win.gg
Win.gg League of Legends Everything you need to know about the LoL ranking system

Everything you need to know about the LoL ranking system

Author Icon
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi Published 11/11/2019

League of Legends has been around for ten years. The game’s ranked system has changed over the many seasons of its life. Its core has remained largely the same, with players placed in different tiers based on their skill level.

League players are now ranked from Iron to Challenger based on the league points they earn and lose over the course of a season. These seasons lasts almost a year, and are divided into multiple splits that give players smaller rewards in addition to larger ranked rewards at the end of the season.

Once a new season starts, players’ ranks are decided based on the ten provisional games they play at the outset. These are called placement games.

League of Legends ranked tiers

From lowest to highest, League’s ranked tiers are Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Master, Grandmaster, and Challenger. With LP as the determinant of their skill, players are placed to match with others who perform at a similar level. 

Tiers below Master are divided into four divisions. To climb to a higher tier or division, players need to reach 100 LP in their respective division and then win two out of three promotional matches. If a promotional series is failed, players will be given one free win the next time they try for the same promotion.

If players are looking to be promoted to the next ranked tier, they’ll need to win three out of five games.

Master, Grandmaster, and Challenger are single tiers with a limited number of slots, reserved only for the very best players in each region. The number of slots depends on the total population of ranked players in a given region. The Challenger tier is where most professional League of Legends players can be found when they’re actively playing through ranked solo queue.

Inactivity and numerous losses after falling to 0 LP in a division can result in a demotion.

LoL’s LP system and hidden MMR

LP are earned by winning games and lost by losing games. The number of points that will be gained or lost in a particular game is based on the players’ hidden matchmaking ratings.

MMR, also known as ELO rating system, depends on a few factors, including the MMR of both teams in a game. For example, winning against a team that overall has higher MMR will reward more of LP points after a win, and losing against a higher ranked team will lose fewer points. At its core, MMR depends on how many wins a player has.

Players lose and gain LP based on the difference between their own MMR and the average MMR of the division they’re placed in at any given moment. If a player’s MMR is higher than the average in their ranked division, the system will push them higher on the ladder to better match them with other players of the same skill level.

Ranked rewards in League of Legends

Ranked rewards are distributed to the players after the season ends. Season nine will end on November 19 with the year’s preseason patch going live.

Based on the ranked tiers they placed and honor levels, players can potentially receive different icons, emotes, ward skins, and ranked armor upgrades. Those that finish the season in the Gold ranked tier or above will also receive a special victorious skin. The 2019 ranked season reward is an Aatrox skin, which will be mixed in along with the other ranked rewards.

More icons and emotes are awarded to players at the end of each of the three seasonal splits. Players earn split points based on the number of games won while playing primary and secondary roles, or winning with an autofilled role, which typically brings in the most points.

Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
About Syed Mujtaba Naqvi

View full profile
Read Also
These Are Our Betting Tips for the League Championship Series Week 4 Esports Betting
These Are Our Betting Tips for the League Championship Series Week 4 Ben Boland The 2026 LCS Summer Split is in full swing, with the eight North American squads all vying for a chance to represent the region at this year's World Championship. With Worlds being on home soil, there is more than just a ticket to Worlds at stake. Each series in the regular season carries weight, as the standings will determine their seeding and potentially their fate in the playoffs. Week four ...
Caps To Be Announced As Third Inductee in the LoL Hall of Legends League of Legends
Caps To Be Announced As Third Inductee in the LoL Hall of Legends Hannan Mundia After Faker and Uzi were inducted into the Hall of Legends in 2024 and 2025 respectively, the European League of Legends player Caps will be the next to get the same treatment. League of Legends has been a cornerstone in the professional gaming scene for over a decade. In that time, a handful of players have managed to leave their mark for all future fans and fellow players to learn ...
MLBB is the most-watched game from the EWC, and it’s hard to see another game beating it Esports Betting
MLBB is the most-watched game from the EWC, and it’s hard to see another game beating it Michael Hassall The Esports World Cup 2026 has officially passed its midway point and viewership figures for the tournament have surpassed many expectations so far, as per Esports Charts. The viewership tracking site revealed new statistics for the event on Aug. 6, showcasing just how many games had set new records in viewership, including one name leading the way in views: Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. MLBB leads the viewership charts with the ...
LCK 2026 Rounds 3–4 Preview, Schedule, Predictions, and More League of Legends
LCK 2026 Rounds 3–4 Preview, Schedule, Predictions, and More Hannan Mundia 2026 LCK Rounds 3-4 are slated to start soon, and this preview highlights the schedule, our expert predictions, and everything else you need to know before watching. The LCK has been upside down recently. Teams that were considered absolute powerhouses are seemingly falling off, while previous underdogs have been causing upset after upset. 2026 LCK Rounds 3-4 are starting soon, and the big question here is which team will reign ...
LEC 2026 Summer split preview, schedule, predictions, and more League of Legends
LEC 2026 Summer split preview, schedule, predictions, and more Hannan Mundia The 2026 LEC Summer split will be the deciding split to determine which teams can make it to the World Championship, and this preview aims to highlight everything you need to know about it. It isn’t a stretch to say that the LCK and LCP are the only two competitive League of Legends regions actually pulling their weight currently. The LEC did show potential at the start of the year, ...
How is League of Legends Classic different from the modern version? League of Legends
How is League of Legends Classic different from the modern version? Hannan Mundia League Classic brings the classic League of Legends gameplay and design from when the game first came out, but how is it different from the modern version? The modern League of Legends mode is arguably in its best state in terms of popularity, with a study even reporting that playing LoL can improve brain function. Over a decade of gameplay and multiple marketing tactics by Riot Games have bumped up ...
Best Champions for every role in League of Legends Classic mode League of Legends
Best Champions for every role in League of Legends Classic mode Hannan Mundia League Classic sees the return of League of Legends Season 3, but which champions were deemed the best during that time? League of Legends has gone through a lot of changes since it first came out. While the map and item-related changes naturally impacted the game's state, so did the many champion nerfs, buffs, and reworks. Multiple champions played completely differently in Season 3 than they do now. Since League ...