League of Legends ranked has ten tiers: Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Emerald, Diamond, Master, Grandmaster and Challenger. Iron through Diamond each split into four divisions (IV to I), and you climb by earning 100 League Points per division. Promotion series are gone, ranks fully reset once a year, and Diamond and above can decay.
Below is the full tier order, how LP and placements work, what changed in 2026, the decay rules for high ranks, the Apex tier cutoffs, and the rules for Solo/Duo and Flex queues. Everything is checked against Riot Games support articles and patch notes, so rules may shift again in a later season.
What are all the ranks in League of Legends, in order?
There are ten tiers. The first seven use four divisions each, with Division IV the lowest and Division I the highest. The last three, called the Apex tiers, are a single ladder ranked by LP with no divisions.
| Order | Tier | Divisions | How you move up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iron | IV, III, II, I | 100 LP per division |
| 2 | Bronze | IV, III, II, I | 100 LP per division |
| 3 | Silver | IV, III, II, I | 100 LP per division |
| 4 | Gold | IV, III, II, I | 100 LP per division |
| 5 | Platinum | IV, III, II, I | 100 LP per division |
| 6 | Emerald | IV, III, II, I | 100 LP per division |
| 7 | Diamond | IV, III, II, I | 100 LP per division; decay applies |
| 8 | Master | None (LP ladder) | Reach 100 LP in Diamond I |
| 9 | Grandmaster | None (LP ladder) | At least 400 LP and above the lowest Grandmaster in your region |
| 10 | Challenger | None (LP ladder) | At least 800 LP and above the lowest Challenger in your region |
Emerald is the newest tier. Riot added it between Platinum and Diamond in Season 2023 Split 2 to stop the ladder from crowding into Diamond (Riot announcement). To see where each tier sits relative to the player base, check our rank distribution page.
How does LP work in League of Legends?
League Points (LP) are the visible currency of ranked. Wins add LP and losses remove it. Hit 100 LP and you move up a division, with any extra LP carrying over. Hit 100 LP in Division I and you move straight into the next tier, usually starting at Division IV.
How much LP you gain or lose depends on your hidden matchmaking rating (MMR). When your MMR is higher than your visible rank, you gain more per win and lose less per loss. When it is lower, the reverse happens. When the two match, gains and losses roughly even out (Riot support).
What extra LP rules exist in 2026?
- Aegis of Valor: introduced with 2026 Season 1 to soften autofill. Since patch 26.15 it doubles the LP from a win and no longer reduces LP losses (patch 26.15 notes).
- Consolation LP: you can get lost LP back if a teammate outside your premade is verified for being AFK, leaving or intentionally feeding. This refund has a weekly cap.
- Cheater refunds: LP lost to a confirmed cheater is restored after the ban.
Planning a target rank? Our rank goal planner helps you map the divisions between you and your goal.
How do placements and demotions work?
Each ranked queue starts with five placement games that set your starting tier and division. You cannot lose LP in placements, and no one is placed higher than Diamond III. Placements reset at the start of each new year, so most players only play them once per calendar year per queue (Riot support).
Demotion works in two ways:
- Division demotion: if a loss takes more LP than you have, you drop one division. For example, 5 LP in Silver III minus a 20 LP loss leaves you in Silver IV at 85 LP.
- Tier demotion: dropping out of a tier puts you in Division I of the tier below at 25, 50 or 75 LP, depending on how far your rank is from your estimated skill.
Are promotion series still in League of Legends?
No. Riot removed promotion series in Season 2023 Split 2, in the same update that cut placements from ten games to five. Since then you advance automatically once you pass 100 LP, including between tiers. There is no best-of-three or best-of-five gate anymore.
How do seasons and rank resets work in 2026?
League runs three ranked seasons per year, each split into two acts. In 2026, Season 1 started January 8, Season 2 started April 29 with patch 26.9, and Season 3 started July 29 with patch 26.15 (esports.gg schedule; patch 26.15 notes).
- Full reset: visible rank and placements reset once a year, at the start of Season 1 in January.
- Mid-year seasons: the Victorious mission (15 ranked wins) refreshes and the previous season's rewards are handed out, but normal ranks are not wiped.
- 2026 exception: at the start of Season 2, Riot hard-reset Master and above in NA, EUW, EUNE, BR, LAN and TR to Master 0 LP after configuration problems distorted the Apex ladder. Riot described a mid-season reset as something it will almost always avoid (Riot dev post).
Season end dates are usually confirmed close to the finish, so check our news section near the end of the year for the next reset.
What is rank decay in League of Legends?
Decay only affects Diamond, Master, Grandmaster and Challenger. Every ranked game you play banks days. When your bank runs out, you start losing LP each day you stay inactive (Riot support).
| Rule | Diamond | Master and above |
|---|---|---|
| Days banked per game | 7 | 1 |
| Maximum banked days | 28 | 14 |
| LP lost per day of decay | 50 | 75 |
| Where decay can drop you | Diamond IV decays to Emerald I | Down to Diamond II |
Decay still runs while an account is banned, and it runs one final time on the last day of a season. Riot advises keeping at least one more banked day than there are days left in the season.
How do Master, Grandmaster and Challenger work?
The Apex tiers hold fewer than 1% of players, and everyone in them competes on one regional LP ladder with no upper limit. Grandmaster and Challenger standings are recalculated once every 24 hours around midnight local time, so you can move between tiers daily (Riot support).
- Master: reached at 100 LP in Diamond I. You get demotion protection for your first three games.
- Grandmaster: needs at least 400 LP and more LP than the lowest current Grandmaster in your region.
- Challenger: needs at least 800 LP and more LP than the lowest current Challenger.
Each region also caps how many players can hold the top two tiers. In Solo/Duo, NA, EUW and KR allow up to 700 Grandmasters and 300 Challengers; smaller regions and most Flex ladders have lower caps. The live cutoff is whatever LP the lowest player in that tier holds that day, which is why it moves constantly. Browse the top of each ladder on our leaderboards.
What is the difference between Solo/Duo and Flex queue?
Solo/Duo and Flex have separate ranks, separate LP and separate rewards, so climbing one never moves the other (Riot support). To queue ranked at all, an account needs to be level 30 and own at least 20 champions.
Solo/Duo duo restrictions
Solo/Duo allows parties of one or two. Who you can duo with depends on your tier:
- Iron and Bronze: Iron to Silver
- Silver: Iron to Gold
- Gold: Silver to Platinum
- Platinum: Gold to Emerald
- Emerald: Platinum to Diamond III
- Diamond IV to II: Emerald II to Diamond II
- Diamond I: Diamond III, plus Master players under 200 LP
- Master: players within 400 LP, or Diamond I if the Master player is under 200 LP
- Grandmaster and Challenger, or anyone with that level of MMR: solo only
Flex queue rules
Flex accepts parties of 1, 2, 3 or 5, but not 4. There are no rank limits for Diamond and below, while anyone in a party with a Master or higher player must be at least Emerald. Large rank gaps inside a party can lead to tougher opponents.
Want to see how you stack up against a friend before you queue together? Use compare players, and read our guides for role and climbing tips.
Ready to climb? Now that you know how the ladder works, our guide on how to climb in League of Legends covers the habits, practice routine and weekly checklist that turn it into a climb.
Track your climb. League of Legends stat lookups on RankSurge are coming soon, pending Riot API approval. Bookmark the League of Legends stats hub and our player lookup to check your rank, LP history and match record as soon as they open.
Frequently asked questions
How many ranks are there in League of Legends?
There are ten ranked tiers in League of Legends: Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Emerald, Diamond, Master, Grandmaster and Challenger. The first seven tiers each have four divisions, numbered IV (lowest) to I (highest), which gives 28 divisions below the Apex tiers. Master, Grandmaster and Challenger have no divisions and instead rank everyone on a single regional LP ladder. Emerald, added in 2023, sits between Platinum and Diamond.
How much LP do you need to rank up in League?
You need 100 LP to move up one division, and any LP above 100 carries over to the next division. Reaching 100 LP in Division I of a tier promotes you directly into Division IV of the next tier, with no promotion series. The LP you earn per game is not fixed. It depends on how your hidden MMR compares with your visible rank, so players whose MMR is above their rank gain more per win and lose less per loss.
Does League of Legends still have promos?
No. Riot removed promotion series in Season 2023 Split 2. Before that, reaching 100 LP put you into a short series of games you had to win to rank up. Now you are promoted automatically once your LP passes 100, both between divisions and between tiers. The same update also cut placement games from ten to five. Tier demotions still have a soft landing, placing you at 25, 50 or 75 LP in the tier below.
Do ranks reset every season in 2026?
Not fully. In 2026 League of Legends runs three ranked seasons, but normal ranks and placements reset only once a year, at the start of Season 1 in January. Mid-year seasons refresh the Victorious reward mission and pay out the previous season's rewards without wiping your rank. The exception was the start of Season 2, when Riot hard-reset Master and above in six regions to Master 0 LP after problems with the Apex ladder.
How does rank decay work in League of Legends?
Rank decay applies only to Diamond and higher. In Diamond, each ranked game banks 7 days, up to 28, and you lose 50 LP per day once the bank is empty. In Master and above, each game banks 1 day, up to 14, and decay costs 75 LP per day. Decaying Diamond IV players fall to Emerald I, and decaying Apex players drop to Diamond II. Decay still runs while an account is banned and on the season's final day.
What LP do you need for Grandmaster and Challenger?
Grandmaster requires at least 400 LP and Challenger at least 800 LP, but those are only minimums. You must also have more LP than the lowest player currently in that tier in your region, because each region caps how many players can hold it. In Solo/Duo, NA, EUW and KR allow up to 700 Grandmasters and 300 Challengers. Standings are recalculated every 24 hours, so the real cutoff changes daily.
Sources
- support.riotgames.com/en-us/league-of-legends/gameplay/ranked-tiers...
- support.riotgames.com/en-us/league-of-legends/gameplay/placements-p...
- support.riotgames.com/en-us/league-of-legends/gameplay/master-grand...
- support.riotgames.com/en-us/league-of-legends/gameplay/mmr-rank-and-lp
- leagueoflegends.com/en-us/news/dev/dev-apex-tier-ranked-reset
- leagueoflegends.com/en-us/news/game-updates/league-of-legends-patch...
- leagueoflegends.com/en-us/news/game-updates/what-s-next-for-ranked/
- esports.gg/guides/league-of-legends/what-lol-season-is-it-all-leagu...
