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LOL Ranks Explained 2026: Understanding the League of Legends Ranking System

Sports Writer

Publish Date: 29/06/2024

Fact checked by: Alyx Tzamantanis

Key Points

LoL rank ensures that each game is fairly divided, and new players aren’t matched against those at a much higher level.
In order to get onto the ranking system, you must reach level 30 and have more than 16 champions.
To reach the next level or division, you earn League Points by winning games and must earn 100LP to advance.

If you’re a bit confused by the ranking system for League of Legends, then we’re not entirely surprised. So we’ve set out to create a guide where the LoL ranks are explained in a straightforward way that’s easy to follow, even if you’re brand new to the game.

Like most other multiplayer games, there’s a ranking system in LoL to ensure that you are matched up with players with a similar skill level.  This effectively levels the playing field and improves the quality of your gaming.

LOL Ranks

How do you get ranked?

Ranking isn’t something that happens automatically when you first sign up to play LoL. In fact, you’ll need to keep playing unranked until you reach level 30 and own 16 or more champions.

At that point, you’ll be invited to contest in 5 placement matches. The outcome of those matches will then determine your overall LoL position, in terms of both division and rank. Most players are assigned to either Iron, Bronze or Silver initially.

The LoL ranks

There are seven standard ranks in LoL starting at Iron and ending at Diamond. Each of those is split into four divisions, with division #1 being the highest. The remaining three are Apex tiers and are not sub-divided.

Below is the current percentage of LoL players assigned to each of the ranks:

LoL Rank	Percentage of players
Iron	6.8%
Bronze	18%
Silver	18%
Gold	20%
Platinum	19%
Emerald	11%
Diamond	4%
Master	0.3%
Grand Master	0.053%
Challenger	0.012%

How do you move up the ranks?

As we’ve explained League of Legends isn’t a static game, players frequently move around between divisions and ranks, with their exact position determined by a complex behind-the-scenes algorithm known as MMR. But here are a few facts you might want to know.

When you win a game, you receive League Points (LP), and losing will mean you lose LP. To advance through the divisions and ranks, you need to rack up 100 LP and you’ll be automatically boosted up to the next level. Conversely, if your LP balance falls to zero, or below, then you’ll get demoted.

When you reach Master or above, you’ll be matched up to other players based on the total amount of LP you hold. This will determine your ranking and how far up the leaderboard list you are.

The Challenger tier is slightly different, it’s for the elite players, professional and wannabe pros. You need a minimum of 500 LP to get to this rank and will certainly be on the radar for professional teams if you manage it.

It’s time to play

You’re sure to have seen articles online that suggest League of Legends is dying, but that couldn’t be any further from the truth! Over 140 million players engage with the game every month, and it’s notably the second highest paying esport, with over $20 million in prize money awarded to players every year.

With so many players, a well-structured and robust ranking system is an absolute necessity and although it can be tricky to move up the ranks without the know-how. Even with the know-how, it’s a difficult task.