The Snowdown Showdown banner for 2009.
The Snowdown Showdown is a seasonal event to commemorate the Time of Snowdown. Riot Games introduces a few changes to the game and items that are only available in the world of Valoran. They also introduce a few cosmetic changes to the game such as themed skins and discounted runes.
Champion Skins
Snowdown Champion Skins, like Harrowing skins, have been released for a various League favorites since 2009. The first groups of these festive skins began as limited edition only - meaning once they left the store they were not coming back in the future. More recently Snowdown skins have been made Legacy, meaning after they leave the store at the end of the event there is a chance they might come back in the future for a limited time.
Limited Skins to Legacy
Due to League of Legends's dramatic increase in its community, the Snowdown Showdown skins that were originally released as limited edition were changed to Legacy skins in December 2013, and put back on sale during the year's holiday event. Riot stated that the
| “ | ... overwhelming player feedback has been that this creates an extremely negative experience for players who cannot acquire their favorite skin for their favorite champion. We believe that skins should be more about self-expression and fun than exclusivity, so we are rereleasing them in a limited way |
| , http://na.leagueoflegends.com/en/page/harrowing2013faq#skins Harrowing 2013 FQA | |
 |
Exclu. icon
Veteran Player Compensation
As the value of exclusivity will lower in the process of bringing back the limited edition skins, Riot is giving compensation to the veteran players that originally bought the holiday skins in 2009 and 2010. They are gifting 
RP RP equal to the cost of the skins they purchased, giving Vintage treatment to the loading screen of those Snowdown skins as well as an giving those players an exclusive summoner icon. For more information please check out Riot's plan for vintage Limited Edition skins post.
Snowdown Showdown Skins
- 2009 Snowdown Showdown (Legacy)
- Template:Csi
- Template:Csi
- Template:Csi
- Template:Csi (only available from December 23 to December 27)
- Template:Csi (only available from December 31 to January 3)
The Snowdown Showdown log-in screen for 2010.
- 2010 Snowdown Showdown (Legacy)
- Template:Csi
- Template:Csi
- Template:Csi
- Template:Csi
- Template:Csi
- Template:Csi
- Template:Csi
The Snowdown Showdown log-in screen for 2011.
- 2011 Snowdown Showdown (Legacy)
- Template:Csi
- Template:Csi
- Template:Csi
- Template:Csi
- 2012 Snowdown Showdown (Legacy)
- Template:Csi
- Template:Csi
- Template:Csi
- Template:Csi
- 2013 Snowdown Showdown (Legacy)
- Template:Csi
- Template:Csi
- Template:Csi
Features
Melee minions as they appear in the Snowdown Showdown each year.
Snowdown Showdown events in the past have included, but are not limited to:
- Limited edition Holiday Runes
- Some egg-nog tasty editions of your favorite in-game consumables
- Merrily festive costumes for your minions
- A cold, snow-covered version of Summoner's Rift (2009-2011)
- Some festive summoner icons to show off to your friends and teammates
- Cheerful ward skins for additional map vision
- A joyful new login screen to get you in the mood
- A Gifting feature (Only new purchases. Cannot gift Riot Points, skins, and champions which are already possessed.)
Items
The health and mana potions in the item store were replaced by the 
Eggnog Health Potion and 
Eggnog Mana Potion. The effect of the potions were identical to their counterparts.
Map
Summoner's Rift during the Snowdown Showdown.
The Snowdown Rift was replaced with the Winter Summoner's Rift, a seasonal variant that includes many holiday elements.
Runes
During the 2009 Snowdown Showdown, special holiday runes were released and they were only available from December 16 to January 6. Three of them were Tier 1.5, and three were Tier 2.5. During the 2010 and 2011 Snowdown Showdown, only 4 runes were released.
- 2009 Snowdown Showdown
Mark of the Crippling Candy Cane (Tier 2.5, critical damage)- Glyph of the Special Stocking (Tier 2.5, cooldown reduction)
- Seal of the Elusive Snowflake (Tier 2.5, dodge chance)
- Mark of the Yuletide Tannenbaum (Tier 1.5, critical chance)
- Glyph of the Gracious Gift (Tier 1.5, AP per level)
- Seal of the Stout Snowman (Tier 1.5, HP per level)
- 2010 and 2011 Snowdown Showdown
- Greater Quintessence of Frosty Fortitude - Health
- Greater Quintessence of Sugar Rush - Movement Speed
- Greater Quintessence of the Piercing Present - Magic Penetration
- Greater Quintessence of the Deadly Wreath - Armor Penetration
Summoner Icons
The Snowdown events of 2012 and 2013 introduced new Summoner Icons that a summoner could earn in celebration of the festive holiday.
Ward Skins
Snowdown Ward Skins art
The Snowdown Showdown of 2012 found a welcome gift in League of Legends of two ward skins to celebrate the festive season. These skins were free throughout the duration of the event.
In 2013 the two ward skins returned for free use again for the duration of the event along with the new candycane ward. For a limited time, these three ward skins were also purchasable for 640 RP to add them permanently to your account.
Galleries
2009 Snowdown Showdown
2010 Snowdown Showdown
2011 Snowdown Showdown
2012 Snowdown Showdown
2013 Snowdown Showdown
Snowdown Login Screen
On top of all the new gleeful features, every year summoners are met with a new animated login screen. They usually showcase one or more of the year's new Snowdown skins and are backed with music fit for the holiday to set up the mood as everyone enters the game.
Music
| Snowdown Showdown 2011 Login Music |
| Snowdown Showdown 2012 Login Music |
Animations
- Snowdown 2010
- Snowdown 2011
- Snowdown 2012
- Snowdown 2013