League of Legends to remove promotion series in Split 2

Riot Games is implementing the most significant ranked system changes in recent League of Legends history, fundamentally altering how players progress through competitive tiers. The traditional promotion series that have frustrated players for years are being eliminated entirely, while a completely new rank tier called Emerald is being introduced to the hierarchy.

League’s competitive year has been restructured into two distinct splits for 2023, with the second split featuring a comprehensive rank reset that allows everyone to begin their climb anew. This structural shift represents Riot’s ongoing commitment to refining the competitive experience based on player feedback and data analysis.

The Emerald rank addition marks a strategic move to address longstanding issues with player distribution across tiers. While this concept may be unfamiliar to League PC players, mobile League of Legends: Wild Rift veterans will recognize Emerald as an established component of their ranking system.

Emerald tier occupies the strategic position between Platinum and Diamond, creating a more granular progression path for mid-to-high elo players. According to Riot developer Auberaun, the current ranked distribution suffers from significant imbalance, with disproportionate player concentrations in Bronze, Silver, and Gold tiers.

The statistical reality shows only a small percentage of players successfully advance beyond Platinum, which Riot believes fails to accurately represent true skill differentials. The Emerald tier implementation aims to redistribute players more evenly across the ranking spectrum, providing better recognition for those possessing skills worthy of higher placement.

This change addresses the compression issue where players with substantially different skill levels were clustered within the same tier brackets. The new structure should create clearer skill demarcations and more meaningful competitive milestones throughout the climbing journey.

Introducing a new tier alone wouldn’t solve the fundamental climbing barriers, which is why Riot is concurrently removing the notoriously stressful promotion series mechanism. While the requirement had already been reduced from five games to three in previous updates, the complete elimination represents the final evolution of this system.

Beginning with Split 2, players will no longer face the psychological pressure of promotion series gates between tiers. Advancement will occur seamlessly based on League Points accumulation, creating a more fluid and less frustrating competitive experience.

This change acknowledges that promotion series often created artificial barriers to progression that didn’t necessarily reflect true skill advancement. The LP-only system should result in more consistent and predictable climbing patterns.

When does LoL ranked 2023 Split 2 start?

Split 1 commenced in January 2023 and concludes officially on July 17. At this endpoint, all player ranks will undergo reset, though unlike previous seasonal resets, this one will be considerably less severe. Players will only need to complete five placement matches to establish their initial Split 2 ranking.

The exact start date for Split 2 remains somewhat ambiguous – it could begin as early as July 18 or feature a brief intermission period between splits. The timing consideration is particularly important given that the rank reset occurs during the ongoing professional competitive season.

From a logistical perspective, Riot likely prefers minimal downtime between splits to maintain competitive momentum and engagement. However, technical requirements for implementing the new Emerald tier and promotion series changes might necessitate a short transition window.

Successful adaptation to the revamped ranked system requires strategic preparation during the final weeks of Split 1. Focus on mastering 2-3 champions in your main role while developing proficiency in a secondary position. Review your current gameplay patterns to identify areas for improvement before the reset occurs.

Consider studying the Class Guide principles for role specialization, as the fundamental concepts of mastering specific playstyles translate well between competitive games.

The removal of promotion series means consistency becomes even more valuable than occasional peak performances. Developing reliable gameplay habits and decision-making patterns will yield better long-term results in the new system.

For comprehensive strategic planning, our Complete Guide to competitive systems provides valuable insights into ranking optimization strategies that apply across multiple game genres.

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