In League of Legends, climbing the ranked ladder isn’t just about mechanics and strategy—it’s also about behavior. Riot’s Honor system rewards players who show positive conduct while punishing those who engage in toxicity.
Unlocking and increasing Honor levels is the key to accessing exclusive in-game rewards, special privileges, and end-of-season ranked prizes.
How the Honor System Works
At the start of each season, players typically begin at Honor Level 2 (or sometimes 3, depending on updates).
From there, they can climb up to Level 5 by consistently demonstrating sportsmanship. Progress depends on:
- Playing matchmade games regularly.
- Showing positive behavior in both gameplay and chat.
- Receiving honors from teammates at the end of matches.
- Avoiding penalties like chat restrictions, AFK punishments, or suspensions.
Toxic behavior has the opposite effect: reports, negative interactions, or abandoning games can drop players to Honor 1 or even Honor 0, where ranked rewards are locked and progress slows dramatically.
How to Unlock and Increase Honor Level
Climbing the Honor ladder isn’t about tricks—it’s about consistency. Here’s how to unlock and maintain steady progression:
- Play to Win and Play Nice: Focus on teamwork, constructive communication, and supporting teammates. Staying calm in tough matches goes a long way.
- Avoid Penalties: Any restriction or suspension immediately halts Honor progress. Even minor chat bans can lock progression for weeks.
- Consistency Over Popularity: While being honored by teammates helps, Riot emphasizes sustained positive behavior over simply farming honors. Most players who avoid penalties will naturally climb levels during the season.
In other words, you don’t need to be honored every match—you just need to consistently demonstrate sportsmanship.
Rewards and Perks
Unlocking higher Honor levels brings more than bragging rights. Riot ties exclusive rewards to the system, giving players concrete incentives for good conduct:
- Honor Capsules: Contain key fragments, ward skins, champion shards, or blue essence.
- Exclusive Skins and Cosmetics: At Honor Level 5, players unlock rare skins, special recall animations, and bonus shop tokens.
- Ranked Rewards Eligibility: Only players at Honor Level 2 or higher qualify for end-of-season ranked rewards, making good behavior essential for competitive players.
- Expanded Communication Features: Higher Honor levels restore privileges like team chat for those who had them restricted.
Closing Thoughts
Unlocking Honor levels in League of Legends is less about skill and more about consistency. By staying positive, avoiding penalties, and steadily earning teammate recognition, players can unlock everything from cosmetic rewards to ranked prizes.
The system is designed to send a simple message: good behavior pays off—both in-game and out of it.
Written by:
Christian