League of Legends has welcomed a new mode, an action-packed 2v2v2v2 Arena playlist designed to give players fast, furious battles between their strategic play on Summoner’s Rift. Because the LTM won’t stick around forever, hordes of League gamers are already pouring in to test their mettle.
Of course, before you go piling into the gladiatorial battle (that’s an Arena joke you’ll understand in a minute), you need to know what you’re fighting to achieve—which mainly means shiny ranked badges.
All ranks in League’s Arena mode
While League’s core ranked system has an expansive 10 tiers to fight through, ranging from Iron and Bronze to Master and the highest title there is to achieve, Challenger, and even the newly-added Emerald tier that was dropped into the middle in season 13, there are just five Arena ranks.
The five League Arena ranks are:
- Wood — 0 to 1,399 Ranked Points
- Bronze — 1,400 to 2,599 Ranked Points
- Silver — 2,600 to 3,199 Ranked Points
- Gold — 3,200 to 3,799 Ranked Points
- Gladiator — 3,800 Ranked Points and above
Three of these 2v2v2v2 ranks are the same as League’s Summoner’s Rift mode, while two are totally new. If you want a closer look, here’s an image too.
The Riot devs may eventually decide to add more than these original five to the queue, but for the time being, our climb is going to be from Wood all the way to Gladiator (or at least, mine will be, I’m totally sure of it).
How to rank up in League Arena
Ranking up in the new 2v2v2v2 Arena mode works the same way as in Summoner’s Rift queues: players compete against each other in matchmade games and earn ranked points for victories. Similarly, points are lost for any defeats.
Because there are four teams instead of League’s usual two, things do work a little differently. To achieve a “win” in Arena, you must place in the lobby’s top two teams. Any pairing that finishes in the third or fourth slot will be deemed to have “lost” and will suffer a points reduction.
There is no promotion series between Arena tiers. There are also no divisions between ranks. Arena’s tiers (called ratings) work similarly to the TFT Hyper Roll system, where you must collect a certain amount of points to advance. To rank up in League Arena, you’ll want to place in the top two spots to earn the most Arena points.
Related: The most fun and most broken combos to try in League Arena mode
There is loss mitigation for the first five games we play, so I think some “learning losses” are on the cards, for me, at least.
Are there rewards for high ranks in League Arena?
Riot has yet to share if there will be any rewards for placing in high tiers in the new 2v2v2v2 mode. In League’s normal ranked mode, players can earn skins, season-long badges, and loot boxes for their efforts.
Whether there will be rewards or not, there is still a big reason to play (and win) Arena games; the in-client leaderboard. I haven’t played any ranked matches yet, so I have a big fat Wood badge there, but as you can see in the screenshot below, there are plenty of League players who are already quickly earning their way into the lofty Gladiator ranks and even first place.
Can I play with friends in League Arena?
As your team will consist of yourself and one other player, you can partner with a friend and play as a team in League Arena. This means you can strategize and play more effectively because you can communicate with each other and choose champions you know how to play.
Although it’s not guaranteed, playing with a duo partner gives you an edge over your opponents and should help you score a few easy wins.
Is there a normal or non-ranked League Arena?
Unfortunately, League’s new game mode, Arena, only offers a ranked mode, meaning there’s no way to play normals or non-ranked Arena games. This is a surprising move, considering you can play normals in TFT and on the Rift. Hopefully, if Arena does become a permanent mode, we’ll get a non-ranked version.
Is League Arena ranked permanent?
Not quite. The League devs have made it very clear this new 2v2v2v2 mode, ranked leaderboard and all, will not be sticking around forever during this first run. That said, they have also made it very clear they see a long-term future for the LTM. Whether it returns—and even maybe becomes permanent—depends on how well League players respond to the gladiator mode.
Related: All Augments in League’s new Arena mode
“Rest assured,” Riot said when unveiling the new League mode, “if you all like and play this mode, we’ll bring it back again.”
Now, I just need to figure out the best champs for free wins.
