How to Get Unrestricted in Ranked LoL – Avoiding Penalties

League of Legends isn’t just a game – it’s a massive community and a place for serious competition. If you care about ranked play, you need to understand the rules that can get your account restricted. This comprehensive guide will help you understand what ranked restrictions are, how to avoid them, and how to get unrestricted if penalties hit your account.

How to get unrestricted in ranked League of Legends (LoL) and avoid penalties starts by understanding that Riot Games strives to keep ranked games fair and fun for all players. This article will explain what ranked restrictions are and how they work. The goal is to understand why Riot Games restricts LoL accounts so you can avoid such a fate.

Explaining Ranked Restrictions in League of Legends

LoL ranked restrictions are penalties for players who display inappropriate behavior or violate the game’s terms of service. Breaking the game rules is a serious offense and Riot Games doesn’t take such matters lightly. Usually, these restrictions are temporary. The only exception is if you’re a repeat offender or abuse the ranked game modes so severely that Riot Games sees you as a threat to its gaming community.

Restricted players may face additional sanctions such as chat restrictions and enforced delays before joining game queues. Let’s look into the violations that can cause LoL account restrictions:

Account Sharing

Riot Games frowns upon account sharing with any of its games, including League of Legends. The development team is primarily concerned about a player’s account integrity as it also impacts the game’s integrity. This is especially the case with ranked competition as it respects the gaming community’s preference for players to earn their rank honestly instead of using boosting services.

AFK (Away From Keyboard)

Players who step away from the keyboard or leave a LoL game while it's in progress ruin the experience for their teammates. LoL is a team-based game. Habitual AFK players display a lack of respect. They disrupt the game’s harmony by placing teammates at an unfair advantage against the opponent.

Riot Games places ranked restrictions to thwart players from AFKing or leaving games prematurely. This is to ensure the LoL experience for everyone who wants to play a fair match.

Cheating

Exploiting in-game bugs or using third-party cheating software violates Riot’s terms of service. When players sign up, they agree to honor LoL’s rulebook. They understand there will be consequences when caught cheating. Riot and the gaming community have zero tolerance for cheaters exploiting the game’s weaknesses to gain an unfair advantage over the competition.

Toxic Behavior

Abuse, discrimination, and harassment are examples of toxic behavior. These actions disrupt fellow LoL players from enjoying the game. Riot Games won’t hesitate to restrict players who fail to respect LoL’s community.

LoL has millions of active players worldwide. To protect them from abuse, Riot Games uses Vanguard security software to monitor breaches of conduct and other game-related violations. LoL’s gaming community won’t tolerate toxic players, either. They’re quick to report anyone exhibiting inappropriate behavior.

It’s easy to get caught up in the moment, especially if your LoL gaming experience isn’t going as well as you hoped. Should you encounter a player exhibiting toxic behavior, don’t engage. Doing so puts you in the same category as the abuser and you may also face a ranked restriction yourself. The better move is to report the toxic player and let the Riot Games team take it from there.

LoL Ranked Restrictions Penalties

When Riot Games enforces ranked restrictions, various measures are used to maintain a positive LoL gaming environment. The primary objective of ranked restrictions is to suspend players violating the game’s terms of service. It usually starts as a temporary measure but also depends on the frequency and seriousness of the violation.

Players placed on ranked restrictions are required to earn their way back to Riot’s good graces. It starts by completing at least five unranked matches before regaining access to ranked mode. Only Normal and Draft Pick games count towards lifting the restrictions with the exclusion of ARAM, Arena, and Co-op vs. AI.

Players must avoid AFKing, cheating, or exhibiting toxic behavior as they complete the unranked matches requirement. They must prove to Riot Games and its LoL community that they’ve learned from their mistakes and are willing to move forward in the name of good sportsmanship.

Chat restrictions may be applied as a standalone measure or alongside ranked restrictions. This limits your ability to communicate in the game. It’s a preventative measure to ensure players don’t engage in toxic behavior that can potentially ruin everyone’s in-game experience.

Repeat offenders are more likely to be placed in Low Priority Queue, leading to delays in matchmaking. If the restricted player’s actions are too frequent or severe, they may face a complete lockout from queuing for up to two weeks.

In addition to ranked restrictions, players usually become ineligible for LoL’s end-of-season rewards. They may also see a reduction in their Honor level. These hinder the progress, especially towards higher tiers and the rewards that come with them.

What About Ranked Restrictions for New LoL Accounts?

Riot Games requires League of Legends players to achieve Level 30 before unlocking ranked mode. As of 2024, Riot expects new LoL gamers to complete at least ten Blind or Draft Pick games before they can play ranked games. This ensures players are prepared to compete in LoL’s ranked matches.

Although ARAM and Co-op vs. AI are popular with the LoL community, these modes won’t help new accounts advance to ranked gameplay. This applies to all of LoL’s promotional and seasonal modes. Completing the Blind or Draft Pick games is the only way to remove ranked restrictions from your account.

Conclusion

Riot Games places League of Legends ranked restrictions against new and penalized players. The new need to prove that they’re willing to learn how LoL works so they can play ranked mode. As for the penalized, they must prove they’ve learned from their mistakes and exercise better in-game judgment moving forward.

Understanding the reasons associated with ranked restrictions should help players avoid actions that can get them into trouble. In addition to ranked restrictions, players will be penalized accordingly. Those penalties include chat restrictions, delayed queues, and losing in-game progress while playing ranked mode.

The key to avoiding temporary (and permanent) bans is to respect LoL’s terms of service laid out by Riot Games. This includes respecting the gaming community. Understanding and adhering to the game’s rules promotes a positive gameplay experience for everyone, yourself included.