Some significant League of Legends 2023 ranked changes have been revealed by Riot Games, mainly revolving around the rewards players get for doing battle in the MOBA’s competitive playlists.
In what might be the most eye-catching change for LoL’s 13th ranked season, players will no longer have to finish the season at Gold or higher in the LoL ranks to earn a Victorious skin. In past seasons, this cosmetic was only awarded to players that managed to attain Gold rank or above throughout the year, but Riot says it wants an alternative way for lower-skilled but dedicated players to earn the Victorious skin too.
For those that play regularly but struggle to reach Gold rank, you will now be rewarded with the Victorious skin simply for grinding a “larger number” of ranked matches, compared to someone who might waltz their way to Gold in no time at all. Plus, the Victorious skin is unlocked as soon as you hit Gold rank, so even if you dip back into a lower rank, you will still get the reward.
Oh, and did we mention that this year there will be two Victorious skins?
Yep, for Season 13 there will be two ranked splits, with each one having unique rewards, including their own Victorious cosmetics.
Riot also says it’s “upgrading” ranked reward tracks to include more desirable stuff (including Hextech Keys and Chests), and to have more rewards unlocked earlier on.
Rewards will also now be unlocked via a simplified ‘split points’ system. Simply playing a ranked game will award you some split points to go towards your rewards track, but winning matches will give you a bigger payout.
To further alleviate the stress of ranked grinding in Season 13, promo matches are also being made less taxing. While you used to have to slug it out in a best-of-five to move up a ranked tier, now you’ll only need to win a best-of-three.
So with more rewards and a less punishing grind through the ranks, League of Legends Season 13 might become one of the most popular for ranked play.