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Riot Games is gearing up for a major shake-up to League of Legends Ranked in 2026, rolling out a long list of updates aimed at fixing some of the mode’s most frustrating pain points. Autofill, dodging, slow queues, and confusing rank distribution are all getting attention in the new season, and Riot says the goal is simple, to make Ranked fairer, faster, and less stressful to climb.

Below is everything changing when the new season begins in January.

A Fairer Autofill System

Autofill has always been a mixed bag. It keeps queues from getting unbearably long, but getting shoved into an off-role often means losing LP for reasons outside your control. For 2026, Riot is introducing a smarter version of autofill matchmaking.

The system will now try to match autofilled players against other autofilled players in the same position, such as jungle versus jungle. If that is not possible, both teams will be balanced with an equal number of autofilled players. Only in the worst case will a team have more autofilled roles, and even then they will receive slightly higher-MMR teammates to even things out.

Riot says these situations are already rare, but this change should make them feel a lot more fair when they do happen.

Aegis of Valor, LP Protection for Autofilled Games

To take some of the sting out of autofill, Riot is adding a new reward system called Aegis of Valor. If you get autofilled and finish the game with at least a C mastery grade, you will either receive:

  • Double LP, or
  • Full LP protection from losing anything at all.

You will see the Aegis icon in your pre-game lobby whenever it is active.

League of Legends Ranked 2026 changes

Image Credit: Riot Games

Players who regularly queue for priority roles like support or jungle will also receive the Aegis benefits automatically at similar intervals, even if they are not technically autofilled. They will not see it during champ select, but Riot says the rewards will still appear behind the scenes.

Cracking Down on Dodging

Repeated dodges can ruin lobbies, waste time, allow targeted bans, and generally drag down the experience for everyone. Riot is taking a tougher approach in 2026.

  • Dodging no longer resets your autofill. If you dodge, you are still autofilled next match.
  • At Master and above, dodging now counts as a full loss, on top of the usual cooldown penalty.

Riot says these higher-tier changes are aimed at stopping the common cycle of dodges that wreck high-ELO queues.

Faster Queue Times and a Cleaner Champ Select

Getting into a match should not feel like a mini-game of its own. Riot has identified several points where time is wasted before a game even begins, and is making changes to speed the whole process up.

Shorter Champ Select

Champ select animations and timers are being reduced by roughly 30 seconds, following successful tests in NA and OCE. These faster lobbies will roll out worldwide starting Patch 26.1.

No More Banning Ally Hovered Champions

One of the most common early-tilt triggers is seeing your hovered champion banned by your own teammate. Riot is removing this option completely. The developer says champion choice should matter more than punishing another player’s pick before the game even loads.

League of Legends Ranked 2026 changes

Image Credit: Riot Games

Fixing Rank Distribution and MMR Alignment

Over the years, league skill levels have risen, leaving the lower end of the Ranked ladder out of sync with reality. Riot is now recalibrating the bottom tiers so players are placed more accurately based on today’s knowledge and mechanics.

This is not rank inflation. The update is designed to restore proper tier alignment, especially for newer players who previously had to face opponents with far more experience.

Introducing the Climb Indicator

To tackle the confusion of seeing a low-ranked badge in a high-ranked lobby, Riot is adding a Climb Indicator. If a player’s visible rank lags behind their actual MMR, the system will show who is still catching up, clearing up misunderstandings about why certain players appear in certain lobbies.

Better Flex vs Solo/Duo MMR

Another long-running pain point is facing players in Flex who are far higher ranked in Solo/Duo. Flex MMR will now sit closer to Solo/Duo MMR, though it will never push Solo MMR itself upward. The aim is to reduce extreme mismatches without affecting the freedom to play with friends.

Duo Queue Returns for All Ranks

One of the most surprising changes is the return of duo queue at every rank, even Challenger. Riot originally disabled this for top ranks due to boosting concerns, but says recent improvements in boosting detection and matchmaking make it safe to bring back.

League of Legends Ranked 2026 changes

Image Credit: Riot Games

When Do The Ranked 2026 Changes Go Live?

All updates are set to launch when the new League of Legends Ranked season kicks off in January 2026. Riot says it will be watching queue health and player feedback closely, ready to adjust the system as needed.

For now, the climb is about to look very different, but hopefully a lot smoother too.