Riot Games unveiled the performance and development process of Swarm during a developer briefing. Darva Cortejoso, Lead Product Manager for Live Modes, announced that Swarm has achieved record-breaking success in the history of 'League of Legends.' However, this success was built upon a foundation of trial and error.

Most-Played Mode Outside of Summoner's Rift

Cortejoso stated that Swarm is the most-played 'LoL' game mode across all regions by playtime, excluding Summoner's Rift—a milestone no previous mode has reached.

The mode also proved highly effective in attracting returning users. Riot explained that nearly half of the recently increased player base consisted of users who returned to 'LoL' specifically because of Swarm. Cortejoso noted that the novelty offered by Swarm provided players with the motivation to give 'LoL' another try.

Cortejoso reflected on the multiple updates ARAM (All Random All Mid) underwent leading up to Swarm. The starting point was the 'Bridge of Progress,' released alongside 'Arcane' Season 2. He admitted that, as evidenced by player feedback, it was a mode Riot did not get right from the start, with issues such as map visibility being pointed out.

What Riot learned from this was not just about the problems themselves, but how to respond to them. Cortejoso explained that this was when they learned to quickly internalize player feedback and respond immediately. The realization that it is crucial to continuously update content rather than just releasing a new map and moving on took root at this time. He described this experience as having become part of the development team's DNA.

The 'Koshin Bridge' and 'Butcher's Bridge' in 2025 were also subjects of study. Riot intended to provide ARAM players with new experiences through the map environment. However, the players' response was clear: changing the map's appearance might provide a temporary sense of freshness, but it alone was not enough to reach the desired level of novelty. Cortejoso said they learned that changing the map alone was insufficient.

The Introduction of Augments Changed the Game

Riot asked itself: If not map updates, then what? In the process of finding an answer, two cases stood out: the ARAM mode introduced on mobile by the 'Wild Rift' team and the successful Augment system from Arena.

Riot had long wondered if Augments could work in other areas of 'LoL.' After research and review, they decided to introduce Augments to ARAM. Cortejoso explained that as a result, they were able to layer freshness onto a familiar experience, which brought many players back to 'LoL.'

Of course, not everything went smoothly. While the skill Augments introduced in the Season 2 update received positive initial reactions, feedback on the quality of the options provided was mixed. Shortly after the patch, Riot removed over 450 champion and skill Augment combinations from the pool via a developer update—a measure taken to make player choices more meaningful.

Cortejoso stated that reactions after this hotfix were generally positive and that they gained greater confidence in future update directions and the adjustment of the Augment draft experience. Riot's long-term goal is to prevent Swarm's Augments from becoming stale and to continue providing a fresh experience.

From Overpowered to Underpowered: Tuning is an Ongoing Process

Swarm has been out for less than a year. In that short time, Riot has experienced two different types of failures. The Lunar New Year update introduced a large number of high-impact Augments, which some players felt were excessive. Conversely, recent updates offered options that felt somewhat weak.

Cortejoso believes this variance will improve over time. The goal is to continue finding the 'sweet spot' for the Augment draft that players want. His objective is clear: to ensure that Swarm does not feel like a 'solved' game midway through the season.

Riot plans to continue supporting Swarm. Cortejoso revealed that they are already preparing and discussing content to be released later this year and next year, even beyond the current update. He assessed that ARAM has become a core part of the 'LoL' community.