League of Legends: how to unlock ranked

To unlock ranked in League of Legends, reach account level 30, own at least 20 champions and complete 10 Swiftplay or Normal Draft games. You need all three requirements for standard Summoner's Rift Ranked Solo/Duo and Ranked Flex. Reaching the level threshold alone leaves the other two checks unfinished.

This covers the Windows and Mac game in patch 26.20, released on 7 October 2026, with access requirements checked on 15 October. Use these checks for ordinary Summoner's Rift ranked play. Ranked 5s is a separate queue; Wild Rift and League Classic have their own systems.

Finish the three account requirements

Check your account's progress against each requirement below. Account level measures your overall progression. A champion's level during a match and your competitive tier, such as Bronze or Silver, measure different things.

For the normal-game requirement, choose Swiftplay or Normal Draft rather than ARAM, Co-op Vs. AI or custom games. Swiftplay becomes available at account level 3; Normal Draft opens at level 10. You can use the earlier mode while working towards the later account-level target.

Count champions you own

Separate permanent champion unlocks from temporary access. Game Pass makes champions available while your subscription benefit is active, much as the weekly free rotation gives temporary access. Those benefits let you try champions without adding permanent ownership of the whole roster.

Build your count from the champions you have actually acquired. A large playable roster through Game Pass is a different thing from 20 owned champions. Likewise, being able to select someone during a free rotation does not tell you whether that champion belongs to your account permanently.

Choose a queue your party can enter

Once your account meets the requirements, choose Ranked Solo/Duo for solo play or a pair. Use Ranked Flex for a group of one, two, three or five. A four-person party cannot enter Flex, so change the group size before trying that queue again.

Check your group's rank compatibility as well. Unlocking ranked on each account does not remove the restrictions on which friends can queue together. Before matchmaking, select your primary and secondary preferred positions, or choose Fill. Your secondary choice is a backup, and autofill can still assign another position.

Read the current penalty message

If access is blocked by a penalty, follow the notice on your account. The old Ranked Restrictions system stopped being applied in patch 26.04. Advice telling you to clear that retired restriction by completing five games or winning three normal games no longer describes the current system.

AFK penalties and other account sanctions still have their own rules. A queue timer is separate from the level, champion and normal-game prerequisites. Read the stated penalty before deciding that you need to level further or acquire another champion.

Complete placements after unlocking

Being unranked is the starting point for placements. Once you can enter ranked, play five placement matches in your chosen queue to establish your starting tier and division. Solo/Duo and Flex keep separate ranks, so placements in one do not finish the other.

For a new ranked player, Swiftplay and Normal Draft matchmaking ratings contribute to initial placement. Keep the stages separate: the ten normal games help establish eligibility, while the five ranked placements establish your starting rank.

Still locked after meeting the three requirements? Send Riot Support the exact message, your queue and party size, account level, owned champion count and the modes you completed. Include a screenshot of the blocker so support can distinguish an eligibility problem from a party restriction or account penalty.