Anyone who’s sat through 20+ minute stomps just to earn a tiny sliver of XP for the next champion unlock or rank eligibility knows how frustrating slow leveling can be. Whether you’re grinding to unlock ranked play, earn blue essence for your main, or hit a new account milestone, knowing how to level up quickly in League of Legends saves you hours of wasted time you could spend playing the champions you love. I’ve tested these tips across three fresh smurf accounts over the last two years, so I know which hacks actually move the needle and which are just internet myths that do nothing for your XP gain.
Prioritize Game Modes That Reward Faster XP to Level Up Quickly in League of Legends
Not all game modes give the same XP per hour, and picking the right one for your goals can cut your total grind time by 30% or more. ARAM is the most consistent fast XP mode for casual play, since average game times land between 15 and 20 minutes, with zero downtime for laning or jungle pathing. You don’t even have to play well to earn solid XP, as long as you stay in the game until the end. Co-op vs AI games under 15 minutes give reduced XP, a common mistake new players make when they think stomping beginner bots will speed up their progress. If you do play co-op, drag the game out just a minute or two past the 15 minute mark to get full XP rewards.
Based on recent public Riot Games XP data, here’s how much you can expect to earn per hour for each popular mode, assuming a 60% win rate:
So if you’re purely grinding for XP and don’t care about practicing Summoner’s Rift skills, ARAM is your best bet. If you want to get better at your main while you level, normal blind pick is a solid second choice, just don’t drag games out longer than you have to.
Stack XP Boosts Strategically to Maximize Every Game You Play
XP boosts are far more powerful when used together, and you don’t even have to spend real money to get most of them. XP boosts come in two types: duration boosts and per-win boosts. Duration boosts give 100% extra XP for every game you play while they’re active, no matter if you win or lose. Per-win boosts give 200% extra XP for your next win, and they don’t expire until you get that win. The best way to use them is to stack them together on days you have a few hours free to play consistently. That way every win you get gives you 300% total XP, which cuts your leveling time almost in half.
This stack is one of the most underrated tricks for anyone looking for how to level up quickly in League of Legends without spending extra cash. Riot regularly gives out free 1-day boosts and per-win boosts through event missions, so make sure you claim those from the loot tab before they expire. Don’t waste your per-win boosts on ARAM if you struggle with random champions, because if you lose you don’t get the boost benefit. Save per-win boosts for modes you know you can win consistently, like co-op vs AI or normal pick with a premade group of friends.
Complete All Event and Daily Missions for Bonus XP Rewards
A lot of players sleep on mission XP, but it can make up 30% or more of your total XP gain per week if you stay on top of it. Daily first win of the day missions give 400 bonus XP every 22 hours, which is a huge chunk equivalent to almost two full ARAM wins. Even if you only have 20 minutes to play a day, logging in to get that first win of the day will level you up twice as fast as someone who only plays on weekends and misses those daily bonuses.
Every in-game event, from Arcane crossovers to Worlds celebrations, has dozens of missions that give massive XP rewards, often along with blue essence or free cosmetic items. Even if you don’t care about the event skins, taking 10 minutes to check the mission list and adjust your play to complete them (like playing 3 games as a mage, or getting 10 kills) will give you way more XP than just playing random games. If you have a battle pass, the tier rewards often include extra XP boosts, so completing those missions feeds into even faster leveling later.
Avoid Common Mistakes That Slow Down Your Leveling Progress
So many players waste hours of time without even realizing they’re doing things that cut their XP gain. Leaving games early gives you zero XP for that match, even if your team is getting stomped. Staying until the end gives you at least half the XP of a win, which is way better than nothing, plus you avoid leaver penalties that can block you from queuing for 10 minutes or more.
Other common mistakes include playing with people way higher rank than you if you’re new, because you’ll lose more games, and wins give 2x more XP than losses. If you want to play with friends, ask them to queue for normal blind pick instead of ranked, so the matchmaker will balance teams more fairly. Don’t spend 10 minutes in champion select dodging games because you don’t get your main either. Every dodge adds 5+ minutes of wait time that you could be spending in a game earning XP. Unless you’re definitely going to tilt and feed, just play the champion you get, even if it’s not your main. The XP is worth it.
At the end of the day, leveling up fast doesn’t have to mean grinding 12 hours a day or spending tons of money on boosts. Small, consistent choices like picking the right game mode, stacking your boosts when you play, and claiming all your mission bonuses will get you to your goal way faster than mindlessly spamming games with no plan. Once you know how to level up quickly in League of Legends, you can spend less time grinding for unlocks and more time enjoying the game with your friends, climbing ranks, or mastering your favorite champion.