League of Legends: Lol Level Borders Explained

Seven years ago, Riot Games decided to remove the old 30-level system and introduce uncapped leveling.

With this change, players received a new way to showcase their experience and dedication to the game, without the need to play Ranked games. As you level up, you receive new League of Legends borders, which reflect your progress in the game.

In the following lines, we will discuss all available borders and the milestones you have to pass to unlock the most prestigious decorative frames. 

What are League of Legends Level Borders?

Level borders in League of Legends are visual indicators that are displayed in the game’s profile section, friend list, and loading screen before a match begins, representing the player's summoner level.

The designs of the borders become more intricate and ornate with higher levels, although Riot tried to make them all as detailed as possible.

Before the leveling system was revamped in late 2017, the maximum summoner level was 30.

Players would reach level 30 relatively quickly, and there were no level rewards beyond this point. Instead, the focus shifted to ranked play, with players receiving borders based on their rank at the end of the season. 

The borders were tied to ranked tiers and displayed on loading screens to reflect a player's skill level in the ranked ladder. These borders were seasonal and would change based on the rank achieved in the previous season.

Nowadays, with the long-term significance of your summoner level, other players can see just how experienced you are in the game even if you are unranked in SoloQ. 

How many League of Legends borders are there in 2024?

Having a border for each level would defeat the purpose of the system. Instead, Riot created 21 milestones that have considerable gaps between them. Players receive their first border when they create their account, with the next being awarded at Level 30. 

The third one is at Level 50 and from that point, players get a better one for every 25 levels passed in the game. While the leveling system is uncapped, the final border is at Level 500. 

There is a good chance that Riot will introduce more pristine borders in the future but for now, there are no rewards for players that pass beyond the 500th milestone. With this said, here are all Level Borders in LoL with their respective themes. 

As you can see, each level milestone has its own theme, based on the vast lore of League of Legends. And since these themes cannot be ranked in any particular order, you will find that all borders have intricate designs. 

For example, depending on your taste and preferences, you may prefer the Level 175 border more than the Level 200 one. This is why so many players tend to stick to their favorite one even after unlocking higher ones. 

How to Earn a Better Level Border? 

The only way to unlock better League of Legends borders is through spending more hours in the game. You do not necessarily have to play Ranked or Normal games that are more time-consuming but you need to accumulate XP through one of the active game modes. 

Completing a match in any mode results in a certain XP reward, with the exception of custom games. Even playing Co-op vs AI contributes to your progression but the amount of experience points will be lower. 

How much XP you earn is directly linked to the length of your game, as well as the outcome (whether you win or lose).

Longer matches result in greater rewards and you also have the First Win Bonus once every 24 hours. That is because the general experience formula calculates the XP per seconds played in the given game.

There is a theory that playing the shorter ARAM mode is a more efficient method for level progression as you can easily play two games in the same time it takes to complete one Normal/Ranked match. 

This idea exists primarily because, in the past, the retired Dominion mode used to give the best XP rewards. Nowadays, it is hard to conclude whether playing ARAM is more efficient. 

Old vs New League of Legends Borders

While the major overhaul to the leveling system was announced in late 2017, this wasn't the last change in recent years.

In April 2022, Riot introduced new designs for all 21 borders, embracing a new aesthetic that matched the modern visual standards of League of Legends. 

The makeover caused serious debates within the community and to this day, many players still prefer the old versions. The previous level borders were bigger and more diverse but the coloring and designs looked outdated. 

Whether you like the current ones or not, it will be a while before Riot's designers go back to the drawing board to create the next edition of level borders.

And before that happens, we expect them to add more milestones after Level 500. Millions of players have passed beyond that level already and they deserve to be rewarded for their dedication. 

Conclusion

The evolution of League of Legends borders showcases Riot's commitment to providing equal progression for all players.

The transition from the old ranked borders to the new level borders reflects a shift in focus from purely competitive achievements to a broader celebration of player dedication and growth.

Not everyone plays the game for the thrill of competitive gameplay and not everyone has the time to grind the ranked ladder. Creating an uncapped leveling system with rewards that last forever was one of Riot’s best decisions in recent years.