In the world of League of Legends, some of the game’s most skilled players take their talents beyond climbing the ranked ladder on their own accounts. Known as boosters, these players are paid to log into other accounts—or queue alongside clients—to raise ranks for profit.
While boosting remains a lucrative underground market, it’s also a practice that Riot Games explicitly bans, with consequences that can permanently erase years of progress and investment.
Requirements to Become a Booster
Boosting services set high standards for those looking to join their ranks.
Typically, applicants must:
- Reach Master tier (250+ LP) or higher on their main account. Many platforms also expect Diamond II+ consistency across secondary roles.
- Maintain high win rates, often above 65%, to ensure efficient climbs and satisfied customers.
- Demonstrate meta knowledge and versatility, handling a wide champion pool and adapting strategies to different ranks.
- Use VPNs for security, masking login locations to reduce the risk of detection by Riot’s anti-cheat system, Vanguard, which monitors suspicious activity and irregular rank jumps.
The bar is set deliberately high: only players capable of dominating across multiple roles are considered reliable boosters.
The Process of Boosting
Boosting generally takes two forms:
- Solo Boosting: The booster logs directly into the customer’s account and plays ranked games until reaching the agreed rank. This is faster but also riskier, as Riot can easily track unusual login locations and sudden win streaks.
- Duo Boosting: The booster queues with the client, who plays on their own account. While this avoids account sharing, it still gives the customer an unfair competitive edge.
Some services allow customers to choose preferred champions, lanes, or game modes, with faster delivery and special requests carrying premium prices.
Riot’s Crackdown and the Risks
Riot has invested heavily in anti-boosting enforcement, particularly with the introduction of Vanguard, its upgraded anti-cheat and security system. Detection methods include:
- Monitoring login patterns and identifying accounts accessed from multiple locations in short spans.
- Flagging unnatural rank progression, such as rapid jumps inconsistent with past performance.
- Acting on player reports when teammates suspect unusual play.
Penalties are severe: accounts caught boosting may lose ranked rewards, skins, or be permanently banned. Boosters themselves risk losing their own main accounts if linked to illicit activity.
Ethical and Community Impact
Beyond the risks, boosting undermines League of Legends’ competitive integrity. It creates unfair matchups, frustrates legitimate players, and distorts the ranked ladder. Riot frequently highlights these issues in policy updates, framing the crackdown as essential to preserving a fair competitive ecosystem.
Still, the demand for boosting persists. For some elite players, it’s a side income; for customers, it’s a shortcut. But both sides gamble with their accounts, reputations, and the spirit of fair play.
Closing Thoughts
Becoming a booster in League of Legends requires extraordinary skill, consistency, and security measures. Yet no matter how professional the service appears, the risks are real: permanent bans, lost content, and damage to the game’s competitive scene.
Riot’s message is clear—while boosting may be tempting, it’s a shortcut that comes with consequences. For players chasing higher ranks, the only safe and lasting path is the hardest one: earning it themselves.
Written by:
Christian