League of Legends LP Explained: Gains, Decay and Dodges (2026)

League Points (LP) are the visible points you gain for ranked wins and lose for losses in League of Legends. Reach 100 LP and you move up a division, with extra LP carrying over. Promotion series no longer exist, so you climb automatically. How much LP each game is worth depends on your hidden MMR.

This guide covers how LP gains and losses are set, placements, demotion protection, Aegis of Valor, decay for Diamond and above, dodge penalties and the Apex tier ladder. It is current as of October 2026, during Season 3 of 2026, and is checked against Riot Games support articles and patch notes. For the full tier order, see League of Legends ranks explained.

How does LP work in League of Legends?

Each division from Iron IV to Diamond I is a 0 to 100 LP bar. Per Riot's placements, demotions and decay article:

• Division promotion: reach 100 LP and you move up one division. Leftover LP carries over.
• Tier promotion: reach 100 LP in Division I and you move into the next tier.
• Division demotion: if a loss takes your LP below zero, you drop a division and keep the remainder. Riot's example: 5 LP in Silver III minus a 20 LP loss leaves you in Silver IV at 85 LP.

Riot keeps separate MMRs for Normal, Solo/Duo and Flex games, and each ranked queue has its own rank, so a climb in one queue does not move the other.

How much LP do you gain or lose per game?

Riot does not publish a fixed LP value per game. Instead, the amount depends on how your hidden matchmaking rating (MMR) compares with your visible rank, per Riot's MMR, rank and LP article.

Once MMR and rank line up again, LP amounts drift back toward balance. Riot lists other things that can move LP away from the usual amount: loss-prevention caps, AFK and leaver penalties, uneven team odds, and queuing with friends, which can mean tougher opponents or smaller gains. Following Riot policy, RankSurge does not offer MMR calculators or estimates. If you want to plan the number of divisions between you and a goal, try the rank goal planner.

Are promotion series still in League of Legends?

No. Riot removed promotion series starting in Season 2023 Split 2, saying players would move directly through tiers whenever they had enough LP, per its What's next for ranked post. The same update added the Emerald tier and cut placements from ten games to five. There is no best-of-three or best-of-five gate anymore.

How do placements work?

Each ranked queue uses five placement matches to set your starting tier and division. Riot says your results, the difficulty of your opponents and your previous-year rank all factor in.

• No LP loss: a placement loss gives 0 LP rather than a negative amount.
• Placement cap: no one places higher than Diamond III.
• Leaving counts: disconnecting or going AFK in a placement counts as a loss.

What is demotion protection?

Dropping a whole tier is cushioned. When a loss takes you out of a tier, you land in Division I of the tier below at 25, 50 or 75 LP, depending on how Riot assesses your skill. Reaching Master adds protection for your first three games after promotion, per Riot's Apex tiers article.

Riot also refunds LP in some bad games:

• Consolation LP: you can get a full refund if a teammate outside your premade group is verified for being AFK, leaving or intentional feeding. There is a weekly cap.
• Cheater refunds: LP lost to a confirmed cheater is restored once that player is banned.

What is Aegis of Valor?

Aegis of Valor rewards players who get autofilled. Since patch 26.15, a win while Aegis is active gives double LP, and it no longer reduces LP losses, per the patch 26.15 notes. Riot's matchmaking and autofill article adds that players in priority roles such as Support and Jungle, or on Fill, have a similar chance to get it. You lose it if you swap off your autofilled role in Champion Select or receive a penalty such as going AFK.

How does LP decay work for Diamond and above?

Only Diamond, Master, Grandmaster and Challenger decay. Every ranked game you play banks days, and banked days count down by one each day. When they run out, you lose LP every day you stay inactive.

Decay still runs while an account is banned. It also runs one final time on the last day of a season, so Riot recommends keeping at least one more banked day than there are days left in the season.

How much LP do you lose for dodging?

Leaving champion select in a ranked queue costs LP and adds a queue timer, per Riot's queue dodging article:

1. First dodge: 6-minute timer and 5 LP lost.
2. Second dodge: 30-minute timer and 15 LP lost.
3. Third and later dodges: 12-hour timer and 15 LP lost.

In the Apex tiers, a dodge costs 20 LP instead of 5 and also affects MMR scoring. Your penalty level drops by one after 24 hours without a dodge, and failing to lock in counts as a dodge. From Master upward, dodging an autofilled game counts as a full loss, and if you dodge an autofilled lobby at any rank, your autofill status carries over to the next game.

How do Master, Grandmaster and Challenger LP work?

The Apex tiers have no divisions and no LP cap. Everyone competes on one regional LP ladder.

• Master: reached at 100 LP in Diamond I.
• Grandmaster: at least 400 LP and more LP than the lowest current Grandmaster in your region.
• Challenger: at least 800 LP and more LP than the lowest current Challenger.

Standings are recalculated once every 24 hours at midnight local time. In Solo/Duo, NA, EUW, KR and SEA allow up to 700 Grandmasters and 300 Challengers, while several smaller regions have lower caps. You can follow the top of each ladder on our leaderboards page.