League of Legends Ranks – How LoL Ranking System Works?
Are you wondering that how the League of Legends ranking system works? You are at the right spot. Discover how to climb the ladder and level up your rank and understand the importance of each rank in your journey of LoL.
If you are curious about testing someone’s MOBA skills in League of Legends there’s no better way than diving into the ranked play arena. Lets explore with me the ranking system of League of Legends. How It works and how can a player level up their rank.

What are LoL Ranks?
Just like other games’ raking system of League of Legends are also based on different tires. you can enjoy casual games in normals or ARAMs but when it comes to a rank match each player is assigned with its rank which represents his skills in the game. League of Legends has total 9 ranks starting from Iron and ending on Challenger. These ranks determine who you’ll be matched against in ranked matches.
How Do LoL Ranks Work?
Just like other games Lol also contains tires. It is divided into ten tires starting from Iron and ending on Challenger. Each tier, except for Master, Grandmaster, and Challenger, is further divided into four divisions. For example, if you’re in the Platinum tier, you will need to progress through Platinum IV, III, II, and I before reaching the next tier so in this way LoL ranks work.
Watch and Learn
Learn how to play League of Legends like a pro which will help, give you an edge during the match. Watch tutorials and streams by experienced and learn how raking system works.
Improving LoL Ranks
Ranking up does not only boost your social status in the gaming community but also unlocks new items including skins, emotes, champions, and Riot Points. If you want to improve your LoL ranks, you have to play ranked matches and survive till the last player. To raise your LoL ranks more fastly you have to win the raked matches. Each win awards you League Points (LP), and when you reach 100 LP you will be promoted to the next tire. You will move up to the next rank. On the other hand, losing matches will cause you to lose LP and if you fall below 0 LP, you may be demoted to your previous tire.
Different LoL Ranks

Lets explore different ranks in League of Legends:
LoL Rank Distribution
The distribution system of LoL ranks changed over time. Before, the player base was heavily all-out in the lower ranks. But now with the introduction of the Emerald rank, the majority of players sit in the middle tiers. Here it changes the distribution from the previous one:
- Iron: 8.1%
- Bronze: 18%
- Silver: 17%
- Gold: 19%
- Platinum: 18%
- Emerald: 13%
- Diamond: 4%
- Master: 0.64%
- Grandmaster: 0.051%
- Challenger: 0.021%
Unlocking Ranked Matches
If you want to play ranked matches. First, you have to meet their criteria. You must have a player level of 30 or above and own at least 20 different champions. This indicates that now you have enough experience and a vast pool of champions to compete in the more competitive ranked environment because each champions has its own powers and playing styles which cause impact on gameplay. Once you meet these requirements, you have to play five placement matches to determine your starting rank.
Understanding the concept of LoL MMR
Matchmaking Ranking or (MMR), is the hidden factor that determines your actual skill level in LoL. It impacts the LP you gain or lose from each ranked game. If you consistently gain more LP than you lose, it suggests that your MMR is higher than your current rank, and the game will start pushing you toward a higher rank and your level will also increase. While you can’t directly see your MMR, it’s an essential aspect to consider when you are improving your ranks.
Rank Decay system in LoL
For players in the higher ranks like Diamond and above, rank decay becomes a factor. Rank decay is a system implemented in League of Legends to ensure that players who have achieved top ranks continue to actively play the game. If a player in Diamond, Master, Grandmaster, or Challenger doesn’t play ranked matches for an extended period, their LP will start to decay and tier rank will continuously decrease.
The decay rate depends on the rank. In Diamond, players will lose 50 LP every 28 days of inactivity. In Master, Grandmaster, and Challenger, the decay is more severe, with players losing 250 LP every 10 days of inactivity. This encourages high-ranked players to play the game continuously and prevents the top ranks from being dominated by inactive players.
To avoid rank decay, players need to play ranked matches regularly. By participating in at least one ranked match every 28 days for Diamond and one every 10 days for Master, Grandmaster, and Challenger.
Promotions and Demotions of Rank
In addition to rank decay, promotions and demotions play a significant role in the League of Legends ranking system. When a player reaches 100 LP in their current division, they enter a promotion series. The promotion series requires the player to win a specific number of matches out of a set of games. If they succeed, they will be promoted to the next division or tier.
On the other hand, if a player continuously loses matches and their LP drops to 0, they face the risk of demotion. Demotion occurs when a player loses enough matches to drop below the LP threshold for their current division. If they fall below the threshold, they will be demoted to the lower division.
Promotions and demotions add an extra layer of excitement and challenge to the ranking system. They create opportunities for players to prove themselves and climb higher in their ranking system.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Final Thoughts:
In above summary, the League of Legends ranking system puts players by their skill level. To improve and move to the heigher ranks, players need to understand the different ranks, how to climb the ladder, and what factors can affect their rank. This is important for anyone who wants to get better and reach higher levels in the game.