Every year, millions of players log into League of Legends with one goal: climb before the season ends. But the ranked calendar has changed a lot over the years, and keeping track of when each season actually begins and closes is less straightforward than it should be.
Ranked season progress screen
How the season structure has evolved
Riot Games has adjusted the competitive calendar repeatedly since the game launched in 2009. Early seasons ran on a loose schedule, with Season 1 technically beginning in mid-2010 and wrapping up in November 2011. Season 2 ran through 2012, closing in October of that year. From Season 3 onward, Riot settled into a more predictable January-to-November pattern, with preseason filling the gap between the ranked reset and the new year.
The format stayed relatively stable through Season 10 (2020), but Season 11 (2021) and Season 12 (2022) introduced incremental changes to how ranked rewards and end-of-season cutoffs were communicated. Riot began announcing specific end dates further in advance, giving players clearer deadlines to hit their target rank.
The biggest structural shift came with Season 2023, when Riot replaced the single annual ranked ladder with a split system. Instead of one long grind from January to November, the season was divided into three splits, each with its own rewards and reset. That change carried forward into Season 2024 and Season 2025.
The current Season 2026 schedule
Season 2026 launched in January 2026 alongside Patch 26.1, which brought a significant overhaul to items, objectives, and champion balance. The season runs on the same split structure established in 2023, with each split lasting roughly three to four months.
Split rewards in Season 2026 are tied to Split Points earned through ranked games, not just your end-of-split rank. You'll want to track your Split Points separately from your LP if you're chasing cosmetic rewards.
For players jumping into the current meta, the Season 2026 patch 26.1 breakdown covers every major system change that kicked off the year, including Role Quests and the new objective mechanics.
Split reward milestone tracker
A quick reference: past season windows
Here's how the annual seasons have mapped out historically, based on Riot's official end-of-season announcements:
The pattern from Season 3 onward has been remarkably consistent: ranked opens in January, closes in mid-to-late November, and preseason patches drop in December ahead of the next reset.
What the split system means for your climb
Under the current format, missing the start of a split costs less than it used to. Each split resets rank partially rather than fully, meaning a strong finish in Split 1 gives you a head start in Split 2. The key here is that split-specific rewards, like exclusive emotes and profile icons, are only available during their respective window. Once a split closes, those rewards are gone.
Patch 26.5 brought notable mid-season balance adjustments that shifted which roles are strongest right now. If you're actively climbing, the Patch 26.5 buff and nerf breakdown is worth checking before you queue.
With the Season 2026 end date expected around November 2026, there's still a full competitive window ahead. The second split is where most players make their real rank gains, and with the meta currently in flux after 26.5, the climb is as open as it's been all year.
