League of Legends rank reset 2026 explained

MMR, placements, climbing & more
league of legends rank reset
Written By Eray Eliaçık

Reviewed by : Naim Rosinski

(Content Manager & Editor)

Last UpdatedJanuary 8, 2026 at 04:11PM
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The League of Legends rank reset 2026 is one of the most important moments in the ranked season. Every year, millions of players log in after the reset and wonder the same things: Why did my rank drop? Did my MMR reset? How do placements work? This LoL guide explains everything clearly and accurately, so you know exactly what to expect.

What is the League of Legends rank reset?

The League of Legends rank reset happens at the start of a new ranked season. Riot Games uses a soft reset, not a full reset. This means:

  • Your visible rank goes down
  • Your MMR (hidden rating) stays mostly the same
  • You must play placement matches again

The goal is to refresh the ladder without deleting your progress. Players who performed well last season are still matched with players of similar skill.

LoL rank reset 2026 date

According to the patch details, Summoner’s Rift ranked queues are disabled for about 12 hours, then Season 1, 2026 begins on January 8, 2026 (around noon local server time) — and this is when LP and ranks reset.

You have to do this after the League of Legends rank reset

After the League of Legends rank reset, you must play placement matches.

Key details:

  • Usually 5 placement games
  • You do not lose LP for losses
  • Wins matter more than losses
  • Match quality depends on your MMR

Placement matches help the system place you near your true skill level. Winning more games gives you a higher starting rank, but MMR is still the main factor.

How long does it take to climb back after the rank reset?

This depends on:

  • Your MMR
  • Win rate
  • Number of games played

Most players who were stable last season can return to their old rank in 20–40 games. If your MMR is much higher than your rank, climbing is fast. If MMR and rank are equal, climbing is slower.

Ranked tiers affected by the League of Legends rank reset

All ranked tiers are affected:

  • Iron
  • Bronze
  • Silver
  • Gold
  • Platinum
  • Emerald
  • Diamond
  • Master, Grandmaster, Challenger

Higher ranks feel the reset more because competition is tighter, and early-season games are more volatile.

Ranked rewards and the rank reset

The League of Legends rank reset also starts a new reward cycle.

You can earn:

  • Victorious skins
  • Ranked borders
  • Icons and banners

Rewards are based on:

  • Your rank during the season
  • Number of ranked wins
  • Honor level

Even if you start lower after reset, rewards are still fully achievable.

Credit: League of Legends
Credit: League of Legends

4 tips to handle the League of Legends rank reset 2026

Here are practical tips that actually help:

  1. Play your best champions: Do not experiment in early ranked games.
  2. Avoid tilt early in the season: Early games are chaotic. Focus on consistency.
  3. Do not judge your skill by early rank: MMR matters more than visible rank.
  4. Play regularly, not all at once: Small win streaks are safer than long grind sessions.
Credit: League of Legends
Credit: League of Legends

What to know about the new LoL season?

Category

What Changed

Why It Matters

Overall Gameplay Direction

Focus shifts toward turret pushing and away from heavy epic monster contests

Encourages lane pressure, sieging, and map control instead of constant objective stacking

New Core Mechanic

Crystalline Overgrowth added to lane turrets

All champions gain a Demolish-like way to damage turrets through periodic true damage bursts

Role System

Role Quests added for all roles (Top, Jungle, Mid, Bot, Support)

Rewards players for playing their assigned role and lane correctly

Top Lane

More XP, level cap increased to 20, teleport bonuses

Increases top lane agency and late-game relevance

Jungle

Faster quest completion, stronger Smite, more gold/XP late

Reduces early stress, improves solo objective control, stronger scaling

Mid Lane

Progress via champion damage, Tier 3 boot upgrades

Rewards active trading and map pressure

Bot Lane (ADC)

More gold scaling, boots move to quest slot

Strengthens ADC carry role and frees inventory space

Support

Control Wards move to quest slot, higher passive gold

Enables true 6-item supports and smoother vision control

Vision System

Faelights added, ward & sweeper buffs

Makes vision more interactive, readable, and accessible to non-supports

Epic Monsters (General)

Higher durability, lower gold, higher XP

Objectives are riskier and slower; junglers matter more

Dragons

Much higher effective HP, stronger comeback XP

Dragon Soul is harder to take and more contestable

Baron Nashor

Earlier spawn (20 min), less gold, more XP

More comeback potential, less snowball gold

Void Grubs

Less team roaming pressure, solo-friendly rewards

Reduces forced rotations and lane disruption

Atakhan / Blood Roses / Feats

Removed

Simplifies the map and reduces over-complexity

Turrets

Turret plates added to all turrets (except Nexus)

Rewards partial sieges and incremental pushing

Minions

Faster wave spawns mid/late game

Creates more pushing windows and faster game pace

Game Pace

Faster starts, earlier objectives, shorter dead time

Less waiting, more action

Critical Strike System

Base crit damage increased to 200%

Makes auto-attack carries stronger, requires champion balance changes

Champions

Many ADCs adjusted to scale more with autos than abilities

Reinforces marksman identity as DPS carries

New Items

New items for every class

Expands build diversity and role expression

Returning Items

Hextech Gunblade, Stormrazor

Brings back popular item playstyles

Ranked Reset

2025 S3 ends Jan 7, 2026; 2026 S1 starts Jan 8

One annual rank reset with 5 provisional games

Autofill Changes

New Aegis of Valor protection system

Reduces LP loss pain when autofilled

Swiftplay

Faster SR variant, level 3 start, faster objectives

Shorter, action-heavy games with lower commitment

Arena

New items, augments, Fame Track

Keeps Arena fresh alongside SR updates

ARAM

Balance adjustments for multiple champions

Improves mode fairness and variety

Player Behavior

Lobby hostage detection, stronger penalties

Improves champ select and game quality

New Metagame

Demacia Rising seasonal event

Adds PvE-style progression tied to playing games

Credit: League of Legends
Credit: League of Legends

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Eray Eliaçık

Meet Eray, a tech enthusiast passionate about AI, crypto, gaming, and more. Eray is always looking into new developments, exploring unique topics, and keeping up with the latest trends in the tech industry, and gaming is the sweetest spot.

Eray has been rocking it as a news manager and content creator at spots like, TechBriefly, Gamelevate, Softonic, and various tech realms. Crafting over 2k tech articles, Eray captivated millions of readers for over three years.

Now, over at THESPIKE, Eray is a content writer, blending the love for spinning stories and helpful guides for all-things gaming.

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