Long before alternative modes like Ultra Rapid Fire or Doom Bots were introduced in limited cycles, Dominion was the newest game mode to offer Summoners a break from the traditional 5v5 or 3v3. With a lack of towers, inhibitors, and nexuses, Dominion was a simple capture-and-hold styled map, with each team racing to gather enough points the quickest.
While most people returned to Summoner’s Rift once the novelty wore off, Dominion retained a small following and even had its own meta. Unfortunately, more and more people were dropping the mode, and que times reached an all time high. With Riot focusing more and more on tweaking Summoner’s Rift, the Crystal Scar was left without much attention.
So it is with heavy hearts that the mode goes dark on the 22nd of February, so get those matches in while you can, it’ll be available in custom matches until then. It is not clear whether the Crystal Scar map will be reused in the future (maybe for some limited time event mode). While this may come as a blow to Summoners who spent most of their game time on Dominion (all ten of them), Riot will be releasing a commemorative Crystal Scar Summoner Icon only for those who have won at least 100 matches in Dominion (A.I. matches will not count).
While I’ve ditched League in favor of my Playstation 4, I do have fond memories of getting in quick dominion matches in the morning for some quick IP before racing off to the bus stop for classes. Teemo was an absolute blast to play, especially with a map that constricted. It wasn’t been kept polished, but it did offer an alternative. Some of those Dominion matches even got as an intense as a round in the Summoner’s Rift.
