League of Legends has 10 ranked tiers: Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Emerald, Diamond, Master, Grandmaster, and Challenger. Iron through Diamond are split into four divisions (IV through I), while the top three tiers have no divisions and share a single leaderboard.
All Ranks in Order
| Tier | Divisions | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Iron | IV, III, II, I | Entry tier |
| Bronze | IV, III, II, I | |
| Silver | IV, III, II, I | |
| Gold | IV, III, II, I | |
| Platinum | IV, III, II, I | |
| Emerald | IV, III, II, I | Added in patch 13.14 (July 2023) |
| Diamond | IV, III, II, I | Decay starts here |
| Master | None | Apex tier, starts at 0 LP |
| Grandmaster | None | Requires 200+ LP, limited seats |
| Challenger | None | Requires 500+ LP, limited seats |
Division IV is the lowest within each tier and Division I is the highest. So Iron IV is the absolute bottom of the ladder, and Diamond I is one promotion away from Master.
What Each Rank Means
A common claim is that "Gold is average." It's not. Gold is roughly the top 35% of ranked players. Riot's own internal brackets define "Average" as everything from Iron IV through Emerald III.
| Tier | Approx. % of Players | Cumulative (Top %) |
|---|---|---|
| Iron | 2% | 100% |
| Bronze | 18% | 98% |
| Silver | 25% | 80% |
| Gold | 25% | 55% |
| Platinum | 17% | 30% |
| Emerald | 9.1% | 13% |
| Diamond | 3.6% | 4% |
| Master | 0.99% | ~1% |
| Grandmaster | 0.093% | ~0.1% |
| Challenger | 0.042% | ~0.04% |
Data from February 2026, all regions, Solo queue. Distribution shifts slightly each patch. For live numbers, check League of Graphs or OP.GG.
Riot uses four skill brackets for internal balancing:
| Bracket | Ranks | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Average | Iron IV to Emerald III | 100th to ~6th |
| Skilled | Emerald II to Diamond II | ~6th to ~1st |
| Elite | Diamond I to Challenger | ~1st |
| Pro | Professional leagues | LPL, LCK, LEC, LCS, etc. |
How LP Works
You earn League Points (LP) for wins and lose them for losses. Each division spans 0 to 100 LP. Hit 100 and you promote to the next division (or tier) with any extra LP rolling over. Drop below 0 and you can demote.
Promotion series (best-of-3 matches between tiers) were removed in patch 13.14. You now promote immediately at 100 LP.
The amount of LP you gain or lose per game depends on your hidden MMR relative to your visible rank:
- MMR above your rank (you're climbing): larger gains, smaller losses. Something like +28 per win, -18 per loss.
- MMR matches your rank: baseline of roughly +/-20 LP (as of the 2026 Annual Cycle).
- MMR below your rank (you've been losing): smaller gains, larger losses. Something like +14 per win, -28 per loss.
What Is MMR?
MMR (Match Making Rating) is a hidden number that represents your actual skill level. It determines who you get matched against and how much LP you gain or lose. Your visible rank is the display layer; MMR is the engine underneath.
You can't see your exact MMR. But LP gains tell you where it is relative to your rank. If you're gaining significantly less than 20 LP per win, your MMR is below your visible rank. The system is saying you belong lower, and it's pulling you down. Conversely, if you're gaining 28+ per win and losing only 15-18, your MMR is ahead of your rank and you're on your way up.
The fastest way to fix low LP gains is to win more than you lose. MMR responds to win streaks faster than individual games. There's no reset button or shortcut. For more details, see our guide to checking your MMR.
Demotion and Protection
There are two separate demotion protections, and most guides confuse them:
1. Demotion Protection Shield is granted when you first promote into a new tier. It prevents demotion for a set number of games (wins and losses both count):
- Promoting into Bronze through Diamond: 10 games
- Promoting into Master: 3 games
2. Tier-loss Protection triggers when you hit 0 LP at the bottom division of a tier (e.g., Gold IV at 0 LP). Unlike the shield above, this is not a fixed number of games. It depends entirely on your MMR. If your MMR is well above your current tier, you'll get more protection. If it's well below, you may demote quickly.
A yellow warning icon appears on your ranked profile when demotion is close. A red icon means it's imminent. If you're demoted, you land in Division I of the tier below with 25, 50, or 75 LP depending on how far your MMR is from your visible rank.
One important exception: decay-induced demotion at 0 LP bypasses Tier-loss Protection entirely. You demote immediately.
Rank Decay
Ranked decay only affects Diamond and above. Iron through Platinum players can take a break without losing rank.
The system tracks an "activity score" that builds as you play games. After a grace period of inactivity, 1 point is removed per day. Once the score hits zero, you start losing LP each day instead.
| Diamond | Apex (Master/GM/Challenger) | |
|---|---|---|
| Score per game | 7 | 1 |
| Grace period | 28 days | 10 days |
| Max bank | 28 | 14 |
| Initial bank | 28 | 10 |
| LP lost per day | 50 | 75 |
A Diamond player earns 7 activity points per game and can bank up to 28, so a few games a month keeps decay off entirely. Apex players earn only 1 point per game with a max bank of 14, meaning they need to play consistently every week or two.
Decay only affects your visible rank, not your MMR. If you decay from Diamond to Platinum and come back, your MMR is still where you left it, so you'll gain large amounts of LP until your visible rank catches up.
Apex Tiers: Master, Grandmaster, and Challenger
The apex tiers work differently from the rest of the ladder. There are no divisions. Master starts at 0 LP with no upper limit. Grandmaster requires at least 200 LP and Challenger requires at least 500 LP, but meeting the LP threshold alone isn't enough.
Grandmaster and Challenger each have a limited number of seats that vary by server. The leaderboard updates daily at 23:45 UTC. If you have 500+ LP but there are already 300 Challengers ahead of you on NA, you stay in Grandmaster until someone drops out or you climb higher.
| Region | Grandmaster Seats | Challenger Seats |
|---|---|---|
| EUW, NA, KR, Vietnam, PH, SEA, China (major servers) | 700 | 300 |
| EUNE, BR, TR, LAN, LAS, TW, China (other servers) | 500 | 200 |
| OCE, RU, JP, TH | 100 | 50 |
Seat counts are set by Riot based on regional population and can change between seasons.
Queue Types and Duo Restrictions
There are two ranked queues, each with a separate rank:
- Solo/Duo Queue: Play alone or with one partner. This is the primary competitive ladder.
- Flex Queue: Parties of 1, 2, 3, or 5 (no parties of 4). More relaxed rank restrictions. Separate rank from Solo/Duo.
In Solo/Duo, who you can duo with depends on your rank. Restrictions tighten as you climb:
| Your Rank | Can Duo With |
|---|---|
| Iron | Iron to Silver |
| Bronze | Iron to Silver |
| Silver | Iron to Gold |
| Gold | Silver to Platinum |
| Platinum | Gold to Emerald |
| Emerald | Platinum to Diamond III |
| Diamond IV-II | Emerald II to Diamond I |
| Diamond I | Diamond III to Master |
| Master | Diamond I to Grandmaster |
| Grandmaster | Master to Challenger |
| Challenger | Grandmaster to Challenger |
There's also an MMR-based restriction: even if your visible rank qualifies, you can't duo if your hidden MMR is too far apart. In Korea and China, duo is disabled entirely at Master MMR and above.
As of 2026, duo queue was re-enabled at Challenger rank for most regions (it was previously restricted). Both queues count toward the Victorious skin reward (15 wins across Solo/Duo and Flex combined).
TFT (Teamfight Tactics) has its own completely separate ranked ladder with different tier names and cutoffs.
How to Unlock Ranked
You need three things before you can queue for ranked:
- Player level 30
- Own at least 20 champions (free rotation doesn't count)
- 10 completed Normal Summoner's Rift games
Once unlocked, you play 5 placement games. During placements, you can't lose LP, only gain it. The maximum rank you can place into is Diamond III, though most new accounts place somewhere in Bronze to Silver. Your placement MMR is seeded from your Normal game history.
Need champions? See our guide on how to unlock champions.
Ranked Rewards
At the end of each ranked season, players receive rewards based on their finishing tier: profile icons, banners, and loading screen borders. The flagship reward is the annual Victorious champion skin, which becomes one of the rarest skins in League once the split ends and the window closes permanently.
To earn the Victorious skin, you need to win 15 ranked games across Solo/Duo and Flex combined. This was simplified in 2025, replacing the previous system that required reaching Gold with Split Points. The base skin is now accessible to anyone who plays ranked regularly. Higher finishing tiers earn additional chromas and border upgrades.
Players with negative Honor status are ineligible for ranked rewards regardless of their rank.
Notable 2026 Changes
The 2026 season introduced several system-level changes:
- Aegis of Valor: Autofilled players who perform well (mastery grade C or higher) receive either double LP on a win or full LP loss protection on a loss. Autofill status now persists through champion select dodges.
- Master+ dodge penalty: Dodging in apex tiers now counts as a full loss, affecting both LP and MMR.
- Climb Indicator: A visual indicator shown to teammates when your visible rank is behind your MMR, signaling that you're climbing.
- Flex MMR alignment: Flex queue MMR is now pulled toward your Solo/Duo MMR. Solo/Duo rank is never affected by Flex performance.
