League Of Legends ranks and ranking system explained
You may need an explainer for the League of Legends ranks and ranking system, so you can understand how exactly it decides what skill level you will be placed into, and what ranks are available to showcase your skill.
League of Legends is one of the most popular online multiplayer in the world, and ranks are a crucial part of the game, particularly for the most competitive players who want to prove they are the best. So, if you're looking to get into competitive LoL, check out our League of Legends ranks and ranking system explainer.
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League Of Legends ranks: The ranking system
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The ranked system in League of Legends is divided into nine tiers - Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Master, Grandmaster. and Challenger. Each of these tiers is further subdivided into divisions. Iron to Diamond has four divisions in each of the tiers.
From Master onward, there is no sub-division and players are placed based on their League Points (LP). LP is earned from wins, and lost from losses. You need consistent wins to keep progressing beyond Master rank.
Now we are coming into 2023 and Season 13 of League, there have been some changes made to ranked play. As per the League of Legends rank reset changes for 2023, there will now be two ranking periods in a season. This means there will be a mid-season split sometime in the middle of the year when you can take part in placement matches again.
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League Of Legends ranks: How to get ranked
Click to enlargeTo begin your journey in ranked League of Legends, there are a couple of steps. The first prerequisite is that you need to reach level 30. This is a requirement that essentially forces new players to have played plenty of the game before attempting to play in ranked. Once you reach level 30, you can play your first ranked games.
You do not begin at the bottom rank, instead, you must complete a series of ten placement matches. After your placement matches, you will be given a rank determined by the game. If you are perceived to be a new player, you will likely be placed in a lower rank to begin with. However, if you are very successful in your placement matches, chances are you will be bumped up to a higher rank.
Once you have a foot in the door, you can begin the grind to the top. You will need to earn LP to rank up, with a new rank reached every 100 LP. Once you reach a new ranking tier, you must complete a promotion series to rank up. Another change in Season 13 is that promotion series are now a best of three, instead of the previous best of five. Win two of your three matches to progress to the next rank.
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League Of Legends ranks: Demotion and decay
Click to enlargeThere are two ways through which your rank can be lowered, demotion and decay. Demotion is what happens when you lose too many matches. Losing matches means losing LP, and once your LP hits zero you are up for potential demotion.
Generally speaking, once you reach 0 LP, your next loss will cause a demotion. This isn't necessarily true if you are at a rank like Gold IV or Silver IV, where your demotion would drop you to the next tier down. Instead, in those cases, you are more likely to be given a couple of chances to get a win and start climbing again.
Regardless, when you are demoted, you do not begin at the bottom of that rank. You should be no more than one or two wins away from reclaiming your lost rank.
Decay is another matter, which only applies to players in Diamond or above. Essentially what decay means is that time spent not playing ranked matches will cause your rank to drop. Playing matches will bank days, giving you a period of time before your rank begins to decay. When you run out of banked days and still haven't played any matches, your LP will begin to go down.
Those are the basics of the League of Legends ranks explained. For more on the game, check out our League of Legends patch 13.4 patch notes guide.