New League of Legends System makes it easier for gamers to go pro

Dom Sacco, Senior Editor

Last Updated: 10/02/2013

A new League System has gone live in League of Legends, allowing talented players to make the leap to pro more easily than before, while new players can benefit from a faster progression system, too.
Here’s full details of the League System in Season 3, as well as a video explaining it.

The new League System does away with the Elo system of Season 2. Top teams can reach the 50-team Challenger tier, where the best players from each territory will battle it out for the chance to take part in major tournaments and knock out the current top teams.
Winning ranked games earns you League Points that help you move up the rankings. So your overall standing is now determined by your tier, division and League Points, not by the matchmaking rating. Gain more points and you can get into the next division and eventually league.
The top 5v5 ranked teams which reach the Challenger tier have the opportunity to go pro in Season 3. Teams that reach the top of the ladder will have the opportunity to enter the League of Legends Championship Series (LCS), through the mid-season Promotion Tournament, and by winning tournaments like Major League Gaming’s (MLG).
Check out this video for full details:

Dom Sacco, Senior Editor

Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He has almost two decades of experience in journalism, and left Esports News UK in June 2025. As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late '80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He also previously worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation.

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