League rulesets

Choose the mode before the build

Draft, Swiftplay, ARAM and Arena do not share one economy or one objective timeline. Start here, choose the rules you are actually playing, then open the matching champion plan.

Find my mode See the key differences Vision guide

The differences that change your plan

Choose by rules, not only match length

Opening state, map systems, champion selection and shopping rules determine which build and guide are relevant.

Full Summoner's Rift

Draft / Ranked

Open: Level 1 · 500g
Select: Bans and alternating picks
Vision: Full Rift ward control
First FF: 15:00

Accelerated Summoner's Rift

Swiftplay

Open: Level 3 · 1,400g
Select: Champion and roles first
Vision: Rift map, faster pacing
First FF: 10:00

One-lane team fighting

ARAM

Open: Level 3 · 1,400g
Select: Random, rerolls and bench
Vision: No normal Rift ward loop
First FF: 8:00

Round-based event mode

Arena

Open: Round economy
Select: Event-specific
Vision: Round rules, not Rift wards
Finish: Team health and elimination

Standard and faster RiftSummoner's RiftDraft · Ranked · Swiftplay

Single-lane combatHowling AbyssARAM · ARAM Mayhem

Round-based combatArena mapsAugments · teams of two

Once the queue is chosen

Open the map system you need

These guides explain the repeatable decisions inside Summoner's Rift without pretending every mode shares the same timer.

InformationVision and deep wardsMove together, sweep safely and establish an objective line.Open Neutral objectivesDragons, Herald and BaronCompare standard Rift and Swiftplay timing before contesting.Open StructuresTurrets, plates and aggroUnderstand target switching, minion cover and structure order.Open PathingJungle camps and routesBuild a first clear and know when a lane or objective changes it.Open

Pick by purpose

What do you want from the next match?

The answer matters more than which queue is shortest.

Learn standard RiftNormal DraftFull bans, roles, lanes and objectives without ranked progression. Play a faster RiftSwiftplayAccelerated economy with its own starters and objective rules. Climb competitivelyRankedSolo / Duo or Flex progression on standard Summoner's Rift. Fight in one laneARAMRandom champions, rerolls, a shared bench and no Recall shopping. Play short combat roundsArenaSmall teams, augments and event rules instead of lanes. Learn or test safelyPractice / CustomControls, combos, builds and organised private matches.

STANDARD RIFT

Normal Draft Pick

The complete Summoner's Rift draft without ranked progression.

Map: Summoner's Rift
Teams: 5 vs 5
Select: Bans, picks and assigned roles
Start: Level 1 · 500 gold

Choose it whenLearning standard lanes, coordinated drafts, objective timings and new champions before ranked.

Important differenceA full match can be considerably longer than Swiftplay. Role assignments and normal Rift economy matter.

First normal FF vote15:00An eligible AFK can make an earlier team vote available.

COMPETITIVE

Ranked Solo / Duo

The standard five-role Rift with visible ranked progression.

Map: Summoner's Rift
Teams: 5 vs 5
Party: Solo or one eligible duo
Start: Level 1 · 500 gold

Choose it whenTesting individual consistency and climbing the Solo / Duo ladder.

Important differenceRank restrictions, placement rules and season structure can change. Check the client before queueing with a duo.

First normal FF vote15:00An eligible AFK can make an earlier team vote available.

TEAM RANKED

Ranked Flex

A separate ranked ladder designed for flexible party sizes and team play.

Map: Summoner's Rift
Teams: 5 vs 5
Rank: Separate from Solo / Duo
Start: Level 1 · 500 gold

Choose it whenPractising coordinated drafts and climbing with a regular group.

Important differenceFlex rank and Solo / Duo rank are independent. Flex currently allows parties of one, two, three or five, but not four.

First normal FF vote15:00An eligible AFK can make an earlier team vote available.

FASTER RIFT

Swiftplay

A compressed Summoner's Rift ruleset with faster income, experience and objectives.

Map: Summoner's Rift
Teams: 5 vs 5
Select: Choose champion and roles before queue
Start: Level 3 · 1,400 gold

Choose it whenFaster matches, practising a champion and trying deliberate flex picks with less draft pressure.

Important differenceIt is not standard Rift at double speed. Starters, jungle pacing, objectives, death timers and inventory timing differ.

First normal FF vote10:00Riot's accelerated queue allows the vote five minutes earlier than standard Rift.

ONE LANE

ARAM

Random champions meet in one lane with no Recall shopping.

Map: Howling Abyss
Teams: 5 vs 5
Select: Random champion, rerolls and bench
Start: Level 3 · 1,400 gold

Choose it whenLearning team fights, unfamiliar champion kits and fighting around one shared lane.

Important differenceYou shop after spawning and when you die; walking back to the shop does not reopen purchases. ARAM balance modifiers can differ from Rift.

First normal FF vote8:00ARAM uses its own shorter surrender timer.

ROUND COMBAT

Arena

Short combat rounds, augments and purchases replace normal lane play.

Map: Arena maps
Teams: Usually 8 teams of 2
Progress: Buy rounds and augments
Availability: Seasonal rules may rotate

Choose it whenSmall-team fights, experimenting with augment combinations and short round-based decisions.

Important differenceEvents can alter the normal format. Riot's 2026 variants include 3x6, Bravery and Swift Arena.

Round eliminationNo fixed FFArena ends teams through its round and health rules; follow the current event client.

The most commonly confused mode

Swiftplay changes more than match length

Open objective timelines

1 Opening stateLevel 3 · 1,400 gold

Guardian starters replace the normal Doran opening. Use the Swiftplay shop plan rather than copying Draft.

2 Faster mapMore gold and experience

Accelerated income, experience, respawns and minions compress the match. Inventory fills earlier.

3 Top-side objectivesNo Voidgrubs or Herald

Baron appears at 12:00 and Hand of Baron persists through death in this ruleset.

4 Dragon finishTwo-drake Soul

Only two elemental drakes spawn. One team must kill both to gain Soul; Elder can appear from 15:00.

5 Jungle paceShorter quest and faster camps

The jungle quest needs fewer stacks, camps return faster, and nearby allies can share non-epic monster gold.

Learning and private play

Use a controlled mode for a controlled question

Testing one mechanic is easier when match pressure is removed.

Co-op vs AI

Play with people against computer-controlled opponents. Good for controls, shopping, lane movement and first matches.

Matchmade learning

Practice Tool

Use training controls to test ability ranges, combos, items, jungle routes and damage without treating the result as normal match evidence.

Solo mechanical testing

Custom Game

Create a private lobby for friends, scrims, 1v1 tests or organised events. The lobby owner chooses the available map and rules.

Private organised play

Spectator

Watch a match without participating. The Companion may recognise a spectator state but must not save it as your match history.

View only

Scheduled and rotating play

Some modes are not permanent queues

If a mode is absent from the client, a web guide cannot make it available.

Scheduled tournament

Clash

Form a fixed team and enter Riot's scheduled bracket. Clash uses organised scouting and tournament rounds rather than an ordinary repeatable queue.

Preparation: Team, roles and champion pool
Availability: Scheduled windows
VRC.LOL: Draft references only

ARAM variant

ARAM: Mayhem

Howling Abyss combat with augments and evolving seasonal systems. Its current 2026 rules continue to change through patches, so keep its plan separate from standard ARAM.

Map: Howling Abyss variant
Availability: Check the live client
VRC.LOL: No dedicated build yet

Event queues

Rotating modes

Modes such as URF or One for All can return for limited periods. Cooldowns, champion selection, teams and map rules can differ substantially between events.

Rules: Read the live event card
Availability: Region and patch-dependent
VRC.LOL: Never assumes standard Rift

Side-by-side reference

Do not carry one queue's assumptions into another

Availability and exact eligibility remain controlled by the live League client.

Mode	Map	Selection	Opening	Vision model	First normal FF	Ranks	VRC.LOL plan
Normal Draft	Summoner's Rift	Bans and alternating picks	Level 1 · 500g	Full Rift warding	15:00	No	Standard Rift
Ranked Solo / Duo	Summoner's Rift	Ranked draft	Level 1 · 500g	Full Rift warding	15:00	Solo / Duo	Standard Rift
Ranked Flex	Summoner's Rift	Ranked draft	Level 1 · 500g	Full Rift warding	15:00	Flex	Standard Rift
Swiftplay	Summoner's Rift	Champion and role before queue	Level 3 · 1,400g	Rift vision, faster map	10:00	No	Swiftplay only
ARAM	Howling Abyss	Random, rerolls and bench	Level 3 · 1,400g	No normal Rift ward loop	8:00	No	ARAM only
Arena	Arena maps	Event-dependent	Round-based	Round-specific	No fixed FF	No	Not supported

League Companion boundary

What changes inside the app?

Companion details

Detailed

Draft / Ranked

Role-aware draft, bans, fixed pre-game builds, lane pair review and objective references.

Detailed

Swiftplay

Separate starting state, faster inventory, queue-specific builds and less judgemental flex-pick labels.

Focused

ARAM

A mode-specific champion build without Rift lane, jungle or objective advice.

Testing

Custom / Practice

Read-only detection for testing. Custom and spectator games stay out of normal personal history.

Not supported

Arena / rotating

Use the in-client mode rules. The app does not invent a Rift build or lane for an unsupported mode.

Leaving a match correctly

Remake, AFK surrender and normal FF are different

These are earliest eligibility times, not a promise that a vote will appear or pass.

1Remake eligibility0:55–2:25

When Riot detects the required early absence, the client can offer a protected remake during this window. It is not a normal surrender.

2AFK surrenderFrom 2:55

An eligible AFK can unlock an earlier surrender route. The live client decides whether the absence qualifies.

3Standard Rift15:00

Normal Draft and both Ranked queues use the standard Summoner's Rift surrender timer.

4Swiftplay10:00

The accelerated queue opens its first normal vote five minutes earlier than standard Rift.

5ARAM8:00

ARAM uses its own shorter timer. Event variants can use different rules, so check the current client prompt.

Quick answers

Game mode questions

Which League mode should a new player choose?

Co-op vs AI and Practice Tool are useful for controls and champion basics. Normal Draft teaches the complete Summoner's Rift structure without ranked progression, while Swiftplay offers a faster but meaningfully different ruleset.

Is Swiftplay just a shorter Draft game?

No. Swiftplay starts at level 3 with 1,400 gold and changes gold, experience, jungle, objectives, timers and some shop choices. Build and objective guidance should stay separate from Draft and Ranked.

Does ARAM use normal Summoner's Rift builds?

Not reliably. ARAM has a different map, starting state, shopping rules, mode-specific starter items and champion balance changes. VRC.LOL keeps its ARAM build path separate.

Does the League Companion support every mode?

No. It provides detailed preparation for Draft, Ranked and Swiftplay, a separate ARAM reference, and read-only testing in supported custom or practice states. Arena and rotating modes are not currently supported.

When can a League team surrender or FF?

The first normal vote is currently available at 15:00 in standard Draft and Ranked, 10:00 in Swiftplay, and 8:00 in ARAM. Remakes and AFK surrender are separate protections with their own eligibility checks, and the live client remains authoritative.

Does every mode use normal warding and objectives?

No. Draft, Ranked and Swiftplay use Summoner's Rift vision and map control, although Swiftplay has its own objective timing. ARAM does not use the normal Rift ward-control loop, and Arena uses round-specific rules instead of lanes and neutral objectives.