League of Legends ranks run from Iron at the bottom to Challenger at the very top, and this guide lays out every tier in order, explains how League Points work, and clears up where Emerald fits after Riot added it in 2023. Ranked can feel opaque when you are new, with divisions, LP and promotions all in play at once. Below is the whole ladder plus a grounded look at where most players actually land.
League of Legends has ten tiers. The lower seven (Iron through Diamond) each have four divisions and use League Points, or LP. The top three, Master, Grandmaster and Challenger, have no divisions and form one continuous LP ladder. Emerald was added between Platinum and Diamond in 2023. You need account level 30 to play ranked.
The full League of Legends rank ladder, in order
The lower seven tiers each split into four divisions, counted from IV (lowest) up to I (highest). So you enter a tier at Division IV and promote out of Division I into the next tier. The top three tiers drop divisions entirely and rank everyone by a single LP total.
| Order | Tier | Divisions | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iron | IV to I | Entry tier. Learning last-hitting, the map and when to back. |
| 2 | Bronze | IV to I | Basic macro forming, mistakes still frequent. |
| 3 | Silver | IV to I | A huge, crowded band of steadily improving players. |
| 4 | Gold | IV to I | The classic "average" region with decent fundamentals. |
| 5 | Platinum | IV to I | Solid mechanics and objective awareness. |
| 6 | Emerald | IV to I | Added in 2023 between Platinum and Diamond. Strong, deliberate play. |
| 7 | Diamond | IV to I | High skill, real coordination, sharp decision making. |
| 8 | Master | No divisions | One LP ladder begins. Elite individual skill. |
| 9 | Grandmaster | No divisions | A capped slice of top Master players per region. |
| 10 | Challenger | No divisions | The very top, a small fixed number of players per region. |
Emerald is the newest addition and the one that confuses returning players. Before 2023 the ladder jumped straight from Platinum to Diamond. Riot slotted Emerald in between to decompress the crowded upper-middle, which shifted a lot of former high-Platinum players into the new tier.
How League Points and promotions work
Inside the lower tiers, each division holds up to 100 League Points. Win a ranked game and you gain LP, lose and you shed it, with the amount tied mainly to whether you win, adjusted by your hidden matchmaking rating. Reach 100 LP and you promote to the next division; drop to 0 and keep losing and you can demote.
- Placement games. A new ranked season opens with placement matches that read your hidden rating and set your starting rank.
- Tier promotions. Moving up a whole tier (say Gold I to Platinum IV) is the meaningful jump; division steps within a tier are smaller.
- Demotion protection. Fresh promotions get a short grace period so a single bad night does not immediately knock you back down.
Riot has simplified promotions over the years, trimming the old best-of-three promo series so climbing feels more continuous than it did in League's early seasons.
Master, Grandmaster and Challenger
The top three tiers work differently. Divisions vanish and everyone shares one LP ladder. You reach Master by climbing past Diamond I with enough LP, then keep accumulating LP to compete for the capped Grandmaster and Challenger slots. Because Grandmaster and Challenger are limited to a set number of players per region, holding them requires active play, and the LP cutoff rises and falls with the competition. Inactivity causes LP decay at these tiers, so the summit is something you defend, not just reach.
Rough rank distribution
Distribution shifts each split and differs slightly by region and queue, and Riot's published numbers move over time, so treat the table as an approximate picture rather than exact figures.
| Tier | Approximate share | Read |
|---|---|---|
| Iron | ~4 to 6% | Smaller than its reputation. |
| Bronze | ~16 to 20% | Very common early band. |
| Silver | ~18 to 22% | One of the biggest clusters. |
| Gold | ~16 to 19% | The classic average. |
| Platinum | ~12 to 15% | Above average. |
| Emerald | ~8 to 11% | Strong upper-middle. |
| Diamond | ~2 to 4% | Clearly elite. |
| Master + | Well under 1% | Master, Grandmaster and Challenger combined. |
The upshot: Gold is genuinely average, and cracking Platinum or Emerald already places you well ahead of the ladder. Diamond and above is rare.
How to climb the ranks
Below Diamond, climbing is far more about consistent decisions than mechanical highlights:
- Master a tiny champion pool. Two or three champions you know cold beat a wide, shallow roster.
- Play for objectives. Dragons, Rift Herald and towers win games more reliably than chasing kills.
- Ward and watch the map. Dying to ganks you could have seen is the most common LP leak below Platinum.
- Keep a clear head. Muting toxic chat and taking breaks after losses protects your win rate more than any build change.
- Sharpen quick pattern recognition off the Rift. A short brain-and-memory warmup helps your in-game focus; try our Memory Match or a quick Reaction Time round.
League of Legends ranks FAQ
What is the highest rank in League of Legends?
Challenger is the highest rank. It has no divisions and is limited to a small fixed number of players per region, decided by LP standing among the top of the ladder.
How many ranks are there in League of Legends?
There are ten tiers. The lower seven (Iron through Diamond) have four divisions each, while Master, Grandmaster and Challenger form a single division-free LP ladder.
Where does Emerald rank sit?
Emerald sits between Platinum and Diamond. Riot added it in 2023 to spread out the crowded upper-middle of the ladder.
What rank is average in League of Legends?
Gold sits right around the median in most regions, with Silver just below it. Reaching Platinum or Emerald puts you clearly above the typical player.
Do high ranks decay?
Yes. Master, Grandmaster and Challenger lose LP through inactivity, so the top tiers must be actively defended, not just reached once.
My takeaway
League's ladder is ten tiers deep: divisions and LP up to Diamond, then one continuous ladder for Master, Grandmaster and Challenger, with Emerald now filling the gap above Platinum. Narrow your champion pool, play for objectives, and let a steady win rate carry you. New to the scene? Our beginner's guide to esports sets the stage, and you can compare systems in our VALORANT ranks explainer or Counter-Strike 2 ranks guide. Want a quick strategy fix in the browser? Sharpen your planning with a match of Chess. For the official numbers, Riot's ranked system support page is the source of record.