League of Legends’ Season 12 has been underway for a few weeks now and most players have already begun the grind to reach the highest rank they can for 2022. For many players, they’ve been receiving a decent amount of LP after every win but there might be some players who are dissatisfied with the amount they’re getting. Here is a short guide on how players can earn more LP in League of Legends.
What is LP?
League Points (LP) is the points gained or lost when competing in a Ranked Game. Players can earn up to 100LP in the basic ranked divisions and be viable for promotion after reaching that amount. Each ranked game is worth a certain number of LP but the value that players get changes due to a variety of reasons. There are ways to earn more LP in League of Legends which we’ll be discussing in this guide in a little bit.
Players need to understand that LP isn’t something that’s fixed. It’s mostly based on the players performance per the number of games they’ve played throughout the ranked season. These can be divided further into subcategories to help players understand what affects it most. Players who are looking to rank up faster will definitely want to learn some techniques on how to change the number of LP they gain and lose per game.
How to Earn More LP in LoL
Technically, the only way to earn more LP is to win games in League of Legends. There is no other way to earn LP but players can influence the value of how much LP is gained and lost after every game. For now, let’s take a look at some of those methods so that players can understand the intricacies of playing ranked and the repercussions of their performance when playing. Here is how you can earn more LP:
1. Account MMR
League of Legends match-making rating (MMR) is the biggest influence on how much LP a player gains when playing ranked. Players with higher MMR will often gain a huge amount of LP, allowing them to rank up faster and lose less LP whenever they end up in defeat. This is why players in lower ranks find it difficult to rank up unless they either create a new account or start playing on their smurf accounts.
Account MMR is influenced by a number of things. For example, the macro score, champion score, and KDA all affect the a player’s MMR. MMR grows steadily but for a player to change the amount of LP they gain, the need a massive change in their MMR. This is why players won’t see an immediate change in their MMR value despite having a winning streak or improving their win rate. It takes a lot of time and often doesn’t become applied until a few months later.
2. Number of Games Played
Players may have noticed that LP gain towards the end of the season is extremely small and the amount they lose is absolutely horrible. This is because of the player’s win-loss ratio becoming thinner after every game played. When players have played over 300 games throughout the season, it becomes extremely difficult to change the account’s win percentage, so the rewards they get after every ranked game also shrinks.
Players need to use their first 100 games by playing seriously and gain as much LP as possible before the values diminish. A common mistake that beginners make is using their first few games to “understand the meta”, which often causes them to gain unnecessary losses early into the season. Players who want to learn the meta can do so by playing normal games which have minimal impact on their MMR and doesn’t lose them LP.
3. Placements
Placements may not seem like an important factor in earning more LP but it’s very impactful for a number of reasons. Having a nice starting point in your placements means that it takes fewer games to reach Diamond and above at the start of the season, giving them more chances to climb towards those ranks before their LP values start dropping. Getting a low rank in your placements often means that you’ll get stuck in a ditch.
Take your placement games seriously by choosing your best lanes and playing champions that you’re good at and have solid win conditions. Don’t use your placements to experiment on weird builds or new champions. If you land at a really bad rank, you might want to consider playing on a smurf or create a new account instead to start building up a better MMR value. It’s also a lot more fun to do this than get stressed about climbing out of a lower ranked division.
When to Quit Playing Ranked?
Many people say that it’s a good idea to quit playing ranked when the LP lost is more than the LP gained. This entirely depends on the person. While it makes sense that having more LP lost after every defeat will cancel out the player’s victories despite having a positive win rate, it still doesn’t mean that players should quit altogether. There’s still a chance to get to the rank that you desire if you win more games.
The best time to quit playing ranked is when you have lost your competitive drive to attain a certain rank. Playing during a burnout will only make you hate the game. It’s good to take breaks once in a while too so that you’ll be more enthusiastic to play the game after a few days or weeks. Attitude is an important factor since having a negative mindset can cause the player to lose more games due to not thinking straight.