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.