After weeks of anticipation, Ranked 5s officially goes live tonight, June 26, 2026 at 8 PM in League of Legends. Riot Games is bringing back the beloved five-stack competitive queue as a 10-week summer experiment, giving coordinated teams a dedicated ladder to climb — separate from the Solo/Duo grind.
What Are Ranked 5s?
Ranked 5s is a competitive queue exclusively for full five-person premade teams. It uses Tournament Draft — the exact format used in professional play — featuring three bans, three picks, two additional bans, and two final picks. It is the closest experience to pro play that casual and amateur teams can access from the League client.
One of the biggest talking points: there are zero rank restrictions. A Challenger player can team up with an Iron player without any issue. Riot is prioritizing team cohesion over individual rank matching for this experimental mode, trusting the matchmaking system to find balanced opponents over time.
How to Queue and When to Play
Ranked 5s is a weekend-only queue, available Friday and Saturday nights from 9 PM to 1 AM local time per server region. To play, gather a full team of five, head to the client, and select the Ranked 5s queue. The mode runs from June 26 through September 6, 2026.
Double Stakes and Exclusive Rewards
Riot confirmed that LP gains and losses will be doubled compared to standard Ranked. The higher stakes encourage serious team play and make every match feel meaningful. Unique cosmetic rewards are available for teams that perform well — full details will roll out as the season progresses.
The timing is deliberate: Ranked 5s launches just two days before MSI 2026 kicks off in Daejeon, South Korea (June 28). Riot is channeling the energy of the international stage directly into the playerbase, encouraging teams to compete while the world's best clash on the pro scene.