LP Gains, LP Losses, and the Hidden MMR Relationship
Why does one player win +22 LP while another wins +12 LP in
the same division? The answer is hidden MMR. This guide
explains how LP gains are calculated, why they shrink as you
climb, and what they reveal about your account.
The LP Gain Formula
LP gains are determined by the gap between your visible
rank and your hidden MMR. If your MMR is higher than the
average MMR for your current rank, the system rewards you
with more LP for wins and takes less LP for losses. The
game wants to move you toward the rank that matches your
MMR. In a healthy account, LP gains are roughly +18 to +21
LP per win and losses are roughly -15 to -18 LP per loss.
This gives you a positive net climb even with a 50% win
rate, though you still need more wins than losses to climb
consistently. If your MMR is much higher than your rank,
you can see gains of +25 to +30 LP per win and losses of
-8 to -12 LP. This is the classic smurf or recently reset
account pattern. The exact formula is not public, but the
relationship is clear: bigger LP gains mean your MMR is
ahead of your rank.
Why LP Gains Shrink Over Time
As you climb, your MMR gets closer to the expected MMR for
your rank, so the bonus shrinks. This is normal and not a
sign that you are playing worse. It is simply the system
converging. A Silver player climbing to Gold might start
with +22 LP wins and end with +15 LP wins by the time they
reach Gold, not because they got worse, but because the
MMR gap has closed. At higher ranks, the population is
smaller and the MMR floor is higher, so the same number of
wins moves you less. Inflated LP gains at the start of a
season are another example of this convergence. After a
soft reset, your MMR is still high but your rank is lower,
so you gain more LP. As you play games and your rank
catches up, the gains normalize. This is why early-season
win streaks are so valuable for climbing quickly.
Losing More LP Than You Gain
If you lose more LP than you gain, your MMR is below your
current rank. This is a warning sign that your rank is
higher than your skill level in the current meta. The
system will drag you down until your rank matches your
MMR. You can fix this by improving your win rate. Even a
small improvement, from 48% to 52%, can reverse the LP
drain over time. Duoing with a much lower-ranked friend
can also reduce your LP gains because the matchmaker
averages MMR and you face easier opponents, which lowers
the MMR value of each win. Some players intentionally lose
games to lower MMR, which is against the rules and can
result in bans. The honest way to climb is to improve your
gameplay, focus on fundamentals, and accept that your rank
will reflect your skill level over many games.
Reading Your LP Gains as a Diagnostic
Your LP gains are a diagnostic tool, not a verdict. If you
gain +20 and lose -15, you are in a good spot and climbing
is efficient. If you gain +15 and lose -18, you are in a
deficit and need to fix your MMR before focusing on rank.
If you gain +25 and lose -10, you are climbing faster than
your rank and will likely skip divisions or tiers. The LP
Calculator can help you plan your climb based on these
numbers. Enter your current LP, target LP, average LP per
win, average LP per loss, and win rate, and the tool will
estimate how many games you need. This removes the
guesswork from your climb and lets you set realistic
weekly goals. Remember that LP gains are a symptom of your
MMR health, and MMR health is built by winning more games
than you lose.