How Brawl Was Born: A Thunderdome Project Becomes Reality

Eight months before Brawl, a new game mode in League of Legends, was shipped to players, it was a project that took shape in Thunderdome. Riot’s version of a hackathon, Thunderdome is meant to carve out time for Rioters to assemble teams and pursue projects they’re passionate about. The end goal isn’t to ship the projects to players–it's more about sparking creativity and innovation than anything else. But if the idea is right, and it solves a pain point for players, and the demo comes together, and the stars align, then it could find its way into production.

That’s how Brawl was born. The game mode provides a quick, action-packed match where the score is directly correlated to the teamfights rather than reaching the Nexus. It’s specifically aimed at helping new players find a Champion they love, get in a bunch of reps quickly, and reach the hype moments like their first double kill–all in a lower-stress environment.

The proof point was created in Thunderdome and then made a reality by the League team. Along the way a Bandle City map was created, the gameplay was streamlined, and in May 2025, it was ready to go live to players around the world.
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