League of Legends’ ranked ladder is the backbone of its competitive experience, dividing millions of players into ten tiers—from Iron at the bottom to Challenger at the summit—to match opponents of roughly equal skill.
Ranked Tiers and Divisions
Players progress through ten hierarchical ranks: Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Emerald (added in 2023), Diamond, Master, Grandmaster, and Challenger. All but the top three tiers (Master and above) are subdivided into four divisions (IV through I), creating a granular path for upward movement.
League Points (LP) and Hidden MMR
Advancement is measured by League Points (LP). Wins grant LP, losses deduct LP, and reaching 100 LP in your current division triggers a promotion opportunity. How much LP you earn or lose per match is dictated by your hidden Matchmaking Rating (MMR)—a secret skill score used by Riot’s matchmaking system. If your MMR exceeds your displayed rank, you’ll gain above‑average LP on wins and lose minimal LP on defeats; when MMR and rank align, LP gains and losses normalize.
Promotion Series
Upon hitting 100 LP, players enter a best‑of‑three promotion series to move up a division (e.g., Silver IV → Silver III). Advancing from Division I into the next tier (e.g., Gold I → Platinum IV) requires winning a best‑of‑five series. Failing a series drops you back to 75 LP, where you must accumulate LP again to retry.
Placement Matches and Initial Rank
New ranked accounts begin each season with five placement games. Results from these matches establish your starting rank and approximate MMR baseline. Subsequent performance adjusts your LP gains and losses to reflect skill relative to peers.
Seasonal Structure and Resets
Since Season One of 2025, Riot replaced hard rank resets with a soft MMR reset at each new split—allowing players to retain their rank but recalibrating LP gains to smooth progression toward higher tiers. This change eliminates the need to grind back from lower divisions each season, while still ensuring fresh competition as each split begins.
Rank Decay and Inactivity
To keep the ladder active, players in Master tier and above incur LP decay after a period of ranked inactivity. Falling below zero LP due to decay results in demotion. Below Master, rank remains stable regardless of play frequency.
In summary
League’s ranked system combines visible progression (LP and tiers) with a hidden skill rating (MMR) to match players fairly. By winning consistently, managing LP gains, and succeeding in promotion series, players climb the ladder toward the coveted Challenger tier.
Written by:
Christian