Diamond vs Master vs Grandmaster vs Challenger Explained

After the re-introduction of solo queue, players are back on the grind to gain more LP than ever before. Meanwhile, in my own grind, I've hit a roadblock these past few years, unable to make much of a dent in the climb above Diamond. That's why, over this weekend, I did some self-reflection and came up with the following:

LEAGUE OF LEGENDS

DIAMOND TO CHALLENGER

UPDATED AUGUST 2026

The current ladder

There are ten tiers. The bottom seven are split into four divisions each, counting down from IV up to I. The top three have no divisions at all.

Tier	Divisions	How you get in
Iron to Diamond	IV, III, II, I	Accumulate 100 LP in a division to move up
Master	None	Promote from Diamond I. Starts at 0 LP with no ceiling.
Grandmaster	None	At least 200 LP, and a spot in the regional cutoff
Challenger	None	At least 500 LP, and a spot in the regional cutoff

Emerald did not exist when this post was written. Riot inserted it between Platinum and Diamond in 2023, which pushed everything above it further from the average player than these old comparisons assume.

What actually separates them

The apex tiers are not really separate ranks. Master, Grandmaster and Challenger are one continuous leaderboard sorted purely by LP, with cutoffs that move as the region plays. You can drop from Grandmaster to Master without losing a game, simply because other people gained LP.

• Diamond is the last tier with divisions, and the first tier that decays.
• Master is where the LP total starts mattering more than the badge.
• Grandmaster and Challenger are capped by headcount per region, so they are relative rankings rather than skill thresholds.

Everything below this line is the original 2017 post, kept for the record.

Introduction

After the re-introduction of solo queue, players are back on the grind to gain more LP than ever before. Meanwhile, in my own grind, I've hit a roadblock these past few years, unable to make much of a dent in the climb above Diamond.

That's why, over this weekend, I did some self-reflection and came up with the following:

Q: How do you climb the ladder faster?
A: Play and win.

That's it. If you don't play you can't gain LP, and if you don't win, you can't gain LP.

But since that wasn't terribly helpful, let's see if we can break it down a little further...

What do Challenger Players Say?

There's a variety of different opinions around the web, and include the following:

• Higher level players punish mistakes more;
• Higher level players are more focused on objectives and winning; and
• Higher level players are just better (consistently) in every category.

Challenger players often describe the difference between Challenger and low Diamond players to be the same as the difference between Bronze/Silver and Diamond players.

While this might sound trollish, this actually ends up being VERY helpful. Instead of a mystical fix, we can approach it from a Bronze to Diamond type of analysis. How do people rise from Bronze to Diamond? Let's brainstorm:

Brainstorm Session

Higher level players win more games because they're...

1. Naturally gifted at/practice more...
• Last-hitting
• Mechanics
• Skillshots
• Dodging
2. Lucky
• Better teammates
• Less disconnects
• Less feeders/trolls/afk's/DCs
3. More knowledgeable
• When to take objectives
• When to be aggressive vs passive
• What champions counter other champions
• Low-counterplay strategies
4. More flexible
• Roles
• Champions
• Adaptable

How to Actively Achieve the Above

1. Naturally gifted at/practice more
• Last-hitting - Practice in bot games
• Mechanics - Use sandbox mode
• Skillshots - Play URF mode or ARAMs, or play no skillshot champions
• Dodging - Play URF mode or ARAMs
2. Lucky
• Better teammates - Duo with someone (who's good)
• Less disconnects - Get better internet connections
• Less feeders/trolls/afk's/DCs - Don't feed/afk and don't make other people troll/afk
3. More knowledgeable - Play more, watch replays
• When to take objectives
• When to be aggressive vs passive
• What champions counter other champions
• Low-counterplay strategies - Play Quinn
4. More flexible
• Roles - Play more
• Champions - Play more
• Adaptable - Play more

Conclusions

After reading around the web for a mystical strategy, spending hours into brainstorming, and digging deep into the statistics, it appears I came to the most reasonable, but the least popular conclusion.

Once your computer and internet connection are stable and you're not suffering from any physical disorders, it really just comes down to play time and not being toxic.

There are certain focused practice sessions you can do such as practicing specific skills like last-hitting and dodging skill shots, but in the end it's really about practicing the game. 

When the game first started you used to hear about players that rarely played but were super good. Nowadays, these players are essentially non-existent, and to play at the highest caliber professionals spend their daily lives completely immersed in the game.

What are your thoughts on improving? Comment below!

Chasing one of these tiers?

Everything from Diamond up is on a decay timer. Read our ranked decay guide so you do not lose LP to inactivity, and see the solo queue tier list for what to climb on.