LoL Duo Queue Rules 2026: Who You Can Duo With at Every Rank

Ranked Solo/Duo lets you queue with exactly one partner — but only one within a rank window that narrows as you climb, until it closes entirely at Grandmaster. The rules exist to stop high-elo players carrying low-elo friends, and they are the rules every duo boost has to respect. Here is the 2026 table from Riot's wiki, how the matchmaker treats a duo, what happens at the apex tiers, and how duo boosting works inside the limits.

The duo restriction table

Your rank	You can duo with
Iron	Iron – Silver
Bronze	Iron – Silver
Silver	Iron – Gold
Gold	Silver – Platinum
Platinum	Gold – Emerald
Emerald	Platinum – Diamond III
Diamond IV – II	Emerald II – Diamond II
Diamond I	within 200 LP of your division
Master	only a partner with closely matched hidden MMR
Grandmaster / Challenger	no duo

The windows overlap in one direction only. A Silver player may queue with Gold, and that Gold player may queue with Silver — but Gold cannot queue with Bronze even though Bronze can queue with Silver. Both players must be inside each other's window. The check uses the visible rank at the moment you queue, so a promotion or demotion can open or close a duo mid-session.

How the matchmaker treats a duo

A duo is matched by the pair's combined hidden MMR, weighted upward slightly because two coordinated players beat two strangers of the same rating — which is why a duo's lobbies feel a little harder than solo. Riot also tries to match duos against duos. Unranked players have an MMR even without a rank, so a new account partnered with a Platinum player is placed in Platinum-level games and will be rated accordingly when it places. And the gain and loss after the game are individual: each player's LP moves by their own MMR, not the pair's.

Master, Grandmaster and Challenger

Master accounts can still duo, but only with a partner whose hidden MMR is close — the visible rank alone is not enough, and the client rejects pairs it considers too far apart. From Grandmaster up Solo/Duo is strictly solo. Riot keeps the very top of the ladder solo-only to protect its integrity, and the April 2026 apex reset in NA, EUW, EUNE, BR, LAN, TR did not change that. High-elo players who want to queue together use Flex, which allows parties of 1, 2, 3, 5 at every rank (no fours) — see Flex vs Solo/Duo.

How duo boosting works within the rules

A duo boost is a verified high-elo booster playing in your lobby while you stay on your own account. Because the window is enforced by visible rank, a Master booster cannot simply queue with a Gold account from their main; they play from an account ranked inside your window — their skill is unchanged, the rank on the account is what matters. A few consequences for customers:

1. 1 · The booster needs an account in your window.

   Our duo boosters keep accounts across the tiers for this reason. Below Diamond that is always possible; in Diamond I (200 LP) and Master (matched MMR) duo is available only when a booster has an account at that exact level, which is why Diamond+ orders default to piloted.

2. 2 · You play your own games.

   Duo wins come from the games being easier, not from you being carried while idle. Pick the role you are strongest in; the booster takes a carry role that complements it.

3. 3 · Your LP moves at your own rate.

   Gains follow your MMR, so a long win streak pushes you above the baseline — the duo climb usually accelerates after the first few games.

4. 4 · Nothing to share.

   No login changes hands, so there is no account-sharing exposure; the safety guide explains why that matters.

Common questions

Can I duo with an unranked friend? Yes below Diamond; they are matched by MMR and their placements will reflect your lobbies. Does my duo partner's rank affect my LP? Not directly — LP follows your own MMR — but harder lobbies mean your win rate, and so your gains, depend on them. Can we both be in promotion? There are no promotion series in 2026; you simply cross 100 LP. Does the window use peak or current rank? Current visible rank at queue time.