This article covers the current League system used in League of Legends. For details on the older ranking method, refer to the Elo rating system.
To create balanced matches where players face others of similar skill, League of Legends employs a ranking framework known as the League system.
The system today consists of ten skill tiers that reflect a player’s overall proficiency. The highest tiers are grouped together, while tiers below them are divided into four divisions, numbered I (the highest) through IV (the lowest). Each division ranks players by League Points (LP), a numeric score that increases or decreases based on match outcomes. Players move up or down tiers and divisions depending on their LP.
In the Ranked section of the Profile screen, players can track their position on the ranked ladder across all queues and check when the current ranked split ends.
Season & Rewards
A season spans nearly a year and breaks down into three roughly equal splits. Throughout each split, players earn rewards by participating in Ranked games. At split’s end, rewards are distributed based on final ladder standings. Ranked accounts face a “soft reset” at the start of each new split, usually dropping by three to four divisions (capped at Diamond I).
Players accumulate split points (SP) for wins and losses:
+10 SP for a win
+6 SP for a loss
SP counts toward rewards during the split and at its conclusion:
160 SP: Ranked Split Emote featuring a Riot champion
240 SP: Permanent Champion Unlock
320 SP: Unique Ranked Split Icon
800 SP: Masterwork Chest
Additional minor rewards like Hextech Keys and Chests are sprinkled between these milestones.
The crown jewel reward is the exclusive “Victorious skin” granted to players who actively compete in Ranked during the split. This skin, along with chromas reflecting the player’s final tier, unlocks after the split ends.
Victorious skins are released for each split (previously per season). Eligibility depends on SP earned, with thresholds varying by rank:
Silver and below: 1600 SP required
Gold and above: 80 SP required
Players’ top rank from the previous split is displayed on their profile. Those in Challenger also receive a special Recall animation showcasing the Challenger crest.
Tiers and Divisions
Crests
Crests are visual badges that denote a player’s rank and have evolved across seasons from Iron to Challenger.
Banners
Ranked banners are cosmetic backgrounds visible in lobbies and loading screens, highlighting current or past achievements. Players can customize banner visibility.
Summoner Icon Borders
Ranked borders replace standard Prestige icon borders and reflect the player’s rank for the current split.
League Points (LP)
Players gain LP by winning ranked matches and lose LP on defeats. The LP amount gained or lost depends on a hidden Match Making Rating (MMR) compared to the player’s visible rank. A higher MMR than rank means bigger LP gains and smaller losses.
Other factors, such as team rank disparities and map side, slightly influence LP changes.
Below Emerald tier: baseline ±25 LP per game when MMR and rank align.
Emerald and above: baseline is around 20 LP per game on average.
Decay
Higher tiers use an activity score that tracks how often players compete. If inactive beyond a grace period, decay kicks in, causing automatic LP loss daily.
| Tier | Matches per Activity Point | Grace Period (days) | Max Bank | Initial Bank | LP Lost Daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diamond | 7 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 50 |
| Apex Tiers | 1 | 10 | 14 | 10 | 75 |
Inactive players don’t appear on ranked ladders. Decay doesn’t impact MMR. If Master players decay, they drop to Diamond II.
Consolation LP
The system detects disruptive or griefing players. When teammates suffer from griefers, they can receive consolation LP if:
The match ended in defeat.
A teammate was flagged for griefing.
No player on the team was AFK or left early.
The match was not a promotion series.
Consolation LP is granted weekly to compensate affected players.
Progression
Promotion and Demotion
Advancing within a division requires reaching 100 LP, with any excess carrying over. Dropping below 0 LP causes demotion to the lower division.
Tier Promotion
At 100 LP in division I, players move up to division IV of the next tier, with rollover LP. If promotion would leave 0 LP, 1 point is added automatically.
Promoting from Bronze through Master grants a Demotion Protection Shield, preventing immediate demotion for a set number of games:
Bronze to Diamond tiers: 10 games
Master tier: 3 games
Tier Demotion
Losing too much LP can demote a player to the previous tier’s highest division, with starting LP set by MMR:
Low MMR: 25 LP
High MMR: 75 LP
Average MMR: 50 LP
Players may play a few matches at 0 LP before demotion occurs, protected by Tier-loss Protection based on MMR.
Yellow and red warning icons alert players nearing demotion.
Decay-related demotions happen immediately without protection.
Placements / Provisionals
New ranked players enter a provisional period of 5 games determining their initial rank. LP can only increase during placements, allowing swift promotion.
Ranks after placements depend on previous split results or, for new players, on normal, ARAM, and Co-op vs AI MMR.
Players cannot place higher than Diamond III initially. The first provisional win can award up to 100 LP.
Apex tiers are not accessible through placement.
Apex Tier
The Apex tier represents the top echelon of players, consisting of a single division in Master, Grandmaster, and Challenger tiers.
Minimum LP to enter:
Grandmaster: 200 LP
Challenger: 500 LP
Rankings update daily, with players sorted based on their LP.
Skill Levels
Player performance impacts patch balancing across skill brackets:
Average: Iron IV – Gold I (0–90 percentile)
Skilled: Platinum IV – Diamond III (90–99 percentile)
Elite: Diamond II – Challenger (99–100 percentile)
Pro: Professional Leagues (LPL, LCK, LEC, LCS, PCS, VCS)
This comprehensive system keeps competitive play engaging, dynamic, and fair for millions of League of Legends players worldwide.
