League of Legends has three kinds of game mode: permanent queues you can play any time (Ranked, Normal, Swiftplay, ARAM, and Co-Op vs AI), rotating featured modes that come and go (Arena, URF/ARURF, and ARAM Mayhem), and Teamfight Tactics, which is really a separate game inside the same client. As of patch V26.11, the rotating modes live right now are ARAM Mayhem and Arena; URF is between rotations. This guide compares every mode at a glance, then explains what each one is and who it is for.
All LoL Game Modes Compared
Here is every mode you can currently queue for, plus the rotating ones that cycle in and out. "Pacing" is how fast a typical game feels, not a hard match length.
| Mode | Players | Map | Pacing | Ranked? | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranked Solo/Duo & Flex | 5v5 | Summoner's Rift | Standard | Yes | Permanent |
| Normal Draft | 5v5 | Summoner's Rift | Standard | No | Permanent |
| Swiftplay | 5v5 | Summoner's Rift | Fast | No | Permanent |
| ARAM | 5v5 | Howling Abyss (3-map rotation) | Fast | No | Permanent |
| Co-Op vs AI | 5 players vs bots | Summoner's Rift | Standard | No | Permanent |
| Arena | 2v2v2v2 (16) | Rotating battlefields | Fast | No | Rotating (live now) |
| URF / ARURF | 5v5 | Summoner's Rift | Frantic | No | Rotating |
| ARAM Mayhem | 5v5 | ARAM maps | Fast | No | Rotating (live now) |
| Teamfight Tactics | 8-player free-for-all | The Convergence | Standard | Separate rank | Permanent (separate game) |
Permanent Game Modes
These five are always in the client. They are the backbone of LoL and cover everything from competitive climbing to a quick casual game.
Ranked Solo/Duo and Flex
Ranked is competitive 5v5 on Summoner's Rift with full draft and bans, and it is the only mode that awards LP and a rank. Solo/Duo is the ladder most players care about (you queue alone or with one friend); Flex is the same format for premade groups of up to five. Both use their own separate matchmaking ratings. If you are new to the ladder, start with our guide to the League of Legends ranks and how to read your hidden rating in the how to check LoL MMR guide.
Normal Draft
Normal Draft is the unranked version of the full Summoner's Rift experience: the same draft, bans, and 30-plus-minute strategic arc as Ranked, but with no LP on the line. It is the standard place to learn a new role or champion under real draft conditions without the stress of your rank. It runs on its own normal matchmaking rating, separate from your ranked MMR.
Swiftplay
Swiftplay is the permanent casual Summoner's Rift queue that replaced Quickplay and Blind Pick. You start at level 3 with 1,400 gold, objective timers are accelerated, and a Sudden Death system caps games well under the length of a normal match. You pre-pick your role and champion before queuing, so lobbies fill fast. It is the fastest way to play a full Summoner's Rift game when you do not want a 35-minute commitment. Full details in our what is Swiftplay guide.
ARAM
ARAM (All Random All Mid) is the permanent one-lane 5v5 on the Howling Abyss, now rotating across three maps. Everyone gets a random champion, there is no recall, and the whole game is teamfighting down a single lane. Games run about 20 minutes, which makes it the most popular casual mode in League. It has its own separate ARAM MMR and a full reward ecosystem. See our what is ARAM guide, which is the hub for the rest of the ARAM cluster.
Co-Op vs AI
Co-Op vs AI is a team of players against computer-controlled bots on Summoner's Rift, available at Intro, Beginner, and Intermediate difficulty. It is the lowest-stress way to learn a champion's combos, test a build, or complete missions without facing real opponents. This is the actual "bot mode," and it is the source of the common "is ARAM bots?" confusion: matchmade ARAM is player-versus-player, while Co-Op vs AI is the one with bots.
Rotating and Featured Modes
Featured modes are limited-time queues that cycle in and out of the client. They are where Riot experiments with rules that would be too chaotic to leave on permanently. Three are in active rotation in 2026.
Arena
Arena is the 2v2v2v2 mode: eight teams of two fight a round-robin bracket on small battlefields ringed by a shrinking Ring of Fire, picking permanent augments and buying items between rounds. There are no lanes, no jungle, and no objectives, just paired combat and build-crafting. It runs on a parallel Fame progression rather than LP, and it is currently live in its fifth run. Full ruleset in our what is Arena guide.
URF and ARURF
URF (Ultra Rapid Fire) gives every champion near-zero cooldowns, free abilities, and bonus attack and movement speed, producing short, frantic games. ARURF is the all-random version Riot rotates back most often. URF is limited-time, returning roughly once or twice a year, usually around the January and spring windows. It is not live in the current patch. Our URF guide covers the full ruleset and the complete return history.
ARAM Mayhem
ARAM Mayhem is a rotating variant of ARAM that keeps the all-random format but swaps your runes for Arena-style augments, adds mode-exclusive items and summoner spells, and layers on a 32-level reward track. It is live alongside Arena in the current rotation. See our ARAM Mayhem guide for how the augments and progression work.
Past Rotating Modes
Riot has run many other featured modes over the years that cycle back occasionally. Nexus Blitz is a fast, event-packed map with mini-games and a roaming boss. One for All puts five copies of the same champion on each team. Ultimate Spellbook lets you swap your ultimate for a famous champion's. Doom Bots is a co-op PvE mode against buffed, ability-spamming bots. None of these are permanent, so they appear only when Riot brings them back into the rotation.
Teamfight Tactics (A Separate Game)
Teamfight Tactics (TFT) shares the League client but is its own game: an 8-player auto-battler where you buy and position champions on a board and let them fight automatically, rather than controlling one champion. It has its own ranked ladder, its own currency, and its own balance cycle. If someone calls TFT a "LoL game mode," that is the practical truth (it is in the same launcher), but it plays nothing like the MOBA.
Which Mode Should You Play?
- Want to climb? Ranked Solo/Duo is the only mode that moves your rank.
- Learning a champion or role? Normal Draft for real draft conditions, or Co-Op vs AI for zero pressure.
- Short on time? Swiftplay for a full Summoner's Rift game, or ARAM for a 20-minute teamfight.
- Want chaos? Whatever featured mode is live: Arena, URF, or ARAM Mayhem.
- Want a break from the MOBA entirely? Teamfight Tactics, or one of the games like League of Legends if you want to leave the client.
The lineup changes a few times a year as featured modes rotate, so the fastest way to see what is playable today is the mode picker in the client. For the permanent modes, the guides above go deeper on each one.
