Riot Games has introduced a fresh, limited-time game mode in League of Legends, the 2v2v2v2 Arena. As expected, the new mode has attracted competitive players eager to climb the ranks and achieve the highest possible rank within the limited timeframe. However, the ranking system in this mode diverges significantly from the traditional ranked ladder in Summoner’s Rift, offering a different challenge and experience from soloQ.
Unlike the standard ranked ladder, which consists of ten distinct tiers ranging from Iron to Challenger, the Arena game mode simplifies the system by featuring just five ranks. This simplified system, along with how LP works in arena, means that climbing to the top bracket is relatively easy. Each rank has a specific point threshold, and players must accumulate these points to move up the ladder. Moreover, the absence of promotion games means that players will progress through the ranks solely based on their performance in each match. It’s a simple system where simply playing enough is guaranteed to get you to Gladiator.
Here’s a breakdown of the ranks in the Arena game mode:
While the Bronze, Silver and Gold ranks might be familiar to seasoned League of Legends players, the ranks of Wood and Gladiator are unique to this mode.
Failing to rank among the Top 4 will not cost you any points until you reach the Gladiator tier. Even there, the demotion system has been turned off entirely, so you can never demote from Gladiator. Failure to finish in the top 4 will cost you points, but you can never drop below 4000 points. In Arena, you don’t necessarily have to come first to gain points. If your team finishes first, second, third or fourth, it’s considered a win, and you’ll earn points towards your next rank. This system ensures that there are always two victors and two losers in each match, creating a more balanced and less punishing experience for players. This approach is particularly beneficial in a mode where variance and unpredictability play a significant role. With a 50% chance of earning points in each match, the climb feels fairer and less frustrating than if only the first-place team earned points. As such, a champion's winrate is calculated by how often they reach the top 4.
As of now, the primary reward for reaching the upper ranks of Arena is simply being matched up against Gladiator players. It may be more helpful to think of your points as more like MMR. Outside of that, the most common achievements to shoot for in Arena are the titles, namely the Arena God title. Arena God requires you to get a unique win (that is, hitting first place) with every champion in the roster, that being currently 168 champions. It's not a hard achievement to win as much as it is tedious; the biggest hurdle is usually hitting first place with champions with very high banrates.
To succeed in the Arena mode, players must adapt to its unique dynamics and strategies. Here are a few key considerations to keep in mind if you aim to climb to Gladiator or go for the Arena God title
Champion Synergy: Unlike traditional 5v5 gameplay, Arena’s 2v2v2v2 format places a heavy emphasis on champion synergy. Picking champions that complement each other’s strengths and abilities can give you a significant advantage. Whether it’s a combination that excels in burst damage, sustain, or crowd control, finding the right duo and knowing its powerspikes is pretty important.
Get a Friend: It's much easier to win with somebody you know, specifically if they're going for weird interactions and synergies along with you. Playing with randoms will greatly increase how many games you have to play to get the title.
Stat Advantage: If you're playing with a champion that's not particularly good in the 2v2 format, you need to win off of stat advantages. Buy random items to save the 500 gold, so that you'll hit 4 items before anybody else. When you finish your build, you have to go for Stat Anvils instead of prismatics or changes to your build, with the aim of getting the anvil that increases your existing anvils.
Abuse Portals: You can use portals to avoid certain death. When playing against a duo that goes hard and fast, like a Vi or Qiyana, simply camp a portal and dip out to avoid the damage, then reengage with ultimate advantage. Many ultimates can be avoided or even cancelled entirely by using portals, so be quick about fighting over them as a squishier champion.
Use Flowers Wisely: Ranged champions will prefer to fight, use cooldowns from a safe range, then get their cooldowns and health back from power flowers. Melee champions will instead want to use up all the flowers in the map before running the opponent down.
Be Patient With Revives: If you can revive an ally but you know they'll die pretty quickly, and you're playing a tank, you can wait off on the revive until you've softened them up. Wait for the last ring to collapse, then attempt to revive your ally. This will buy enough time for your ally to win the round.
Scale Up: Early scaling prismatics and augments are OP, no matter on who. Things like Phenomenal Power and the Gambler's Blade prismatics should be insta-buys if you have the chance to get them. In the case of getting Gambler's Blade, simply buy a ton of stat anvils with the gold. It'll give you more than double your opponent's gold worth of stats in the long run. Stack efficiently and prolong rounds to squeeze all you can out of easy fights. If you're stacking up a Spatula, you should always try to go for 3 takedowns per round if possible.
Dragon Souls: Dragon Souls are incredibly strong early augments. If possible, you should always look for one of these on pretty much anybody over anything else. Having the chance to scale a Dragonheart to Elder is pretty much an instant win. With one dragon soul, you can buy Dragonheart around the last few rounds (at least round 13), and it will instantly scale to Elder.
Dummy Sett Abuse: Use the neutral Sett hazard to stack up anything you'd need to stack up on a scaling champion, like Aurelion Sol or Smolder. It can also stack Heartsteel, Gambler's Blade and Phenomenal Power. Dummy Sett also gives you a free win if you have the Chain Lightning augment, since it just deals free true damage to the closest enemy.
Slow Cooker/Infernal Conduit Uptime: When playing one of these, make sure to keep it stacked 24/7. You can build full tank and win purely off of these. Flash if necessary to keep it up. It's worth it.
Flash Tech: Pair up Flash augments like Flashy, or any of the flash resets, with a champion with insane Flash tech like Shen E+Flash or Gragas E+Flash.
As a limited-time game mode, Arena has already amassed a small following and community. Its unique format, fast-paced gameplay, and simplified ranking system offer a refreshing change of pace from the traditional Summoner’s Rift experience. However, the future of Arena remains uncertain. It's unknown if Arena will remain in the long-term, so getting the Arena God title might still be a time-limited achievement. Given the positive reception and the competitive nature of the mode, it’s likely that Riot will continue to support Arena, just as they have done in the recent midseason update to Arena.
