What is LoL Arena? | Tier List & Ranks, Explained

It's a pure clash of titans in Riot Games' new-and-improved League of Legends Arena game mode! It's back with a bang in Season 14, as even more teams can get involved in the action, now increased from eight players to a whopping sixteen in this 2v2v2v2v2v2v2v2 PvP temporary mode. Can you and your partner emerge as the ultimate Gladiators on top? 

LoL Arena is available to play from the League of Legends launcher from May 1 until September 10, 2024, so there's plenty of time to get involved in the augmented chaos! Here's everything you need to know about LoL Arena, including a dedicated tier list, all ranks, and more. 

What is LoL Arena?

First things first, the Arena game mode in League of Legends is a 2v2v2v2v2v2v2v2 format with sixteen players in one lobby. Unlike regular games, there are no turrets, minions, or jungle monsters to worry about—this is mostly a PvP mode.

Introduced during the Soul Fighter event in 2023, it has become one of the most popular rotating game modes. In LoL Arena, you face off against other pairs (eight teams) across multiple maps, known as "rings," to become the last team standing. The five maps are Frostbite Thicket, Ancestral Woods, Desert Oasis, Magma Chamber, and Koi Pond.

The LoL Arena game mode has come and gone several times, with many changes to champions, Augment selections, quality of life updates, and more. 

Ranked progression did not start until LoL patch 14.10 launched on May 15, so you may gain or lose Gladiator Points rapidly as the meta settles. 

Getting into LoL Arena

Queuing up for LoL Arena is more fun than any other game mode. You can queue up with one other player to cement them as your partner, or if you have that many friends, you can queue up as a full 16-stack for even more chaos.

The LoL Arena experience differs from any game on Summoner's Rift or ARAM, which you'll immediately see upon entering the lobby. 

No Runes

The traditional LoL Runes are nowhere to be seen in LoL Arena. Instead, they are replaced by the in-game Augments, which are like juiced-up versions of existing Runes.

Preset Summoner Spells

All players will start with the same two Summoner Spells: Flash and Flee, which works similarly to Ghost. Flee can also be swapped out through the use of Augments. 

Semi-Draft Pick 

One player from each team will make their first champion pick. The other teams then reveal these picks before each duo completes their team, making for exciting counter-picks!

Players also get one ban per team, making for eight champion bans in total. 

LoL Arena Tier List

Before we get into the ins and outs of LoL Arena gameplay, you'll need to know the best champions to pick during the draft phase, especially if you want to make it to Gladiator! 

Rivalry has carefully curated our own LoL Arena Tier List using statistical analysis of every LoL champion's recent win, ban, and pick rate in LoL Arena. 

The following champions are categorized from God-Tier to Avoid-Tier:

• God-Tier: Darius, Zed, Garen, Vi, Brand, Kayn, Briar, Vayne, Veigar, Master Yi, Rammus, Vladimir, Gragas, Alistar, Trundle, Swain
• S-Tier: Maokai, Malphite, Vex, Lux, Morgana, Jayce, Galio, Pyke, Ashe, Mordekaiser, Singed, Cho'Gath, Samira, Volibear, Sett, Senna, Poppy, Olaf, Pantheon, Shyvana, Lillia, Udyr, Kha'Zix, Sylas, Jhin, Kayle
• A-Tier: Aatrox, Zeri, Zac, Zyra, Nami, Sona, Caitlyn, Ryze, Lucian, Twisted Fate, Lee Sin, Kennen, Sivir, Illaoi, Wukong, Tryndamere, Rell, Gwen, Jax, Karma, Yasuo, Hwei, Jinx, Ahri, Fiora, Nasus, Kog'Maw, Shaco, Dr Mundo, Leona, Sion, Tristana, Vel'Koz, Shen, Syndra, Malzahar, Lulu, Draven, Qiyana, Xin Zhao
• B-Tier: Yorick, Irelia, Riven, Hecarim, Azir, Nunu & Willump, Taric, Cassiopeia, Amumu, Ezreal, Jarvan VI, Anivia, K'Sante, Aphelios, Nautilus, Camille, Orianna, Janna, Rengar, Naafiri, Nidalee, Nilah, Viego, Fiddlesticks, Smolder, Ivern, Renekton, Taliyah, Kai'Sa, Talon, Yone, Teemo, Lissandra, Kindred, Karthus, Bel'Veth, Nocturne, Katarina
• C-Tier: Renata Glasc, Braum, Urgot, Xayah, Rakan, Warwick, Kallista, Soraka, Zoe, Tahm Kench, Thresh, Twitch, Gangplank, Skarner, Corki, Miss Fortune, Annie, Varus, Quinn, Zilean, Bard, Rek'Sai, Ornn, Kled, Sejuani, Gnar, Yuumi, Milio
• Avoid-Tier: Viktor, Ziggs, Akali, Aurelion Sol, Akshan, Rumble, Seraphine, Evelynn, LeBlanc, Xerath, Fizz, Diana, Heimerdinger, Ekko, Neeko, Kassadin

Disclaimer: Please take this LoL Arena tier list with a pinch of salt; just because we say a champion is bad doesn't mean an automatic loss! It all depends on your Augments, mechanical skill, and other in-game factors.

LoL Arena: Preparation Phase

Similar to TeamFight Tactics, every LoL Arena round begins with a prep phase where players will receive different avenues of powering up, including Gold, Augments, and Anvils. You can also check out the opposition during this time, see what they're working with, and plan your strategies. 

Anvils

While in Arena LoL, you can purchase most of the items already available in Summoner's Rift, as well as some Arena-specific items via Anvils.

Anvils are purchasable consumables that, when used (or automatically consumed), present three randomized selections within a defined category

• Prismatic: 4000 Gold. Randomized choice between all Prismatic items
• Legendary: 2000 Gold. Randomized choice between all Legendary items within your class, like Mage, Tank, etc
• Stat: 750 Gold. Randomized choices between all raw stat upgrades

If you're not impressed with the current choices, you can always decide to re-roll an Anvil, but these will always come from the same re-roll pool as your Augments. 

Augments

Augments are permanent bonuses for champions beyond just items. There are over 100 Augments in this game mode, with three different Augment tiers: Silver, Gold, and Prismatic. Silver is the least powerful, while Prismatic offers rare, game-changing buffs and effects. While the rarity is completely randomized, all players in the same game are offered the same level of power. 

Augment selection occurs in Rounds 1, 5, 8, and 12. Be bold and try different Augments - you could create a super cracked combo that no one's tried before! 

LoL Arena: Combat Phase

After preparation, you'll engage in 2v2 matches in one of four rings. If there’s an odd number of teams, one team sits out to take a breather.

Defeated teams lose health based on the current round, as shown in the table below. Each team starts with 100 Health.

Rounds 5, 9 and 13 are High Stakes rounds - the teams that win these rounds increase their Team Health by 15 and each team member is rewarded a Lucky Dice for an additional re-roll.

Win or lose, getting kills will increase the gold rewarded at the end of a round. If your teammate gets defeated at any stage, a circle will appear at their place of death. You can stand in their circle for a few seconds to revive them. Each time, only get one revive per round, so treat your second life like it's your last! 

 If a matchup runs longer than 30 seconds, a ring of fire will begin to close in every few seconds. This deals a percentage of true damage if you're stood in the flames. If you and your opponents somehow survive the fire, the round will end in a tie, dealing round damage to both teams. 

LoL Arena: Ranks

LoL Arena is one of the first League of Legends game modes to get its own ranked tier system. Riot Games hopes this relaxed new mode will encourage more players to begin the climb and reach the pinnacle: Gladiator tier.

All players, pros or noobs, are initially seeded into Wood Tier with 500 Rating and cannot demote from their current tier once they've reached it. There is usually a complete ranked reset for LoL Arena once the game mode has returned, so you'll have to make the climb from scratch once again.

These are all the ranks available in the LoL Arena: 

• Wood: From 0 to 1399 Gladiator Points
• Bronze: From 1400 to 2599 Gladiator Points
• Silver: From 2600 to 3299 Gladiator Points
• Gold: From 3300 to 3999 Gladiator Points
• Gladiator: From 4000 Gladiator Points onwards

You are protected from losing any Gladiator Points until you reach the highest tier, Gladiator, meaning climbing the ranked ladder is pretty easy, as you get Gladiator Points for finishing 4th or above! Your hidden Arena MMR will mean you're still getting fair and balanced matches.

Your current tier will be shown through your in-lobby banner and in the post-game report card. With a slew of UI changes, players can utilize the tab scoreboard to their advantage, highlighting their recent match history, recent selection, and more. 

LoL Arena: Champion Cameos

While LoL Arena doesn't feature any in-game mobs like minions, some well-known neutral champions may appear when a random round begins to add their own brand of chaos to the game. 

Each champion has a unique spell that acts as a battlefield hazard and adds extra spice to your LoL Arena matchup. Whether they are a help or hindrance, use the chaos to your advantage! 

• Lux: Lux readies a laser, moving its targeting direction either clockwise or anticlockwise. Once a champion crosses the line, she will cast Final Spark in that direction to deal magic damage to anyone caught in the crossfire. 
• Sett: Sett will take damage until he runs out of life. Upon taking lethal damage, he will launch a fully-charged Haymaker in the direction of the enemies of the team that gave him the last hit, dealing true damage
• Pyke: Every seven seconds, Pyke casts Phantom Undertow in the direction of the champion further from him. After one second, he travels back to his original location, stunning any champion caught in between. 
• Jhin: Jhin channels his Ultimate, Curtain Call, from outside the battlefield arena at a 90-degree angle of both teams. He will recast every eight seconds to fire a shot in the direction of a random unique champion, starting again after shooting all champions on the field. Each shot deals physical damage based on the target's current and maximum health.
• Thresh: Thresh will wander the map, providing assistance to both teams. He will cast Dark Passage to the champion furthest from him, granting the nearest champion with the lowest health a constant shield. Any champion on either team can interact with the lantern to cash to Thresh's current location. He will also always aid the disadvantaged squad.

Arena LoL FAQs

Is LoL Arena temporary? 

For now, LoL Arena is a temporary game mode occasionally available throughout the year for several weeks. Follow along with League of Legends patch notes and Riot Games' socials to stay up-to-date with when LoL Arena is available. 

When is LoL Arena coming back? 

LoL Arena is available to play for the third time from May 1, 2024, to September 10, 2024. 

Is LoL Arena champion selection a randomized choice like ARAM? 

No, in LoL Arena, you have complete control over the two champions you and your duo partner decide to play, with one champion ban per team. However, luck plays a significant part as some champions pair well with some Augments than others. 

How is a LoL Arena tier list made? 

We have based our LoL Arena Tier List on several factors, including the win, pick, and ban rates of hundreds of players. The higher tier champions, aka S-Tier, are the ones that are considered the "best." Of course, all champions can be viable in the right hands and Augment selections. 

• S-Tier champions are ideally the best for LoL Arena, performing well during the combat phase, no matter the game state, items, or Augments. if you can't pick them for your own team, they should be a top ban priority 
• A-C Tier champions have average performance in LoL Arena games. They aren't considered troll picks by any means and can still work if you're good at them. 
• Avoid Tier champions tend to perform poorly against most matchups, usually with a low pick rate and win rate. You should ideally avoid playing these champions when deciding your duo champs in the draft phrase. 

Final Thoughts

That was everything you need to know about LoL Arena, the currently-featured game mode. Now, you should be well-prepared and ready to become the best of the rest and climb to the coveted Gladiator rank.

Remember that while this mode is currently temporary, Riot Games plans to add it as a permanent feature soon. GL HF in your future matches!

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