Introduction
Once players enter Master, Grandmaster, or Challenger in League Of Legends, the ranked system changes significantly compared to lower tiers. LP gains, matchmaking, decay rules, and competition all work differently.
This article explains how the high elo ladder functions and what players need to know to stay competitive at the top.
What Is Considered High Elo?
High elo or High tier generally refers to the top of the ranked ladder:
- Master
- Grandmaster
- Challenger
However, it should be noted that many professional players and high elo veterans no longer consider Master tier to be high elo. Due to significant rank inflation over the past years, Master now contains a much wider range of skill levels than it once did.
For example, there was a time when EUW had roughly 2,000 Master players. As of 2025, that number has grown to over 20,000 players. Because of this, the gameplay quality between low Master and Grandmaster can differ significantly.
As a result, many players only consider Grandmaster and Challenger to represent the true high tier ladder.
LP System in High Elo
Once you reach Master tier, the LP system becomes much more volatile. LP gains and losses are based almost entirely on matchmaking rating (MMR), not visible rank.
LP Gains and Losses
In high elo, it is common to gain +18 LP or less for a win while losing 20 LP or more for a defeat. This happens when your MMR is lower than the average MMR of the tier you are playing in.
Because of this, maintaining a positive win rate is often not enough. Players usually need a consistently strong win rate to climb or even hold their position.
Master Tier
Master tier has no LP cap. All players above 0 LP are placed on a single ladder. However, reaching Master does not guarantee stability.
Players in Master are subject to decay and can easily drop back into Diamond if they stop playing or lose multiple games.
Grandmaster Tier
Grandmaster is a limited tier. Only a fixed number of players per region can hold this rank at the same time.
- EUW / KR / NA: ~700 players
- Smaller regions: fewer slots
To enter Grandmaster, a player must exceed the LP threshold while also outperforming other Master players. When the ladder updates, players with lower LP are pushed out.
Challenger Tier
Challenger represents the absolute top of the ladder. It is also strictly limited in size:
- EUW / KR / NA: ~300 players
Only the highest LP players in the region remain Challenger. Even a single loss can cause a player to drop back to Grandmaster if others overtake them.
For reference, the cutoff for reaching Challenger in December 2025 is 1153 LP. Assuming a 55% win rate with an average gain of +17 LP per win and −19 LP per loss, this results in a net gain of roughly 0.8 LP per game. At that pace, climbing from Master 0 LP to Challenger would take approximately 1,400 to 1,500 games.
Ranked Ladder Updates
High tier ladders do not update instantly after every game. Instead, Riot updates the ladder at scheduled intervals, for example daily at 0:45 a.m. UTC+1 on the EUW server.
This means you can temporarily be above the LP cutoff without immediately receiving the new rank, or remain Challenger even if you fall below the threshold until the next update.
Decay Rules in High Tier
Decay is one of the most punishing aspects of high elo. Unlike lower ranks, inactivity quickly leads to LP loss.
Decay Mechanics
- Master+: decay begins after 14 days of inactivity
- Each decay tick removes approximately 50 LP
- Falling to 0 LP in Master demotes you to Diamond
In addition, decay works on a rolling timer. Each ranked game played delays the next decay tick by one day. This means that if you were set to decay in four days, playing a single game would push the timer back to five days.
The decay timer can only be extended up to a maximum of 14 days, so players cannot stockpile inactivity time indefinitely. In practice, this means that high tier players need to play roughly one ranked game per day on average to avoid decaying.
Because of these rules, high tier players must play consistently even when they are not actively trying to climb.
Matchmaking Differences
In high tier, matchmaking prioritizes queue time over perfect balance. This often results in:
- Wider MMR gaps between players
- More autofilled roles
- Matches decided by small mistakes
Since everyone understands the fundamentals, games are often decided by macro decisions, objective control, and consistency rather than mechanics alone.
Why High Tier Is So Competitive
Several factors make high tier uniquely stressful:
- Very low margin for error
- High LP losses
- Decay pressure
- Constant competition for limited slots
Climbing is not just about winning more games, but about maintaining form, mental stability, and long-term consistency.
Conclusion
The high tier ladder in League of Legends is less forgiving than any other part of the ranked system. Understanding how LP, decay, and ladder limits work is essential for anyone aiming to compete at the top.