LoL Seasons Explained

League of Legends has been around for a very long time, 12 years to be exact. Each year Riot Games releases a new season where they make changes and improvements on the overall state of the game, and this includes visual, gameplay, and champion changes. Seasons come and go in LoL, and it will be hard for a new player to keep track of all the changes.

Here is an "LoL seasons explained" article that tackles everything about a season in League of Legends to make it easier for everyone.

How Many Seasons Have Gone In League of Legends?

Since a new season is released every year, there are exactly 12 seasons in the game currently. If you are having a hard time spotting the exact number of season players are presently in, you can try checking the patch notes or the lower right side of the League client.

For example, the current patch that League of Legends has is 12.3. The numbers before the decimal point indicate the season that everyone is currently in, which is 12. All following patch notes will also follow this format, whether 12.4, 13.1, or even 15.4.

How Do Exactly Seasons Work In The Game?

As you all know, League of Legends follows a ranking system where it places the best players on the highest tier possible, and a season limits the grind of the players in a single season. There are a total of nine ranks in LoL, namely:

• Iron
• Bronze
• Silver
• Gold
• Platinum
• Diamond
• Master
• Grandmaster
• Challenger

Whether you are Gold IV, Gold I, Challenger, or Master Tier, everyone's rank will reset no matter how high you place in the ladder.

Another key thing to remember is that seasons are divided into three splits. And each player can earn split points during a certain split for winning games. These points grant rewards that are unique per season. There is nothing to worry about because ranks won't reset even when a split ends.

Here are all the split rewards that a player can earn throughout the whole season:

• 150 Points- Split Icon
• 250 Points- Split Emote
• 500 Points- Champion Permanent
• 750 Points- Eternal Capsule

The Preseason in League of Legends

Riot Games implements a "preseason" that uses all the major changes that will be coming in the upcoming season, which includes (but is not limited to) a fresh map, new skins, rune overhaul, or item tweaks. This is the period where Riot Games balances everything and checks if they can improve and tune the possible changes.

League of Legends players to develop their understanding of the new patch during the preseason. It is essential to know that everybody's LoL MMR will still change during the season, so they should play to win in order to climb the ladder easily when the new season gets deployed. However, the preseason does not have split rewards like a normal season, so players would not be able to claim rewards even though they win a ton of games.

What Patch Do The Major Tournaments Play On?

Usually, League of Legends tournaments are behind by one week from the live server, meaning players can practice their game prior to the start of the tournament. Currently, the LCS and LCK play on patch 12.2, while the LEC plays on patch 12.3.

On the other hand, international tournaments use a single patch for the entire tournament. For example, Riot Games applied patch 11.9 on the Mid-season Invitational games last year, while the League of Legends World Championship used 11.19.

How Long Do Seasons Last?

As mentioned previously, seasons usually last for an entire year. But to be exact, Riot Games usually implements the new season in the game from December to January and ends in November. The good thing is Riot Games has been consistent in their season times so you do not have to worry about schedules. Here are all the seasons that have passed in League of Legends:

• Season 1: Jul 13. 2010 - Aug 23, 2011
• Season 2: Nov 29. 2011 - Nov 12, 2012
• Season 3: Feb 1. 2013 - Nov 11, 2013
• Season 4: Jan 10. 2014 - Nov 11, 2014
• Season 5: Jan 21. 2015 - Nov 11, 2015
• Season 6: Jan 20. 2016 - Nov 8, 2016
• Season 7: Dec 8. 2016 - Nov 7, 2017
• Season 8: Jan 16. 2018 - Nov 12, 2018
• Season 9: Jan 23. 2019 - Nov 19, 2019
• Season 10: Jan 10. 2020 - Nov 10, 2020
• Season 11: Jan 8. 2021 - November 2021

Do Seasons Apply In Teamfight Tactics (TFT)?

Yes! Seasons are also applied in Teamfight Tactics. However, TFT does not have a "split" system like the usual games in Summoner's Rift because it follows a mechanic where a whole season is divided into two stages. And because of this, Riot Games does have a fixed schedule when applying new seasons in the game like League of Legends.

Whether you play normal games or ranked games, everyone will be affected by the season changes. That is why it is great to be informed about all of the possibilities in the world of League of Legends. Of course, change is always exciting, that is why it is something that everyone should look forward to!