If you’ve ever queued up for a ranked League of Legends match and wondered if you still have time to hit that Gold rank for the victorious skin, your first question is almost certainly what season is League of Legends in right now. Riot Games rolls out fresh competitive cycles every year, each packed with new gameplay overhauls, exclusive rewards, and balance changes that shake up how you play every lane. Even casual players benefit from keeping track of the current season, since event passes and limited-time game modes are usually tied directly to the season’s timeline. I’ve been playing LoL since Season 3, so I’ve navigated my fair share of messy season launches, split resets, and last-minute climb grinds, and I’m breaking down everything you need to know about the current cycle below.
What Season Is League of Legends In Right Now?
As of the latest Riot Games announcement, we are currently in Season 14 of League of Legends. This season launched in early January 2024, and follows Riot’s recent shift to a two-split ranked system, meaning players get two separate chances to earn ranked rewards across the year. The first split ran from launch to mid-July, with the second split kicking off immediately after and running through mid-November, when the full season ends and rank resets kick in for the next cycle.
Unlike earlier seasons that only rewarded players for their end-of-season rank, the split system lets you earn limited-time skins, emotes, and ranked points for your performance in each split, even if you don’t climb as high as you want in the second half of the year. You don’t have to complete your placement matches in both splits to earn rewards, but you will get a higher ranked border and more exclusive items if you play both. If you’re coming back to the game after a long break, you’ll notice that Season 14 has some of the biggest map changes in years, including revamped jungle camps, new terrain modifiers, and adjustments to how objective bounties work. If you’re still confused about what season is League of Legends in after logging in, you can check the current season details by clicking on the ranked tab in your client, which shows exactly how much time is left in the current split and what rewards you’ve earned so far.
Key Changes to Expect This LoL Season
Every new League of Legends season brings a mix of balance changes, quality of life updates, and new content to keep the meta fresh, and Season 14 is no exception. Riot has focused heavily on making lower ranks more accessible for new players, while keeping high-elo gameplay competitive and rewarding for veteran players. One of the most talked-about changes this season is the addition of terrain randomization, where sections of the Summoner’s Rift map change shape every few minutes based on which drake soul is active, forcing teams to adjust their playstyle on the fly.
There are also new items for every role, including support items that let enchanters grant more utility to their team without falling behind on gold, and assassin items that reduce the burst potential of overperforming jungle picks. Even ARAM players get updates this season, with new balance modifiers for underplayed champions and a rotating set of game mode twists that change how matches play out every week. I’ve found the terrain changes take a lot of getting used to if you main a jungler, since your usual pathing can get blocked entirely if the infernal drake reshapes the river brush. It’s frustrating at first, but it makes every match feel a lot less repetitive once you get the hang of it.
Tips to Make the Most of the Current LoL Season
Even if you only play a few matches a week, there are easy ways to maximize your rewards and climb faster before the season wraps up. I’ve compiled my top tips from climbing to Platinum three separate seasons to help you avoid common mistakes:
- Prioritize playing 10 placement matches in each split – you’ll automatically get a split-specific ranked emote and border just for completing placements, even if you end up in Iron or Bronze.
- Stick to 2-3 main champions for your main role – swapping between half a dozen different picks every match will make it much harder to build muscle memory and climb consistently.
- Keep an eye on seasonal event pass missions – many of these missions can be completed in normal or ARAM matches, so you can earn exclusive skins and loot without playing ranked at all if you don’t want to.
- Don’t grind ranked in the first two weeks after a split launch – this is when high-elo players, smurfs, and pro players are all climbing back to their true ranks, so your matches will be far more chaotic than usual.
If you’re aiming to hit Gold for the victorious skin, aim to finish your climb at least a week before the season ends. Riot usually has a short lockout period right before the season wraps up to process rank data, and you don’t want to miss out on rewards because you waited until the last day to play your promos. You also don’t have to play ranked at all to enjoy the season – most of the new champion releases, game modes, and event content is available to all players, regardless of their rank or playstyle. I know a lot of casual players who only play ARAM and still get dozens of exclusive items every season just by completing event missions.
What to Expect From the Next League of Legends Season
As soon as the current season wraps up in November, Riot will roll out a pre-season period that lasts roughly six weeks before the next season launches in early January. The pre-season is when Riot tests all the big changes coming to the next cycle, including new items, map overhauls, and champion reworks, so you can try out new builds and playstyles without risking your ranked rank. Riot usually announces all the upcoming season changes a few weeks before the pre-season starts, including details about the next victorious skin, ranked system adjustments, and any new game modes coming to the cycle.
If you’re a new player, the pre-season is the best time to try out new roles and champions, since most players are just messing around and testing new builds instead of playing to win every match. Keep in mind that your rank won’t carry over directly from pre-season to the new ranked season, but your MMR (matchmaking rating) will be adjusted based on your pre-season performance, so playing well in pre-season can help you get a higher rank after your placement matches next season. Riot also usually gives out free loot and rewards during the pre-season to thank players for testing new content, so it’s worth logging in even if you don’t plan to play a lot of matches.
At the end of the day, keeping track of what season is League of Legends in makes it much easier to plan your ranked climbs, earn the exclusive rewards you want, and stay up to date on all the latest gameplay changes that affect how you play. Whether you’re a hardstuck Gold main trying to hit Platinum for the first time, or a casual ARAM player who just wants to collect free skins, the current season has something for every type of LoL fan. If you haven’t logged in for a few weeks, now is a great time to jump back in and see what new content has dropped during the current split. Just remember to have fun and don’t take your ranked matches too seriously – you’ll climb a lot faster if you’re not stressing about every lost team fight.