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Doom Boots Return Patch 25.17

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After nearly a decade away, Doom Bots returns in Patch 25.17 with new upgrades and fresh mechanics.

What is “Doom Bots”?

Doom Bots, also known as "Nightmare Mode," is a Featured Game Mode for League of Legends, initially released in 2015. The game mode returned in 2016 before going on a nearly decade long hiatus. Doom Boots is returning next week with Patch 25.17 with heaps of updates and surprises, partially inspired by Riot's Swarm Featured Game Mode, which was released last Summer.

In simple terms, Doom Bots is like a nightmare version of Co-op vs. AI. Each bot on the enemy team is mutated with empowered abilities. On higher difficulties, the bots would continue to evolve as the game went on, gaining abilities belonging to other champions, upping the ante.

Doom Bots Mechanics

Initially, Doom Bots differed only slightly from Co-op vs AI. The bots were more powerful, with enhanced abilities and stats, and had superior AI. The bots would also “cheat” relentlessly, though Fog of War still affected them. At higher difficulties, the bots would mutate, gaining abilities like Akali’s Twilight Shroud or Anivia’s Rebirth.

In 2016, a few changes were implemented, setting the game aside from a typical Co-op vs AI match. The map shrunk, cut in half, so that the action was more concentrated. Games were now set to last roughly for 15 minutes, when Sudden Death activated. At the 15th minute mark—provided your team has survived this long at all—The Evil Overlord of the Doom Bots is summoned and he barrels towards your Nexus. If you defeat the Evil Overlord, you win the game.

The Evil Overlord of the Doom Bots

Enemy AI still evolved, but this time the so-called Curses functioned differently. In 2016, Doom Bots gained a random buff starting from minute 01:50, but lost it and gained a new one every two minutes and ten seconds. For example, one such curse was called "Poison Trail." When Poison Trail was active, each Doom Bot left behind a noxious cloud behind them as they walked. The cloud functioned the same as Singed's Poison Trail ability, dealing overtime poison damage to any player who comes in contact.

2025 Doom Bots Upgrades

A New Overlord

In the upcoming 2025 Doom Bots version, Riot is building off of the 2016 variant of the game, with the game still lasting about 15 minutes and leading into a Sudden Death final combat—this time, against Vegiar, rather than Teemo. Inspired by the mechanics seen in Swarm during 2024, the Veigar boss fight will be much more than just Veigar-but-big. Instead, expect Primordian Aatrox-levels of challenge.

Curses

Curse mechanics in general will not be getting changed—they will become activated just before the second minute mark, and refresh every two minutes and ten seconds. A few curses to look forward to are:

Tempered Fate: Bard's Tempered Fate will put everyone into stasis

Rebirth: Killed Doom Bots will be Reborn from an egg.

Tiny Time: Not so big now! You have become smaller and have reduced health... but you have gained movement speed, attack speed, and ability haste. Is this a short joke? Killing minions will shrink you!

Missions

A brand new mechanic, taking inspiration from Yuumi's Quests in Swarm, are "Missions." At two points during the game, Veigar will issue a challenge for his opponents, offering a small amount of power if players can overcome his goal. For example, players can be tasked with taking down Giant Ziggs before he can bulldoze all of their buildings. Some of the possible rewards include a random Dragon Soul or a nice chunk of goal. However, if players fail, they will either be punished, or the enemy Doom Bots will be rewarded with some manner of buff.

Trials of Doom

Some of the strongest feedback Riot got when it came to Doom Bots was that players wanted even more of a challenge. Rather than up the stats, increase the frequency or power of curses, Riot decided to implement a new mechanic altogether—Trials of Doom.

Each Patch, there will be a unique Trial that rotates until the last patch of the this Doom Bots' run. During the last Patch, all three Trials will be available. During each Trial run, players will gain small buffs in compensation for the difficulty increase. Additionally, a special Prismatic Item will be added to the shop during each Trial.

Trial 1: Veigar's Curse!

Difficulty: 50
The level cap is raised to 30 for both teams.
Doom Bots receive 155% experience from all sources.

PRISMATIC ITEM Veigar’s Talisman of Ascension (900 gold)

- Gain 50% extra experience

- Offers no extra stats, cannot be sold

- Transforms into The Golden Spatula at level 30

Trial 2: Veigar's Evil!

Difficulty: 60
Doom Bots receive Veigar’s passive, Phenomenal Evil Power, gaining Adaptive Force per successful spell hit.
Players receive bonus Item Haste.
Curses stack, when a new Curse activates, the old one remains.

PRISMATIC ITEM Demon King’s Crown (2500 gold)

- Increase your stats by 20%

- Stat amplification increases by 1% for each takedown and decreases by 3% for each death after acquiring the item

Trial 3: Veigar's Doom!

Difficulty: 90
The game timer is set to 5 minutes (instead of 15)
If the Timer runs out before 15 minutes of game time has elapsed, Veigar instantly wins!
Each kill of a Doom Bot by a player adds 15 seconds of time
Doom Bot stats are altered to make them more susceptible to damage

PRISMATIC ITEM Gambler’s Blade (2500 gold)

- 10 lethality, 20 ability haste, 8% movement speed, 50% attack speed

- Killing enemies with the Gambler's Blade delays Doom-boss Veigar's arrival by an additional 5 seconds. Deaths while carrying the Blade accelerate it by 5 seconds.