 of 2025 winding down and Season 2 centered around the Ionia theme, the ascent begins again. What are you most looking forward to in the upcoming League season? Share your thoughts below in the comments!

Account #114225