How the LP & MMR System Works in League of Legends
League of Legends hides your true skill behind a single
number called MMR, while your visible rank and LP are the
cosmetic layer most players obsess over. This guide explains
how the two systems interact, why your LP gains and losses
change over time, and what actually controls your
matchmaking. Once you understand that MMR—not your
badge—determines who you play with and against, climbing
becomes a matter of improving the hidden number instead of
chasing the visible one.
What Is MMR?
MMR, or Matchmaking Rating, is the hidden score that
determines who you play with and against. It is a
continuous number that moves up or down after every ranked
game based on whether you won or lost and the quality of
your opponents. Unlike LP, which resets every season and
is tied to your current rank, MMR carries over from one
split and season to the next, which is why a Diamond
player returning after a break gets placed in lobbies with
other high-skill players even during placements. The
system is designed to be zero-sum: when you beat someone,
you gain the MMR they lost. Riot does not publish exact
MMR values, but players can infer it through the LP they
gain and lose. A player in Gold IV gaining +22 LP per win
and losing -8 LP per loss likely has MMR closer to
Platinum, while a Gold IV player gaining +14 and losing
-16 probably sits below the MMR expected for that
division. This hidden number is what the game actually
uses to match players, not your visible badge, which means
the rank icon is a delayed reflection of your MMR rather
than a real-time measure.
How LP Translates to MMR
LP, or League Points, is the visible currency that moves
you between divisions and tiers. Your LP gains and losses
are calculated by comparing your MMR to the average MMR
expected for your current rank. If your MMR is higher than
your rank, the system wants to push you up faster, so it
gives you more LP for wins and takes less for losses. The
reverse is also true: if your MMR is below your current
rank, the system drags you down with small wins and large
losses. A typical climb in healthy MMR conditions looks
like +18 to +21 LP per win and -14 to -17 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. When you go on a winning streak, your MMR
rises faster than your LP, so the gap widens and the
system compensates by giving you even larger LP gains.
Promotion series have mostly been removed from League, so
you now climb continuously, but the MMR-to-LP conversion
still applies at every division border. LP gains tend to
shrink as you climb because the population becomes smaller
and each tier has a higher MMR floor, so you need more
wins to justify the next jump.
Seasonal Resets and Soft Resets
At the start of each ranked season, Riot applies a soft
reset that lowers your MMR by a small percentage and
brings your visible rank back to a lower starting point.
This means everyone begins slightly behind their previous
rank, but players who consistently win will climb back
quickly because their MMR remains high relative to the
reset ladder. The soft reset is why a Masters player might
start in Platinum or Diamond after placements, while a
Silver player starts in Iron or Bronze. Placement games at
the start of the season are high-leverage because they
quickly move your MMR toward your actual skill level.
After the reset, your LP gains are usually larger than
normal because your MMR is still high compared to your
lowered rank. Over hundreds of games, the system converges
and your LP gains return to the standard range. This is
also why you should not panic if your early season rank is
lower than expected; the MMR system has not forgotten
where you belong.
Common Misconceptions About MMR
One of the most common myths is that MMR is based on
personal performance, KDA, or damage dealt. It is not. MMR
changes depend only on whether your team won and the MMR
of the players involved. Another myth is that duo queue
tanks your MMR; it does not, but it can reduce your LP
gains if your duo partner has a much lower MMR than you,
because the matchmaker balances the average MMR of the
lobby. Some players believe that losing games at zero LP
does not matter; it does, because MMR still drops and your
LP gains will shrink. The idea that you have a fixed rank
ceiling is also false—MMR is a continuous scale and your
skill level can change. Finally, many players think
dodging promos or decaying LP destroys MMR, but decay is
an LP penalty at high ranks and does not change MMR. The
only reliable way to improve MMR is to win more than you
lose over many games.