LoL Challenges Explained: Points, Crystal, Titles, Tokens
LoL Challenges are Riot’s free achievement system: hundreds of Challenge Cards in five categories (Expertise, Teamwork & Strategy, Imagination, Veterancy, Collection) that you clear repeatedly to rank each card from Unranked to Challenger, earning Challenge Points that feed group Capstones and your overall Crystal rank. Rewards are Titles and Tokens shown on your profile, lobby and loading screen, and the top of each card competes on regional Grandmaster and Challenger ladders recalculated every 24 hours. Challenges arrived in patch 12.09 and live under Player Profile → Challenges.
Updated November 11, 2026 · Source: Riot Support — Challenges FAQ (May 6, 2025)
The five categories, with Riot’s examples
| Category | Focus | Riot’s example card |
|---|---|---|
| Expertise | Skillfully crushing your opponents | Death Incarnate: take down 12 champions within 15 minutes |
| Teamwork & Strategy | Working together with your team | Team Diff: score aces between minion spawn and 15 minutes |
| Imagination | Other game modes and innovative plays | Bad Medicine: kill enemies recently healed by a heal pack in ARAM |
| Veterancy | Big lifetime numbers in kills, gold and other stats | Multi-Weapon Master: win Summoner’s Rift games with different Mythic items |
| Collection | Collecting cosmetics and engaging with loot | Spice of Life: obtain champions |
A sixth group, Legacy, holds time-limited Challenges for season-based accomplishments and past achievements nobody can earn any more. Legacy cards do not add to your overall progress and the category itself cannot level up.
How a Challenge Card is read
| Part of the card | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Token (centre) | The card’s unique icon; its colour changes with the card’s tier |
| Name and criteria | e.g. “Gets The Wurm” — take Barons before 21 minutes |
| Upper left | Challenge Points this card contributes to your total |
| Upper right | Which modes the card can be earned in |
| Bottom | The next major reward, e.g. the title “Early Bird” at Gold |
Points, Capstones and the Crystal
- Challenge Points come from completing a card’s objectives, usually many times over: the same card is cleared again and again to climb from Unranked to Challenger.
- Category points are the sum of your cards in that category and drive the category’s own tier.
- Capstones sit on top of each Challenge group and can only be fully mastered by completing every other card in the group.
- The Crystal adds all Challenge Points, Capstones and categories together into one rank from Unranked to Challenger, displayed on your profile border, lobby and loading screen.
Grandmaster and Challenger ladders
| Tier on a single card | Requirement (Riot) |
|---|---|
| Master | Clear the card the required number of times; the head-to-head race starts here |
| Grandmaster | Top 25% of players who reached Master on that card, and above the Grandmaster threshold |
| Challenger | Top 5% of players who reached Master, and above the Challenger threshold |
| Recalculation | Ladders update every 24 hours |
These ladders are per Challenge and per region, separate from the ranked ladder covered in our LoL ranks guide.
Rewards: Titles and Tokens
| Reward | Earned for | Where it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Completing Challenges and Capstones | Profile, lobby, loading screen |
| Tokens | Completing a Challenge; up to 3 equipped at once | Party lobby banner, identity page, profile, lobby, loading screen |
| Crystal rank | Overall Challenge Points | Profile border, lobby, loading screen |
Equip Titles and Tokens by clicking your Summoner Icon in the top right of the client: the Tokens and Titles tabs sit under Customize Identity, next to the icon and level border options.
Retroactive progress and common questions
| Situation | Riot’s rule |
|---|---|
| Stats from before patch 12.09 | In-game stat cards (minion kills, flame horizons) only count games after Challenges launched |
| What did count retroactively | Champion Mastery cards, every Collection card, certain non-seasonal Legacy cards |
| Card missing from a mode | The upper right of the card lists eligible modes; ARAM-only cards do not progress on Summoner’s Rift |
| Capstone stuck | Every other card in the group must be completed before the Capstone can be fully mastered |
| Legacy card not adding points | By design: Legacy does not contribute to overall progress |
| Honor versus Challenges | Separate systems; Honor gates rewards and is explained in our Honor guide |
FAQ
What are Challenges in League of Legends?
A free achievements system launched in patch 12.09: Challenge Cards in five categories that you clear repeatedly to earn Challenge Points, Titles, Tokens and an overall Crystal rank.
How do you level up your Challenges Crystal?
Earn Challenge Points on individual cards; they add up through categories and Capstones into the Crystal rank, from Unranked to Challenger.
How do you reach Challenger in a Challenge?
Reach Master on the card, then be in the top 5% of players who also reached Master and above the Challenger threshold. Grandmaster is the top 25%. Ladders recalculate every 24 hours.
What are Tokens and Titles in LoL?
Rewards for completing Challenges. Up to three Tokens and one Title can be equipped under Customize Identity and appear on your profile, lobby and loading screen.
Do old games count toward Challenges?
Only for Champion Mastery cards, Collection cards and some non-seasonal Legacy cards. In-game stat cards started counting at patch 12.09.
What are Legacy Challenges?
Time-limited cards for season-based or past achievements. They do not add to overall progress and the Legacy category cannot level up.
More League of Legends guides and resources on our League of Legends hub.
