How does Ranked's LP work?

DeosDarkk·11/4/2014, 12:13:27 AM·1 votes·2,554 views

I've been wondering for a while, and have tried to read up, but I have NO idea how LP works.

I've gotten anywhere between 10 and 30 LP per win, and lost anywhere between those numbers when I lose. It seems random, I've done well and carried and won, and gotten 13 LP where as when I do awful but win thanks to their team being all AFK Feeders, I gain 30 points. Is it their ranking vs our ranking? Do kills/turrets downed have a factor?

Also how does demotion work? I thought it was 3 games lost at 0 LP (Has always been that, for me) but I just was demoted after my first loss at 0 LP. So I'm at a loss. Can someone please explain?

7 Comments

Mayor Stubbs11/4/2014, 12:23:54 AM2 votes

Generally speaking it works as follows: You get about 20 LP for a win or loss (+/-2ish) if your MMR matches where you ranking is. For example, if you have 1500 MMR (this number is hidden) and you are at Gold V, you will get standard amounts (20 per). If your MMR is higher or lower, this is when it starts to become skewed. Let's say you have a MMR of 2000 in Gold. The system will think you belong higher and help you get there by causing 30 LP gains on loss and 10 LP losses on loss. (This way works vice versa if your MMR is lower than you are currently ranked) The (+/-2+ I talked about earlier, that qualifies anywhere because that is taking into account your entire teams MMR competing against the enemy teams entire MMR. This number is usually even or extremely close to even so you will not see large changes.

Demotion's are normally 3 games (assuming your MMR is where it's supposed to be), but I've seen 5 games, and 2 games before personally. (I Believe there is supposed to be a "safety net" upon reaching a new ranking (Which I used to think was 3 games, but I got demoted in 2 at Plat 2 once upon getting in), but it holds only when you initially go into the new rank, so if you climbed them got to 0 then got a loss, you could drop from one loss.

Padagi11/4/2014, 12:27:06 AM2 votes

LP works on a bit of a trailing weight to your MMR (match making rating, or ELO, which is hidden). When you win and lose it factors in your current division and LP, your MMR and your opponents MMR.

What do I mean by trailing weight? Well, your division and LP moves more slowly than your MMR in most cases. This causes your MMR to move up quickly when winning, and down when losing. If you then win 50% of your games, your Division will meet up with your MMR. To understand this you have to understand the ELO system originally developed for chess.

Anyway, the idea is that if your MMR is higher than your current division, you'll mostly be matched with players at that MMR. Since your MMR and opponents MMR are higher than your division, you are expected to lose. If you win, you gain more LP than if you lost. This is how you will gain LP by winning 50% of your games with higher MMR than your division.

The opposite will occur to correct you being in higher division than your MMR: you will lose more LP with losses than you gain with wins. The only way this changes is if you win more than half your games, or when your division matches your MMR.

It's all organic and designed to get you too your skill level division and offer measurable and achievable progress compared to the original ELO system.

Your LP gains and losses should even out to about 18 if your MMR is the same as your division. This usually occurs around 100 ranked games played. Before then, the match making system is stl mostly testing you.