If you’re a League of Legends player, one question always pops up as the year goes on: when does League season end?
It’s more than just a date — it’s the finish line of your ranked journey, the last shot at rewards, and the ultimate deadline to prove your skills. Whether you’re grinding for Gold to claim the Victorious skin, pushing into Master for prestige, or trying to hit a personal best before the reset, knowing exactly when the ranked season ends can make all the difference.
This guide covers key dates, ranked resets, reward calculations, and tips for climbing efficiently.
Let’s dive into the complete breakdown of the ranked season — and how you can make the most of every minute before it ends.
Key Takeaways: Ranked Season End at a Glance
- 🗓️ League season ends on December 9, 2025, at 11:59:59 PM local server time — for most players, that’s the final chance to climb.
- 🏆 Rewards are based on your final rank, not your peak. If you fall below a tier before the cutoff, you’ll receive rewards for the lower rank.
- 🔄 The ranked season is split into three acts — the final Split 3 determines your end-of-season standing and rewards.
- 🕐 Master, Grandmaster, and Challenger tiers lock slightly earlier (around 11:45 PM) to prevent last-minute manipulation.
- 📉 LP decay applies from Diamond and above — inactivity can drop your rank if you’re not playing near the end.
- 🔁 A soft reset occurs after the season ends, and you’ll play 10 placement matches to determine your starting rank next season.
- 🧠 Final rank affects your next season’s MMR, so finishing strong helps with future placements.
- 🧗♂️ Climbing smart > climbing more — focus on mental discipline, champion mastery, and macro strategy rather than spamming games.
- 🥇 Secure your Victorious Skin and other rewards by reaching Gold or higher before the season closes.
- 📊 The last month of ranked play is more competitive — plan your push early, avoid tilt, and finish at least a day before the deadline.
🗓️ What Is a League of Legends Ranked Season?
A ranked season is the annual competitive cycle in League of Legends, where players compete in ranked matches to climb through the ladder, from Iron to Challenger. It’s split into multiple phases called “splits” or “acts”, each lasting a few months.
During a ranked season, players earn League Points (LP), improve their MMR (matchmaking rating), and unlock end-of-season rewards based on their final rank and performance.
Why does the season matter so much? Because it determines:
- 🏆 Your eligibility for exclusive ranked rewards (like the Victorious Skin)
- 📊 Your end-of-season rank and bragging rights
- 🔁 Your starting placement next season (via soft reset)
- 🧠 Your understanding of the evolving meta and competitive landscape
Every ranked season is a fresh start — but it’s also a ticking clock. When the season ends, your ladder progress freezes, your rank is locked, and the race for rewards is over.
Many players confuse seasons and splits. Here’s the clear difference.
One of the most common confusions among newer players is the difference between a season and a split. Let’s clear that up.
- Ranked Season: The entire competitive year — typically starting in January and ending in December.
- Splits (or Acts): Smaller competitive periods within the season (usually three), each lasting around 3 to 4 months.
Each split acts as a “checkpoint” in your ranked journey. Riot uses splits to keep the grind fresh, reset missions and rewards, and give players new opportunities to climb. Importantly:
- Your rank and LP carry over between splits (no full resets mid-season).
- Each split comes with its own missions, milestones, and rewards.
- Your final end-of-season rewards are based on your rank at the end of the final split.
In other words, if you care about rewards or rankings, the only date that truly matters is the end of Split 3 — because that’s when the season officially concludes.
📆 2025 Ranked Season Schedule: Key Dates to Know
Riot has confirmed the ranked season structure for 2025, and it’s broken into three main splits. Here’s the official schedule:
| Split 1 (Act 1) | January 9, 2025 | April 15, 2025 | ~14 weeks |
| Split 2 (Act 2) | April 29, 2025 | August 12, 2025 | ~15 weeks |
| Split 3 (Act 3) | August 26, 2025 |
December 9, 2025
|
~15 weeks |
✅ Final Season End: The ranked season officially ends on December 9, 2025, at 11:59:59 PM local server time.
A few key things to remember:
- For Master, Grandmaster, and Challenger, the ladder locks a bit earlier — usually around 11:45 PM — to prevent last-minute manipulation.
- Any game not completed before the cutoff does not count toward your final rank.
- Ranked queues are temporarily disabled after the cutoff while Riot calculates rewards and prepares for the new season.
When the season ends, here’s what happens next:
Once the clock hits zero and the ladder locks, a few important things happen immediately:
1. 🛑 Ranked Queue Lock
Ranked matchmaking closes. Any games still in progress or queued after the deadline won’t count toward your end-of-season rank. If you’re in a game when the clock hits midnight and the Nexus explodes at 12:00:01, that win or loss will not affect your final standing.
2. 🏆 Rewards Are Calculated
Riot calculates your final rank and distributes rewards based on your rank at the exact cutoff — not your peak. That means if you hit Diamond earlier but finish the season in Platinum, you’ll receive Platinum rewards.
Rewards typically include:
- 🥇 Victorious Skin – Exclusive to Gold and above
- 🎨 Chromas – Earned for higher tiers (Platinum, Diamond, etc.)
- 🛡️ Loading Screen Borders – Showcasing your final rank
- 📜 Ranked Banner & Summoner Icons – Profile rewards for status
- 😎 Emotes and Titles – Based on milestones and achievements
💡 Pro tip: Rewards can take 2–4 weeks to arrive, so don’t panic if they don’t appear right away.
3. 🔄 Ranked Reset & Placements
After rewards are distributed, Riot applies a soft MMR reset. This means your matchmaking rating is partially recalibrated — you’ll retain some of your previous progress, but need to complete 10 placement games to determine your starting rank for the new season.
Typically, you’ll begin slightly lower than your previous rank. For example:
- Finished Gold II → Start new season around Silver I or Gold IV
- Finished Diamond IV → Start new season around Platinum II or III.
This soft reset keeps the ladder competitive and gives everyone a fair shot in the new ranked year.
⚠️ Final Rank vs. Peak Rank: The Truth About Rewards
One of the biggest mistakes players make is assuming that their highest achieved rank determines their end-of-season rewards. Unfortunately, that’s not how it works.
- ✅ What matters: Your final rank when the ladder locks.
- ❌ What doesn’t: Your highest achieved rank if you were demoted before the season ended.
For example:
- If you reached Diamond IV but ended the season in Platinum I, you’ll receive Platinum rewards.
- If you were Gold IV but fell back into Silver I, you’ll receive no Victorious skin.
This is why many high-elo players stop playing ranked once they have secured their desired reward tier — to avoid the unnecessary risk of dropping down before the cutoff.
🕐 How Server Time Zones Affect Season End
The official end time — 11:59:59 PM local server time — applies per region. That means the season may end at different times around the world:
- 🕐 NA (North America): December 9, 2025, 11:59 PM PST
- 🕐 EUW (Europe West): December 9, 2025, 11:59 PM CET
- 🕐 KR (Korea): December 9, 2025, 11:59 PM KST
If you’re traveling, duoing with friends in another region, or just confused about time zones, double-check the local cutoff time. Riot always posts a final reminder in the League client and on their official site a few weeks before the season ends.
🧠 Why Knowing the Season End Date Matters (More Than You Think)
Understanding when the League season ends isn’t just about marking a calendar. It’s about strategy. Here’s why it matters:
🎯 Reward Planning
If you know the cutoff, you can plan your grind and set realistic goals. Trying to climb 200 LP in the last week is risky — but doing it over a month is achievable.
⏳ Avoiding LP Decay
In Diamond and above, LP decay kicks in if you don’t play regularly. Missing even a few days can cost you a division — or worse, rewards.
🧪 Mission Completion
Split rewards require missions and milestones. If you leave them until the final week, you may run out of time.
🔁 Next Season Advantage
Your MMR going into placements depends on how you end the season. Finishing strong can give you a smoother climb when the next ranked year starts.
🧙♂️ Pro Tips to Maximize Your End-of-Season Climb
Want to make the most of the final weeks before the season ends? These pro tips will help you climb more efficiently and minimize last-minute stress:
1. 🗓️ Start Your Push Early
The final two weeks of the season are chaotic. Everyone is trying to climb, queue times spike, and games get sweatier. Start your climb at least 3–4 weeks before the cutoff for smoother progress.
2. 🛑 Don’t Spam Games
Quality > quantity. Playing 2–3 focused games per day is better than 10 tilt-fueled losses in a row.
3. 📉 Avoid Playing When Tilted
If you’re on a losing streak or frustrated, take a break. Playing while tilted often leads to poor decisions — and dropped ranks.
4. 🧠 Focus on Your Best Champions
Now is not the time to experiment. Stick to your comfort picks — the champions you know best — to maximize your win rate.
5. 🥇 Secure Rewards Early
If you’re close to Gold or Platinum, aim to cross that threshold before the final week. That way, you won’t risk losing rewards to bad luck or late-season volatility.
📜 Common Mistakes Players Make Before Season End
Even experienced players make critical mistakes before the season ends. Avoid these pitfalls to finish strong:
- ❌ Waiting too long to climb: Trying to rush 100+ LP in the final weekend rarely works.
- ❌ Chasing peak rank rewards: Only final rank matters — don’t risk demotion by overplaying.
- ❌ Ignoring decay: High-rank players who go inactive lose LP without playing.
- ❌ Playing through tilt: Tilted games are usually lost games.
- ❌ Not tracking server time: Losing a game after the cutoff is one of the most painful mistakes you can make.
🔄 What Happens After the Season Ends?
Once the season ends and the ranked queue closes, Riot uses a short downtime period (usually 12–24 hours) to process data, distribute rewards, and prepare for the next season. During this time:
- 🛠️ Ranked queues are disabled.
- 🎮 Preseason begins, often introducing new items, systems, and champion updates.
- 📊 Placement matches open shortly after, letting you start fresh.
The preseason period is also the best time to experiment — try new champions, test meta builds, or learn a new role without risking LP.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
🏆 Q1: Does my peak rank count for rewards?
A: No. Only your final rank at the time of ladder lock matters.
🕐 Q2: What if I’m in a game when the season ends?
A: The match won’t count unless it finishes before the cutoff time.
🧪 Q3: How long until I get my rewards?
A: Usually within 2–4 weeks after the season ends.
📊 Q4: Does preseason affect next season’s rewards?
A: No. Preseason is for testing changes — rewards are tied to the ranked season only.
🔁 Q5: How many placement matches are there in the new season?
A: There are 10 placement games before your new rank is assigned.
🏁 Final Thoughts: Plan, Prepare, and Finish Strong
So, when does the League season end? For 2025, the ranked season concludes on December 9, 2025, at 11:59:59 PM local server time — and what happens before that moment can define your entire ranked year.
This isn’t just a date — it’s your last chance to secure rewards, cement your rank, and set yourself up for success in the next season. Approach it with strategy: start early, avoid tilt, stick to your best champions, and play with purpose.
Because in League of Legends, the climb doesn’t end when the season does. It resets — and every ending is just the start of the next journey up the ladder.
