League of Legends: All Maps and Game Modes

If you click "Play" in the LoL Launcher, you can choose from many different game modes. In this post you will learn everything about them.

Summoner's Rift

Probably the most famous map in LoL is Summoner's Rift. Here you play 5v5 on three lanes and fight with your champion to destroy the opposing nexus. On this map you can take part in four different game modes:

In this mode you choose a total of two champions for two roles, then you can start right away! There is no champion select, so your role and champion will not be stolen from you. You choose your runes and summoner spells before entering the queue.

Champion selection in Quickplay in League of Legends — In Quickplay in LoL you are guaranteed to get one of your chosen champions and roles.

Here you can't see which champions the opponent is picking and accordingly you can't counter-pick. You will definitely be able to pick your favorite champion in this mode, because no champions are banned here.

Because of this, it can also happen that a specific champion appears in both teams. If the two champions are even on the same lane, it is a so-called mirror matchup.

Draft Pick

Before you start looking for a game, you have to choose your primary and secondary role. The system will then look for a game in which you will most likely get one of these two roles.

In this mode, anyone can first ban a champion who can't be selected for either team (a total of 10 bans).

The order of picking champions is as follows:

Team Blue: 1 Champion (First Pick)
Team Red: 2 Champions
Team Blue: 2 Champions
Team Red: 2 Champions
Team Blue: 2 Champions
Team Red: 1 Champion (Last Pick)

This gives team blue (lower side of the map) an advantage, as it can secure a champion as first pick. The red team (upper side of the map) has the advantage that it picks the last champion, while all champions of team blue are already revealed. This means that the red team's last pick has the option of choosing a counter pick.

Each champion can only appear once in Draft Pick. So if your champion is picked by the opponent, you will have to find another champion.

Ranked (Solo/Duo)

The Draft Pick system is also used in the Ranked (Solo/Duo) mode. Based on your victories and defeats, you will be placed in a rank on the ranking ladder after completing ten games.

You can play this mode either alone or with a friend. The rank between the two players must not be too far apart, otherwise no game can be searched for.

For an in-depth guide to the League of Legends ranking system, check out this post:

Ranked (Flex)

Ranked (Flex) is the same as Solo/Duo, with the difference that larger groups can also take part here. There are no rank restrictions based on which players can play together in this mode.

You can search for a Flex game alone, or in groups of two, three or five people. Groups of four are not allowed, as the report system could be exploited to the disadvantage of the fifth (random) player.

Arena

The Arena is a 2vs2 mode that has already been tested twice for a limited time in 2023. Here you play a series of duels with your teammate to determine the winner of a total of 4 participating teams. It is not yet clear when this mode will be permanently integrated into LoL.

In our detailed guide about the LoL Arena you will get an overview of how a round of Arena is played, the different mini arena maps and much more:

ARAM

All Random All Mid is the name of the game mode that takes place on the "Howling Abyss" map. Here you are assigned a random champion with whom you have to play the game. If you don't like your champion, you can assign yourself a new champion up to two times, but this is also random!

There is only one lane on this map and all ten players are on it. As always, the goal is to destroy the opposing nexus. However, there are limitations:

The recall cannot be used
Items can only be bought after you've died

This game mode falls more into the just-for-fun category. Accordingly, there is no ranking system for this mode.

Teamfight Tactics (TFT)

Teamfight Tactics is the LoL version of Dotas Autobattler Auto Chess. Here you put together a team combination of random champions from the LoL universe and try to win against the opposing team combination. The champions fight automatically here, your task is to select, assemble and upgrade the heroes.

Eight players take part in a round of TFT, but everyone plays for himself and only one player can win. This mode is available as "normal game" and "ranked".

Normal game: Here you play against random opponents. Whether you win or lose is not included in your rating.
Ranked: Based on the MMR system, you will be assigned a rank and matched against opponents of equal rank. If you finish 1-4 in a round of TFT, you will gain league points, but if you finish 5-8, you will lose league points.
Hyper Roll: This mode focuses on a fast-paced game by forcing the player to upgrade their champions to the next level as fast as possible. Experience cannot be bought, the players are always on the same level. Here you only have 20 hit points and there is only a single champion carousel at the beginning.