What’s New: Patch 26.20
Updated October 15, 2026. The latest changes that affect this guide:
- Patch 26.19 (September 22) shortened the top lane role quest’s free Teleport cooldown from 420 to 390 seconds and shifted World Atlas and Runic Compass to health regeneration for melee supports.
- Patch 26.20 (October 6) reworked Hextech Rocketbelt (less Ability Haste, stronger active) and made replays private to the match’s players.
Full details for every major update are in the patch notes history. Sources: Riot: Patch 26.19 notes, Riot: Patch 26.20 notes.
The Target: Level 30
Level 30 unlocks ranked queues. LoLTheory puts the total at 39,936 XP, or roughly 200 to 230 games without boosts, about 100 hours at 30 minutes a game. With XP boosts it drops under 100 games, and to about 64 with both boost types stacked.
XP per Game
XP depends on game length and on winning. A win pays about 23% more than a loss of the same length, and games shorter than 7 minutes pay nothing.
| Game length | Win | Loss |
|---|---|---|
| 15 min | ~105 | ~86 |
| 20 min | ~138 | ~113 |
| 25 min | ~172 | ~140 |
| 30 min | ~205 | ~167 |
| 35 min | ~238 | ~194 |
| 40 min | ~271 | ~222 |
Summoner’s Rift and ARAM use the same formula. ARAM games are shorter (20 to 25 minutes) but quicker to queue, so the XP per hour is similar.
Co-op vs AI Limits
Bot games pay full XP only early on: 100% at levels 1 to 9, 90% at 10 to 19, 80% at 20 to 29 and 75% after that. After three hours of bot games in a day the rates fall again, to 65% and 55% in the higher bands. Custom games and Practice Tool give 0 XP.
XP Boosts and Removed Bonuses
The duration boost doubles base XP per game, and the per-win boost adds 216 XP per win; the two stack. First Win of the Day, which used to give 400 XP, was removed in January 2025, and Riot raised account XP by about 40% in patch 25.S1.2 to compensate.
After Level 30
Level rewards in Blue Essence stop at 30, and new level borders arrive at 50 and then every 25 levels up to 500. From here the free Battle Pass track is the main BE source; our Blue Essence guide covers it.
Buying a Level 30 Account
LoLTheory notes that buying pre-leveled accounts breaks Riot’s Terms of Service and can end in a permanent ban, and Riot’s Anti-Boost system has penalized hundreds of thousands of accounts. Sellers are listed on our League of Legends page with that risk stated.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many games does it take to reach level 30?
About 200 to 230 games without boosts, per LoLTheory, for 39,936 XP. Boosts cut that below 100.
Do bot games give full XP?
Only up to level 9. Co-op vs AI pays 90% at 10 to 19, 80% at 20 to 29 and 75% after, and less after three hours a day.
Does winning give more XP?
Yes, about 23% more than a loss of the same length.
Sources
Checked October 13, 2026. Game systems change with patches, so confirm numbers in game.
