League of Legends Ranks – Your Guide to Climbing in 2025

Have you just started playing League of Legends and you have no clue how the ranked ladder works? Here’s what you need to know about ranks in League of Legends and how the whole system works to maximize your results.

What Are the League of Legends Ranks?

Just like any competitive game out there, League of Legends has its own ranking system that is designed to match players of similar skill levels. Honestly, it’s a good thing. Playing against someone who is dramatically better than you doesn’t exactly make you want to keep playing. Your rank is a strong indicator of your performance and consistency and will help the system determine the level of the opponents you face as you climb up the ranks.

Given the increase of the player base over the years, Riot Games introduced a new ranking system in the past years, each representing a distinct skill bracket. Players earn League Points (LPs) when they win games, and lose points on losses. More LPs lead to higher ranks on the ranked ladder.

The LoL Rank System

Here is the current rank structure in League of Legends in 2025 (from lowest to highest):

1. Iron
2. Bronze
3. Silver
4. Gold
5. Platinum
6. Emerald
7. Diamond
8. Master
9. Grandmaster
10. Challenger

Prior to 2023, League of Legends only had 9 ranks. Emerald was added given the increasing share of players between Platinum and Diamond and the need to further segment players’ skill levels.

How the LoL Ranking System Works

Placement Matches

At the start of each ranked season, players have to go through placement matches that will determine the initial rank. It’s usually a total of 10 placement games, and your performance in these games, as well as the historic record of the past season (if there is any), will dictate your starting point.

League Points (LP) and Divisions

Each rank (except for Master, Grandmaster, and Challenger) is divided into four divisions, from IV (lowest) to I (highest). Players earn LP for victories and lose LP for defeats. Whenever you have accumulated 100 LP in your current division, you will be able to automatically move up to the next tier or division.

Decay and Demotion

Starting from Diamond IV, all players are subjected to what we call ranked decay. If a player is inactive on the ranked ladder, he will begin to lose points until he drops to Emerald I 75 LP. The decay period for Diamond players is set to 28 days and one game played will automatically reset that decay.

That being said, for players in Master tier or above, the decay period is set to 14 days only. On top of that, one ranked game will only grant you one extra day of decay, as the top players on the ranked ladder are required to be consistently playing to maintain their rank.

Matchmaking Rating (MMR) in LoL – Explained

While people usually pay attention to the rank to determine their level of play, what Riot Games really looks into when pairing players is the Matchmaking Rating, better known as MMR.

This rating is separate from your rank and goes up or down based on whether you win or lose games. The MMR also determines how many points you can earn (or lose) in a game: if you win against higher-MMR opponents, you will be able to earn more points. Be careful to keep track of the LoL patch updates so you don’t get caught out and tank your MMR.

Typically, your MMR is somewhat correlated to your rank, but you will tend to win fewer points the longer your win streak is, as usually, you have to wait for your MMR to balance itself out as your game record increases.

New Features and Changes of the ranked system in 2025

Big changes have come to League for 2025. To spare you some time, here is the list of all the key updates:

• Single Annual Ranked Reset: unlike previous years where the season was divided into three splits, there will be only one single ranked reset at the start of the year. Thank you, Riot.
• Victorious Skin Criteria: Earning the base Victorious skin will now only require players to win 15 Ranked games (solo/duo, flex, or combined) per thematic season. Achieving higher ranks will unlock corresponding chromas.
• Apex Player MMR Adjustments: MMR for high-tier players will have a less aggressive soft reset to minimize early-season volatility and improve match quality among Diamond, Master, Grandmaster, and Challenger ranks. In the past years, there were multiple instances where high elo players were being matched with actual Diamond and Emerald players, causing a big imbalance on the first months of the season.
• Return to Ranked Experience: Players returning after a long hiatus (6 months and more) will experience increased decay rates, placing them in lower ranks to better match their current skill level and ensure fairer gameplay.
• Addressing Rank Inflation: Adjustments are being made to make higher-tier ranks more challenging to attain, aligning with previous seasons and addressing concerns of rank inflation. While it’s yet to see how it’s played out, we should see a lower distribution of players in the upper part of the ranked ladder.

Rewards for Ranked Play

Climbing the ranked ladder comes with tangible rewards, including:

• Seasonal Victorious Skin
• Ranked Borders based on your rank at the end of the season
• End-of-season rewards such as icons, emotes, and unique cosmetics based on your highest achieved rank.
• Prestige Points

Tips to climb the ranks in League of Legends in 2025

1. Master the Fundamentals

Just like any game or sport, understanding the basic aspects of the game like choosing the best LoL heroes for beginners is the first key to quickly climb the ladder. In the case of LoL, focus on improving your:

• Farm/CS: while kills are important, farming gold is the most straightforward way to generate gold and pick up strong items, which in turn gives you better stats and an easier time to win games.
• Warding: Vision control is key since it gives you more information about the enemy team and allows you to find opportunities to fight or get advantages on the map.
• Win condition: there isn’t a single winning formula for every game in LoL. By learning which are the win conditions for your team, you can greatly increase your chances of victory.

2. Choose a Core Champion Pool

If you want to climb up quickly, make sure to stick to 1 or 2 roles at maximum and learn a smaller pool of champions. This allows you to master the champions’ mechanics more efficiently and focus more on other aspects of the game, such as the macro game and decision-making around teamfights.

One extra tip: It’s always advised to play champions that have good carry potential as you will have more influence on the game’s outcome when you are ahead.

3. Communication Is Key

While you don’t have to constantly message your opponents, use pings to give information to your team. It may not make a difference sometimes, but it’s usually a good habit to have and something that rarely hinders your results, especially if you’re a macro-game player.

4. Adapt to the Meta

League is a dynamic game that is often subject to changes, especially during the start of the season. Learning and understanding that information faster than others allows you to quickly find the most effective tactics or champions to use. If you’re not able to check the patches as often, stick to watching pro players or the tier lists.

5. Maintain a Positive Mindset

Losing games that you feel are won or toxic behavior can heavily influence you and your team’s performance. Always try to be tilt-free to have the best decision-making possible in most scenarios. Even if something goes bad, try to ask yourself what you can do to make it back instead of tilting over the mistakes made.

6. Review Your Gameplay

This is partially related to the point above. It’s not useful to spam games if you don’t know what mistakes or positive things you’re doing. Try to constantly analyze your gameplay to understand whether you could’ve done things better. In 99% of the cases, the answer is always yes. Learning from your errors is much more productive and will allow you to rise up the ranks faster.

Key Takeaways 

Understanding the League of Legends ranks system is the first step to improving your gameplay and achieving your goals in 2025 and maybe even play a LoL tournament or two. With a good approach, dedication, and a positive mindset, you will be able to climb quickly and hit your goals faster. Just bear in mind that every match is an opportunity to learn and grow and don’t get frustrated too much if you happen to lose several games in a row. Take a break, analyze your mistakes, and hit the Rift once you’re in a better condition!