Ranked Placements Explained: How Your First 10 Games Determine Your Rank

You've finally hit level 30 and you're ready to play ranked. But before you jump in, you need to understand placements—those first 10 games that determine where you start. I've seen way too many players treat placements like normal games, then get stuck in Iron because they went 2-8. Let me explain how placements actually work and how to maximize your starting rank.

What Are Placements, Anyway?

Placements are your first 10 ranked games. That's it. But here's the thing—these 10 games determine your starting rank and set your MMR (Matchmaking Rating) for the entire season. Get placed in Silver and you'll climb faster. Get placed in Iron and you're in for a long grind.

The system uses these games to figure out where you belong. Win more, you place higher. Lose more, you place lower. It's that simple, but there's strategy involved.

One important note: placements only happen if you haven't played ranked this season yet, or if you're on a brand new account. If you played ranked last season, you'll do placements again at the start of the new season.

How the System Actually Works

Here's what happens: you play 10 games, and the system looks at your win/loss record, how well you played individually, who you played against, and (if you played ranked before) your previous season rank.

For new accounts, you'll usually place somewhere between Iron and Silver. The system is pretty conservative—it doesn't assume you're amazing just because you won a few games. If you're a returning player, you'll usually place slightly below where you ended last season (the system assumes you got a bit rusty).

The most important thing? Your MMR gets set during these 10 games. If you place with high MMR, you'll gain 20-25 LP per win after placements. If you place with low MMR, you'll gain 12-15 LP per win. That difference adds up fast.

Why Your First Few Games Matter Most

The system has no idea who you are in games 1-3, so it swings your MMR around a lot. Win those first three games and you're playing against Gold players by game 4. Lose them and you're playing against Iron players.

Games 4-7 still matter, but the system is starting to figure you out. Games 8-10 matter less—the system mostly knows where you belong by then. But they still count, so don't throw them.

The key takeaway? Win your first 3-5 games. Those early wins set you up for a much better placement. I've seen players go 5-5 but place Gold because they won their first 5 games, and players go 5-5 but place Bronze because they lost their first 5.

What Actually Affects Your Placement?

1. Win/Loss Record (The Big One)

This is the most important factor. It's simple: win more, place higher.

Here's what you can realistically expect:

• 10-0: You're probably getting Gold or Platinum (rare, but it happens)
• 7-3: Very good—usually Silver I to Gold III
• 5-5: Average—usually Bronze I to Silver III
• 3-7: Not great—usually Iron II to Bronze II

Don't stress about going 10-0. That's unrealistic for most players. Aim for 7-3 or better, and you'll be in a good spot. Even 6-4 is decent for a new account.

2. How Well You Actually Played

The system looks at your KDA, damage dealt, vision score, objective participation, and overall game impact. It compares you to the average player in your role.

Here's the thing: playing well can boost your placement slightly, but wins matter way more. Don't be that player who goes 10/2/5 but loses because you're farming kills instead of helping your team. A 5/5/10 support who wins is better than a 15/3/2 ADC who loses.

Focus on winning first, stats second. The system is smart enough to see if you're actually contributing to wins, not just padding your KDA.

3. Who You Played Against

Beating Gold players is worth more than beating Iron players. The system knows this and adjusts your placement accordingly.

But here's the reality: you can't control who you get matched with. The system handles that. Just focus on playing your best, and trust that beating better opponents will help your placement.

4. Your Previous Rank (If You Have One)

If you played ranked last season, the system remembers. You'll usually place slightly below where you ended—the system assumes you got a bit rusty over the break. But you can climb back quickly since your MMR is already established.

If you're brand new to ranked, you're starting from scratch. The system doesn't assume anything, so you'll usually place Iron to Silver unless you absolutely dominate your placements.

What Rank Will You Actually Get?

For new accounts, here's what typically happens:

• 10-0: Gold II to Platinum IV (rare but possible)
• 8-2: Silver I to Gold III (very good)
• 6-4: Silver IV to Gold IV (decent)
• 5-5: Bronze I to Silver III (average)
• 4-6: Bronze III to Silver V (below average)
• 2-8: Iron II to Bronze II (not great)
• 0-10: Iron IV to Iron I (yikes)

Most new players end up in Bronze or Silver. The system is conservative—it doesn't assume you're amazing. You have to prove it. Very few new accounts place Gold or higher, even with good records.

If You Played Ranked Before

Returning players usually place slightly below where they ended last season:

• Were you Gold? Expect Silver I to Gold III
• Were you Platinum? Expect Gold II to Platinum IV
• Were you Diamond? Expect Platinum III to Diamond IV
• Were you Master+? Expect Diamond III to Master

The system assumes you got a bit rusty, so it starts you lower. But since your MMR is already established, you'll climb back faster than a brand new player would.

How to Actually Do Well in Placements

Play Champions You Know

This seems obvious, but I've seen so many players try new champions in placements. Don't. Play your best champions, the ones you're comfortable on. You want wins, not practice. Learn new champions after placements when your rank is set.

Ideally, you want 2-3 champions per role that you've played at least 20 games on. Comfort matters more than meta for placements—a fed Annie who knows what she's doing will beat a shaky Azir who just watched a YouTube guide.

Focus on Winning, Not Stats

KDA looks nice, but wins determine your placement. I've seen players go 15/5/2 and lose because they were chasing kills while their team was trying to take Baron. That loss hurts your placement more than the KDA helps it.

A 2/5/15 support who wins is better for your placement than a 15/5/2 ADC who loses. Play for your team, make winning plays, and prioritize objectives over kills. The system knows the difference between a kill-chasing Yasuo and a team-fighting frontline Garen.

Play When You're Actually Ready

Timing matters. If you're tired, tilted, or distracted, you're going to play worse. Period. Play during peak hours when matchmaking is better, when you're alert and focused, and when you can actually commit to the game without interruptions.

Don't grind placements at 3 AM after losing your last three games. Take a break, sleep on it, and come back fresh. Your mental state directly affects your gameplay, and placements are not the time to test that.

Duo Queue If You Can

Having a reliable duo partner increases your win rate significantly. You know they're not going to int, you can coordinate plays, and you can cover each other's weaknesses. If you have a friend you play well with, duo with them for placements.

The caveat: make sure your duo partner is actually around your skill level and plays complementary roles. Duo-ing with someone who tilts easily or constantly feeds isn't going to help your placements.

Take Breaks Between Games

After every game—win or loss—take five minutes. Grab water, stretch, think about what went well and what didn't. Don't immediately queue up, especially after a loss.

This prevents tilt from building up, helps you identify patterns in your play, and keeps you mentally fresh across all 10 games. Players who speedrun placements often go 3-7 because they tilted after game 2 and never recovered.

Common Placement Mistakes

Trying New Champions

I get it—you just watched a highlight video of some Challenger player carrying with Akali and you want to try her in ranked. Don't. Placements are not the time for experiments.

Stick to champions you've played at least 20 games on. Learn new champions in normals after placements when a loss doesn't hurt your starting rank. You'll have plenty of time to add new champions to your pool once you're placed.

Tilt Queueing

You just lost a frustrating game. Your jungler didn't gank, your bot lane went 0/8, and you're mad. So you immediately queue up again to "get your LP back."

This is how 5-5 placements turn into 3-7. When you're tilted, you play worse. You make risky plays, you flame in chat, you give up on games earlier. Take a break. Come back when you're calm. Your placement will thank you.

Ignoring Your Team

Solo-carrying is a myth in most games. Even if you're the best player in your lobby, you need your team to close out games. Players who ignore pings, refuse to group, and prioritize their solo plays over team objectives lose more games than they should.

Communicate with your team (nicely), group for objectives, and make plays that help everyone—not just your KDA. You'll win more games and place higher.

Overthinking Placements

Some players treat placements like life or death and get so nervous they can't play properly. They hesitate on decisions, miss obvious plays, and generally perform way below their actual skill level.

Placements matter, but they're not everything. You can climb from any starting rank if you're good enough. Treat placements like normal ranked games, trust your skills, and play naturally. Overthinking leads to worse decisions, not better ones.

What Happens After Placements?

After your 10 games, you get your starting rank and your MMR is set. From there, you climb (or fall) like normal ranked: gain LP for wins, lose LP for losses, promote through divisions.

Your LP gains depend on your MMR. If you placed with high MMR (won most of your placements), you'll gain 20-25 LP per win. If you placed with low MMR (lost most of your placements), you'll gain 14-18 LP per win. That difference adds up—high MMR players climb twice as fast.

Here's the reality: most players place lower than they expect. New accounts usually land in Bronze or Silver. That's normal. Your skill determines where you end up over the season, not just your placements. Placements are just the starting line.

The Bottom Line

Win games. Play your best champions. Don't tilt. That's really it.

Set realistic expectations: new accounts usually place Bronze to Silver. Returning players usually place slightly below where they ended last season. Going 7-3 is very good. Going 5-5 is average. Don't stress about going 10-0—that's unrealistic for most players.

After placements, your rank is set and you can start climbing. Your MMR affects how much LP you gain, but your skill determines where you'll end up. Placements are just the starting point—your true rank comes from consistent play over the season.

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