Battle of Koeshin — A New Mini Game in League of Legends

Patch 25.14 introduced a new mini-game in the League of Legends client — Battle of Koeshin. This addition aims to diversify the gameplay experience, delve into the lore of the newly released champion Yunara, and further explore Xin Zhao’s backstory and his connection to Yunara. In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at the mini-game itself, go over the available rewards, and highlight everything you need to know.

What is Battle of Koeshin?

Battle of Koeshin is a 2D side-scrolling beat 'em up mini-game featuring three levels, each containing narrative sequences and cutscenes. The game continues the storyline from the Pilgrimage and The Devoted Shrine Maiden comics, where Xin Zhao returns to his homeland and encounters a rare phenomenon known as the Wild Bloom. This event blurs the boundary between the spiritual and physical realms, allowing creatures to cross from one world to the other. As you progress through this story-driven mode, you’ll meet Yunara — the new champion — who will join your party.

Koeshin’s Courtyard

Battle of Koeshin features a main story mode with fully voiced cutscenes and narrative progression. Completing it unlocks the Shrouded in Bloom and Blessings Upon You icons, an arcade mode, and an additional meta-mode — Koeshin’s Courtyard, a spiritual successor to Spirit Bonds that longtime Spirit Blossom event fans will recognize.

Once you finish the story campaign The Battle of Koeshin, a new section will appear in the client menu: Koeshin’s Courtyard. Here, you’ll find yourself in the courtyard of an ancient temple, greeted by four bark-and-stone statues that resemble familiar legends. Yes, it’s time once again to befriend the spirits! And if you’re lucky, Zed might even invite you to his room to show off his collection of figurines (just don’t call them dolls).

To increase your rank with each spirit, you’ll need only one petal per rank, which you earn simply by playing League. Petals are granted through repeatable quests, with each completed quest giving one petal. You can gift them to spirits to progress through the ranks: from D to C, then B, A, S, and finally S+.

Don’t worry if you start late — petals will begin accumulating from the moment you activate the mini-game, but access to Koeshin’s Courtyard only becomes available after completing the Battle of Koeshin campaign.

You’ll need a total of 20 petals to unlock all rewards. Progression can be accelerated: purchasing the Battle Pass grants you 3 petals immediately. Additionally, there are petal gain bonuses — +30% for playing Xin Zhao with any Spirit Blossom skin, and +100% when using a Spirit Blossom 2025 skin. These bonuses do not stack — the maximum bonus remains at 100%.

How to Play Battle of Koeshin

Battle of Koeshin tab in the League client, which appeared with Patch 25.14, and click “Start Game.” Right away, you’ll be greeted by an introductory cutscene that sets the stage for the story. As mentioned earlier, this new mini-game is a retro-style 2D fighter inspired by classic beat 'em ups from the ’80s and ’90s. Bonus feature — you can play it using a gamepad.

The controls are very simple and are shown at the beginning of the game, but just in case you missed them, here’s a quick reference:

• WASD – Move in all directions
• SPACE – Jump
• J – Light Attack (fast)
• K – Heavy Attack (slow)
• L – Use Ultimate Ability
• E – Switch Characters

Now, I’d like to go over some small details and tricks that might make the game easier for you — and which you might not have noticed at first glance.

Battle of Koeshin — Tips and Tricks

Try switching between champions frequently and combining their abilities. Swapping characters is a crucial mechanic for several reasons.

First, switching between Xin Zhao and Yunara allows you to extend your attack combos, earning extra points and building up your Ultimate ability faster.

Second, it helps you manage resources, especially health. When one champion is on the bench, they gradually regenerate HP, so alternating between them prevents both from taking too much damage at once.

Now let’s talk about your Ultimate (L). There are four different ultimate abilities that rotate, each mimicking the attacks of spirits you’ll encounter later in the game. The most important thing? Don’t hold back on using it — when used well, it deals a lot of damage and charges back quickly, making it a key part of clearing fights more efficiently.

Finally, let’s discuss Boss Battles. Bosses have special abilities that deal damage and temporarily make them immune to your attacks. When a boss activates a shield, don’t waste time attacking them — instead, focus on dodging incoming damage and clearing the smaller enemies that spawn around the arena. Timing and crowd control are key to surviving these moments.

Battle of Koeshin Rewards

After completing the main story of Battle of Koeshin, you'll receive two profile icons featuring Yunara and Xin Zhao, along with a small amount of XP for your Battle Pass. Additional rewards can be earned through interactions with the spirits in Koeshin’s Courtyard, where you offer petals and engage in lighthearted conversations.

Each spirit grants 100 Battle Pass XP per level, and there are four XP levels per spirit. Upon reaching the fifth level, you'll unlock a unique emote based on one of the statues.

Is Battle of Koeshin Worth Playing?

As a standalone mini-game, Battle of Koeshin offers a fun 20-minute distraction. It has that nostalgic arcade feel reminiscent of ’90s games like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on Sega or NES — a vibe that leaves a pleasant aftertaste.

However, the rewards are underwhelming — at least in terms of time-to-reward value. It’s clear that one of the main goals of the event is to promote the new skin line.

So is it worth your time? Battle of Koeshin is a decent way to unwind between matches or while waiting for a friend to finish a game. But if you’re looking for more engaging content or meaningful rewards, events like The Demon’s Hand arguably offered a better experience.