Duo Queue in Season 16: New Restrictions & Best Combos

League of Legends is a team game, but let's be honest: the only person you trust is your Duo.

In Season 16, Riot has tightened the leash on Duo Queue again. If you are Master tier or above, Duo Queue is gone. Deleted. Solo only. Riot says this is for "competitive integrity." I say it's because they hate fun.

But for the rest of us (Iron to Diamond), Duo Queue is still the absolute best way to climb. Think about it. If you play Solo, you have 4 random variables (teammates). If you Duo, you only have 3. Having one person on your team who you *know* isn't going to rage quit after dying once increases your win probability by massive margins.

Here is the definitive guide to abusing Duo Queue in Season 16.

The "Funnel" Strat of 2026

Remember the old Taric/Yi funnel power leveling strat? It's back, but with a Season 16 twist involving the new Role Quests.

1. The "Quest Speedrun" Combo (Jungle + Mid)

• The Duo: Diana (Jungle) + Yasuo (Mid)
• The Synergy: Diana rushes the "Hunter's Pursuit" quest for fast clearing. Yasuo rushes "Arcane Mastery" for penetration.
• The Play: At Level 6, Diana camps Mid. You don't just gank; you dive.
• Yasuo presses R off Diana's pull (R).
• The burst is instant.
• Once the Mid laner is dead, you BOTH roam Bot 4-man.
• This creates a "Death Ball" that rolls over the game before 15 minutes.

2. The "Bot Lane Bullies" (Support + ADC)

• The Duo: Lucian + Nami (Still broken in S16)
• The Synergy: Nami equips Electrocute. Lucian dashes in. Nami E's him. The burst damage procs Electrocute instantly. It is literally unhealable damage.
• The Twist: In Season 16, Nami rushes the new support item "Warden's Eye" which gives heal power. Lucian rushes "Marksman's Greed" quest for gold. By 10 minutes, Lucian has 1000g more than the enemy ADC just from quest rewards. You are playing a different game.

3. The "Global Pressure" (Top + Jungle)

• The Duo: Shen (Top) + Nocturne (Jungle)
• The Synergy: This is for the macro gods.
• The Play: Nocturne presses R (Darkness). The enemy team is blind.
• Shen presses R on Nocturne as he flies in.
• Suddenly, a 1v1 turns into a 3v1 (Nocturne + Shen + Laner) instantly.
• The enemy team can't side lane. They can't walk into the river. They are paralyzed by fear.

Beating the "Smurf Queue" Detection

Riot's detection system hates Duos. If you and your friend both have 80% winrates on fresh accounts, the system will tag you and put you in "Smurf Queue" against other sweaty duo abusers.

How to avoid it:

1. Don't both play Carry roles. If you go Master Yi + Katarina, your "Carry Score" is too high. If one of you plays a utility tank (Ornn, Maokai, Lulu), the system rates your threat level lower. 2. Stagger your ranks. If one account is Gold 4 and the other is Silver 1, the matchmaking gets confused. It tries to "balance" the lobby and often gives you easier opponents than if you were both Gold 4. 3. Lose a game occasionally. I know, it hurts. But having a 100% winrate over 20 games is a flag. A 90% winrate is safer and keeps you out of the hardest smurf queues.

Need a Duo Partner? Or a Second Account?

Often, the problem isn't skill—it's rank restrictions. Your friend is stuck in Silver 4 while you are Platinum 2. The game physically won't let you queue together.

Do not try to boost their main account. It takes forever and ruins your MMR.

The Solution: Buy a Fresh Smurf Account. Get a Level 30 account that ranks around where your friend is.

• You get to play relaxed games without sweating.
• Your friend gets a free carry and coaching.
• You both get that sweet LP.

Grab a duo-ready account here and start winning games tonight.