- Diamond+: top ~5%
- Decay starts at Diamond
- 28 banked days, 7 a game
- Tighter duo limits
Diamond is the line most League of Legends players mean when they say "high elo": only about one ranked player in twenty reaches it. It's also where the game starts treating you differently — your rank can decay, your duo options shrink and the next step is the apex ladder. This guide covers how rare Diamond is, what changes when you get there, the LP maths of the last 400 LP, a plan for the Emerald-to-Diamond climb and how to keep the rank once you have it. Rules from Riot Support, distribution from League of Graphs, checked 2026-10-15.
Short answer: Diamond IV puts you in the top 4.77% of
ranked players (4.0% are Diamond). Emerald IV to Diamond IV is 400 LP — roughly 200 games at a 55% win
rate with even gains of about 20 LP, around 100 at 60%. Once you arrive, decay starts:
28 banked days, 7 more per ranked game, then −50 LP a day — down to
Emerald I at most. Duo gets tighter too: from Emerald to Diamond II you can't duo with anyone who has Master-tier MMR.
Key takeaways
- Top ~5%. Emerald I is already the top 8%; Diamond IV the top 4.8%.
- 400 LP from Emerald IV against stronger players every division — win rate and LP split decide how long it takes.
- Decay begins at Diamond: play at least one ranked game every 7 days and you never see it.
- Duo windows narrow — Diamond IV–II with Emerald II–Diamond II, Diamond I with Diamond III up to Masters under 200 LP.
- Finish the season there and your Victorious chroma is Diamond's — the chroma follows your final tier.
How rare Diamond is
| Rank | Share of ranked players at or above |
|---|---|
 Emerald IV | top 18.09% |
| Emerald I | top 7.97% |
 Diamond IV | top 4.77% |
| Diamond I | top 1.56% |
 Master | top 0.87% |
Diamond has always been small, but it moves with Riot's changes: the same League of Graphs data put it at 2.4% in Sep 2025, 4.1% in Aug 2024, 2.7% in Sep 2023, against 4.0% now — Riot's 2026 recalibration moved the top of Diamond into Master. The full ladder is in the 2026 rank distribution.
What changes when you reach Diamond
- Decay. Diamond is the first tier that decays. You start with 28 banked days, each ranked game adds 7 (up to 28), and when the bank is empty you lose 50 LP a day. Decay walks through demotion protection but stops at Emerald I, because Emerald never decays. See rank decay explained and the decay calculator.
- Duo limits. Diamond IV – II: Emerald II – Diamond II; Diamond I: Diamond III – Master players under 200 LP. From Emerald to Diamond II you can't duo with a player who has Master-tier MMR while you're Diamond or lower.
- Demotion protection. Riot says tier demotions still have protection; the official wiki puts it at 10 games after a tier promotion. If you do drop a tier you land on 25, 50, 75 LP depending on your MMR.
- Next year's start. The January reset starts even former Diamonds about a full tier lower — Emerald I at most — and placements can't put anyone above Diamond III.
The last 400 LP
| Win rate | Emerald IV → Diamond IV (400 LP) | Emerald I → Diamond IV (100 LP) |
|---|---|---|
| 53% | ~334 games | ~84 games |
| 55% | ~200 games | ~50 games |
| 58% | ~126 games | ~32 games |
| 60% | ~100 games | ~25 games |
These assume even gains of ±20 LP (the official wiki's 2026 baseline — Riot publishes no number). When your MMR is ahead of your rank, wins pay more and losses cost less, and the same climb takes a fraction of the games; when it's behind, it takes longer. Check your own split with the LP gain checker and see LoL MMR explained.
A plan for Emerald to Diamond
- One role, two or three champions.
At this level opponents punish unfamiliar picks. Keep a backup role for autofill — an autofilled win pays double LP with Aegis of Valor since patch 26.15.
- Win the map after laning.
Laning is close in Emerald; games are decided by who sets up objectives, holds side waves and groups at the right time.
- Track your LP split.
If your gains fall below your losses, stop and fix the streak before it costs a division — the checker shows the win rate you need.
- Choose duo partners carefully.
Riot says premade games can bring slightly more difficult opponents or reduced LP gains, and from Emerald a partner with Master-tier MMR is blocked entirely.
- Stop after two losses; review one game a week.
Replays expire at the next patch — save the loss you don't understand and watch it before patch day.
Staying Diamond
Keep the decay bank topped up: one ranked game every 7 days does it, and four games before a holiday bank the full 28 days. Mind the season close as well — your Victorious chroma follows the tier you finish in, so slipping back to Emerald in the last week costs you Diamond's chroma. Track the 15 wins and your Honor with the Victorious tracker. The next step — promotion, the apex rules and the LP cutoffs — is in how to reach Master.
Stuck in Emerald? A Solo/Duo boost takes you to
Diamond division by division — piloted in offline mode or with you in duo — and net
wins refill your decay bank once you're there. Want to earn it yourself? Coaching
with a Master+ player.
Sources
- Riot Support — Placements, promotions, demotions and decay (29 May 2026: Diamond decay table, Diamond IV → Emerald I, Diamond III placement cap, tier-demotion protection and the 25/50/75 LP landing)
- Riot Support — Ranked tiers, divisions and queues (duo windows, Master-tier MMR rule) · Ranked rewards (chroma for your final rank; January start Emerald I at most)
- League of Graphs — rank distribution (patch 26.20) · Esports Tales history · official wiki — Rank (±20 LP baseline, 10-game shield). Checked 2026-10-15.
All free tools: calculators, percentiles & season countdowns →
FAQ
Common questions
What percentage of players are Diamond in LoL?
About 4% are in Diamond and roughly 4.8% are Diamond or higher on the October 2026 League of Graphs sample, which reads Riot's API across all regions.
Does Diamond decay in LoL?
Yes — it's the first tier that does. You start with 28 banked days, each ranked game adds 7 (up to 28), and once the bank is empty you lose 50 LP a day, until you drop into Emerald I, where decay stops (Riot Support).
How hard is it to get from Emerald to Diamond?
Emerald IV to Diamond IV is 400 LP against stronger players every division. With even gains of about 20 LP, a 55% win rate takes roughly 200 games and 60% about 100 — a small champion pool and LP gains above your losses are what shorten it.
Can you duo in Diamond?
Yes, with limits: Diamond IV to II can duo with Emerald II to Diamond II, Diamond I with Diamond III up to Masters under 200 LP, and from Emerald to Diamond II you can't duo with anyone who has Master-tier MMR (Riot Support).
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