How Much LP Gain is Average in League of Legends?
As an avid League of Legends player and content creator, one of the most common questions I see from my audience is: how much LP (League Points) gain can I expect to receive per win on average?
The confusion is understandable – LP gains can vary widely depending on your MMR, rank, winstreaks, tier promotions and other factors. But let me break down the current state of the ranked system and what we can estimate the "average" LP gains to be.
Average LP Gains by Tier
Based on aggregated data from tracking sites like LolFlavor and conversations with high elo players and coaches, the current average LP gains per win at each tier are approximately:
| Tier | Avg LP Gain per Win |
|---|---|
| Iron | +25 |
| Bronze | +23 |
| Silver | +22 |
| Gold | +20 |
| Platinum | +18 |
| Diamond | +15-17 |
| Master | +12-15 |
| Grandmaster | +10-12 |
| Challenger | +8-12 |
As you can see, LP gains tend to gradually decrease the higher in rank you climb. The main explanation is that reaching the top tiers requires incredibly high MMR. With smaller player bases, each win or loss makes up a larger percentage of the standings.
High elo players also often duo queue with teammates having lower MMRs. Since matchmaking has to average the team‘s skill levels, LP gains for the higher elo player diminish.
Meanwhile, entry level tiers grants huge LP swings upwards of +30 to quickly sort new ranked players towards their true skill level.
Reasons Your LP Gain May Vary
While those averages reflect the general LP expectations, actual values can differ substantially based on:
MMR and Rank Mismatch
If your hidden MMR exceeds your visible rank, you‘ll gain bonus LP ushering you to your "true elo". The reverse holds when your rank is inflated – gains drop to pull you back down.
After a winstreak, I once skipped straight from Gold 1 to Platinum 3 promos gaining over +30 LP per win. My MMR had skyrocketed but rank hadn‘t caught up yet.
Tier Promotions and Demotions
Gaining 100 LP triggers a tier promotion series. LP gains are locked to around +20-22 during promotions, presuming even MMR. If you‘re being demoted down a tier, you‘ll gain less LP until back at the milestone.
Win and Loss Streak Dynamics
The system reacts more drastically to consecutive wins or losses. A winstreak can send gains soaring over +25 LP if your MMR is also rising rapidly in the process.
When I once went on a 11 game loss streak (RIP), by the end I was getting +13 LP wins but -25 LP losses, tanking both my MMR and rank. Don‘t tilt queue!
Preseason and Soft Resets
As the playerbase resets each preseason, your rank and MMR start closer together for a fresh climb. LP normalizes more towards the +20 mark during placements and early season.
Duo Queue Discrepancies
Duoing with someone far above or below your MMR range makes LP flux harder to predict. The expected odds change game to game. Solo is still easiest way to gauge LP impact.
Sheer Random Variance
Due to the millions of players and variability in performances, once in awhile you‘ll have unusual outlier games that buck the averages for unknown reasons. Don‘t read deeply into occasional blips.
Estimating Your Current MMR
While Riot keeps matchmaking ratings hidden, third party sites like WhatIsMyMMR provide rough MMR estimates to compare against your rank. I recommend everyone occasionally check if LP aligns with their expected skill level.
If your MMR drops well under your current rank over many games, be prepared for LP gains around +15 and skippable division drops on loss streaks. No excuses for MMR deflation!
Improving Low LP Gains
If your LP gains seem consistently below average, here are steps you can take to get back on track:
- Play and win more games – Raising winrate always helps MMR catch back up
- Focus on individual improvement – Lessen mistakes and deaths game-by-game
- Only duo with similar elo allies – Avoid team MMR imbalance
- Review losses critically – Prevent repeats of same issues
- Take small ranked breaks – Resets mental between sessions
- Dodge occasional auto-losses – Selective dodging if team odds seem very low
Slow and steady consistency is key. You‘ll know your MMR has recovered once your LP trendline normalizes back around the tier averages.
Hopefully this gives you a better idea of how much LP gain is typical and why you may be getting more or less. Let me know if you have any other ranked questions! Now time to grind solo queue.
