Wild Rift players, your new year resolution just got a whole lot easier: dive into Patch 7.0, Ionia Celebrations, dropping January 22nd. It's a festival of fresh content straight out of Runeterra's most mystical region think cherry blossoms, chaotic companions, and a map that's finally shedding that foggy Bandle City haze. Riot's mobile MOBA is pulling out all the stops for Season 20, blending seasonal vibes with gameplay polish that's already got the community buzzing.
The Spring Festival event anchors everything, packing festival missions, exclusive loot, and the debut Petals of Spring skinline a collab with the PC League team that screams ethereal elegance. (Still praying for the day that we get some of those skins on PC... One day...) Petals of the Spring hits champs like Lillia and Smolder, perfect for those Instagram-worthy loadout screenshots. And keeping the chaos alive? Arena mode returns with tuned mechanics and Fortune Bringer Goldie, a "lovable and slightly chaotic" festival monster companion ready to wreak havoc.
But the real highlights for players are the two new champions shaking up the meta. First up, Smolder, the Fiery Fledgling ADC who starts small but stacks into a late-game monster. Evolve those abilities, and he's breathing fire across teamfights. Early leaks and previews of his Wild Rift version have mains salivating over his potential in bot lane duels.
Then there's Mel, the Soul’s Reflection. She is a long-range mage flexing mid or support. Mirror enemy abilities back at them? That's chef's kiss positioning bait, rewarding the sharp-eyed over the button-mashers. Some early model gripes popped up on X about her skintone looking off (Riot's aware and tweaking), but the kit's got that Arcane flair fans crave.
The star of the patch? The rift has changed with the Ionia Rift, swapping Bandle City's gloom for a brighter, fog-light jungle. Vision's king now easier calls on invades and ganks. Spirit Flowers bloom on ally deaths (carrying energy forward) or enemy jungle steals, adding that revenge factor. Mid laners get a Wind Zone MS boost for roams, while tweaks like visible monster respawns, new items (Abyssal Mask, Hollow Radiance, Guinsoo's Rageblade), streamlined support paths, beefier Baron XP, and hotter turret damage round out the flow. It's all about snappier tempo and fairer fights, per Riot's preview.
Game modes get some love too. AAA ARAM goes permanent with sleeker visuals, better onboarding, rune overhauls, and Flying Swords pick your blade for mid-match combos and rune pops. Arena scales to 16 players on a fresh map, keeping the brawl fever high.
Ranked fires up Season 20 with a Teemo skin milestone reward, while Wild Pass rolls out Food Spirits Ziggs first, Janitor Thresh chasing. Skin haul's massive: Lunar Empress Morgana (Exquisite), Guardians for Sett/Warwick/Syndra, Dragonmancer trio (Fiora, Nilah, Vayne), plus Dragonblade Talon, Cosmic duo (Galio/Swain), Garden Party Tryndamere, Durian Defender Rammus, and Pug’Maw. Blossom bonds, indeed.
Wild Rift's nailed that mobile sweet spot since 2020 optimized controls, constant updates, esports push and always topping charts worldwide. The console port's still TBA, but patches like this keep the fire lit. Mark your calendars for Jan 22nd (check regional times), grind those missions, and let's see if Smolder carries your climb. Ionia's calling and you can answer with a blossom storm. Stay tuned for more updates as we get them!