League of Legends
How Does Rank Decay Work in League of Legends?
The LP you lose for not playing ranked at Diamond and above, managed through a bank of days that each game refills.
What is rank decay in League of Legends?
Rank decay is the LP you lose for staying away from ranked too long. It only applies from Diamond upward. Every game you play adds days to a bank; each day without playing uses one up, and once the bank is empty you start losing LP every day.
Who can decay
Iron through Emerald players can take breaks without losing anything. Decay starts in Diamond and gets stricter in Master, Grandmaster and Challenger, where Riot expects players to stay active to keep their spot.
How banked days work
Your bank goes down by one each day. Playing a ranked game in that queue tops it back up, up to a maximum. When the bank reaches zero, the daily LP penalty begins.
| Diamond | Master, Grandmaster, Challenger | |
|---|---|---|
| Days banked per game | 7 | 1 |
| Maximum banked days | 28 | 14 |
| Days before decay starts | 28 | 14 |
| LP lost per day of decay | 50 | 75 |
Example
A Diamond II player with a full bank of 28 days goes on holiday. For four weeks nothing happens. From day 29 they lose 50 LP per day until they play a ranked game again.
What happens when decay drops you to 0 LP
- In Diamond, hitting 0 LP through decay drops you one division. From Diamond IV, you fall to Emerald I.
- In Master and above, decaying out of the tier sends you to Diamond II, not lower.
- Decay keeps running even while an account is banned.
How to avoid decay
Play at least one ranked game in the queue you want to protect before your bank runs out. In Diamond, a single game adds a full week, so a few games before a break are enough to stay safe for a while. In the apex tiers, each game is worth only one day, so you need to play regularly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does decay apply to Ranked Flex as well?
Banked days are tracked per queue, so only games in that queue protect it. Playing Flex does not refill your Solo/Duo bank, and vice versa.
Can you decay below Diamond?
Decay can push a Diamond IV player down to Emerald I, but players who are already in Emerald or below never decay.