Mastery: What is mastery system in League of Legends?
The mastery system in League of Legends is a way to track how well you know and play each champion. After every match, you get a mastery grade that reflects how your performance compares to other players using the same champion in the same role.
As you collect these grades over time, they build up toward higher mastery levels. The better you do, the faster you progress—and as a bonus, you can earn rewards like Hextech chests and emotes along the way.
Your mastery level for each champion is visible to others during loading screens and on your profile. If you hit a new mastery tier or earn an S-, S, or S+ grade, everyone in the post-game lobby gets a notification in chat celebrating the achievement.
When did the mastery system launch?
The mastery system was added to League of Legends in 2015, marking a big update for the game. Before that, there wasn’t a clear way to measure or reward individual champion skill. This feature gave players a meaningful way to earn recognition for their performance and consistency, and it quickly became a staple of the game.
The system was designed to let players showcase their dedication. It includes two categories: champion mastery, which focuses on individual champion performance, and summoner mastery, which looks at a player’s overall progress in the game.
How has it changed over time?
Since 2015, the mastery system has seen a number of tweaks to stay aligned with the evolving game. These updates have added depth, improved visibility, and made rewards more engaging. Some key changes include:
- Expanded rewards: Over the years, Riot has added more ways to celebrate mastery, such as exclusive summoner icons and expressive emotes that unlock at higher tiers.
- Better visibility: In earlier versions, you had to visit a website to see your mastery progress. Now, all of that info is built right into the game client, making it easier to track.
- Point system adjustments: The way mastery points are awarded has been fine-tuned. For instance, winning now gives more points than before, while losses yield fewer—better reflecting a player’s skill and contribution.
Can you speed up mastery progress?
There’s no real shortcut, but you can optimize how fast you level up. Performing well and securing wins will naturally earn you more points. Sticking with one champion and consistently playing them well is one of the best ways to move up faster.
Is it possible to abuse the system?
Riot has put systems in place to detect and prevent cheating. The mastery system is built to reward actual gameplay, not shortcuts. Using third-party tools, bots, or farming tactics to game the system can lead to bans, loss of rewards, or account penalties.
Even players who go AFK or don’t contribute meaningfully to games won’t benefit—mastery progress is tightly tied to your actual in-game actions. Trying to exploit it just isn’t worth the risk.