League of Legends Ranked is one of the most popular competitive playlists in all of gaming with numerous players queuing up each day in either Solo/Duo or Flex Queue to push for the next available rank.
Solo/Duo Queue is the most competitive playlist available for those trying to test their might against other players. Flex Queue exists for larger parties, and games can certainly feel competitive when you have four other players wanting to push for the highest rank possible.
The system has undergone multiple changes over the years, most recently in Season 2023 Split Two adding a new rank in the middle-to-high tier. Here's everything you need to know about the League of Legends Ranked system including all ranks in the game, how promotion works and more.
League of Legends Ranks in Order
Here are all of the League of Legends ranks in order:
- Iron (lowest)
- Bronze
- Silver
- Gold
- Platinum
- Emerald
- Diamond
- Master
- Grandmaster
- Challenger (Highest)
Divisions Iron through Diamond all feature four tiers meaning a division starts at Tier IV and ends at Tier 1. So, for example, a player has to climb from Bronze IV to Bronze I before progressing to Silver. The only divisions that do not have divisions are Master through Challenger. Once there, an LP system takes over where the total amount of LP earned indicates where a player is in their respective division.
How Promotion/Demotion Works in League of Legends
Promotion changed in Season 2023 Split 2 as well removing Promotional Series between Tiers and Ranks. In the past, players had to win either two-of-three or three-of-five to promote to the next tier or rank respectively.
Split 2 removed Promos meaning once a player hit 100 LP, they would automatically promote to the next respective tier/rank. Demotion works the same for both tiers and ranks. If a player is at 0 LP in a certain tier and they lose their next match, they will demote to the tier below. For example, a player at Gold III will demote to Gold IV.
It takes a bit longer for players to demote between Platinum and Gold, as an example. If players are at 0 LP in the lowest tier in their division, players can lose a number of games before being fully demoted. An indicator on players' profiles will note whether or not a player's Demotion Shield is expiring. If the yellow indicator appears, players have a couple more games before Demotion. If the indicator is Red, time to start winning games or else risk demotion.
Rank Decay
Decay is only prevalent at the higher ranks of League of Legends. Decay is when a player's standing in a certain rank will fall down because of inactivity on the ladder. Decay is only present from Diamond up, meaning players in Emerald and below won't have to worry about Decay.
Ranked Changes for Season 2024
There are some big changes currently planned for Ranked in 2024. First, there will be three Splits this year.
- First split begins on Jan. 9
- Second split begins in May
- Third split begins in September
As well, there will be no downtime between Preseason and Season 2024 beginning. Preseason is currently live on the PBE, but there will be no Ranked downtime. Players can still grind until Jan. 3 when Season 2023 ends to push for the highest rank possible. Instead, Patch 14.1 will introduce Season 2024 on Jan. 9.
How to Get Victorious Skins in League of Legends
Victorious Skins are special cosmetics awarded to players at the end of a League of Legends season/split. Players have to meet two requirements:
- Hit Gold and accrue 80 SP to earn the Victorious skin
- Hit Silver an accrue 1,600 SP to earn the Victorious skin
Previously, players had to hit Gold in a season to earn the Victorious skin with special Chromas awarded to players who hit higher ranks. Now, players earn SP through playing Ranked. Players only need to hit Gold once to drastically drop the SP threshold. Players can demote to Silver after hitting Gold without needing to get back to earn a Victorious skin. Though, players will only earn the Chromas for their final rank and those below.
This article was originally published on dbltap as League of Legends Ranks in Order: Ranking System Explained.