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.