Reaching level 30 in League of Legends is a milestone every player must achieve before entering ranked play. While some players choose to buy LoL accounts to skip this process, many prefer to level up their own accounts to learn the fundamentals of the game. If you’re committed to leveling your account from scratch, this guide will show you the most efficient methods to hit level 30 as quickly as possible.
Understanding the XP System
Before diving into strategies, it’s important to understand how experience points work in League of Legends. You earn XP after every match, with the amount determined by several factors including game duration, win or loss status, and any active XP boosts. Winning games provides significantly more XP than losing, making victory your primary objective for fast leveling.
Play the Right Game Modes
Not all game modes are created equal when it comes to XP efficiency. Summoner’s Rift games, particularly normal draft and blind pick matches, offer the best XP-to-time ratio when you’re winning consistently. ARAM can be a viable alternative since games tend to be shorter, though the XP gains are slightly lower. Avoid modes like Ultimate Spellbook or rotating game modes, as these typically provide less efficient XP farming.
The key is balancing game length with win rate. A 20-minute win on Summoner’s Rift will net you more XP than a 40-minute loss, so focus on game modes where you can maintain a positive win rate while keeping games relatively short.
Invest in XP Boosts
XP boosts are the single most impactful way to accelerate your leveling process. Riot Games offers two types of boosts: per-win boosts and duration boosts. The per-win boost doubles your XP for a set number of games, while duration boosts double your XP for a specific time period. The optimal strategy is using both simultaneously, as they stack multiplicatively, giving you up to four times the normal XP per game.
While XP boosts require an investment of real money, they can cut your leveling time by more than half. If you’re serious about reaching level 30 quickly, this is a worthwhile investment that will save you dozens of hours.
Play with a Premade Group
Queuing with friends or other players significantly increases your chances of winning games, which translates to more XP. A coordinated team can close out games faster and maintain a higher win rate than solo players. This is especially effective if you have friends who are experienced at the game and can help carry matches.
Additionally, playing with others makes the leveling grind more enjoyable. The journey to level 30 requires playing approximately 130-150 games depending on your win rate and boost usage, so having good company makes the process much less tedious.
Focus on Simple, Effective Champions
While leveling up, resist the temptation to constantly try new champions. Instead, focus on mastering two or three mechanically simple champions that can carry games effectively. Champions like Annie, Garen, Miss Fortune, and Master Yi are excellent choices because they’re easy to play but still powerful enough to dominate lower-level games.
By specializing in a small champion pool, you’ll win more games through superior mastery rather than spreading yourself thin learning complex mechanics. More wins mean more XP, bringing you to level 30 faster.
Optimize Your Game Length
Winning quickly is better than winning slowly when it comes to XP efficiency. A 15-minute surrender from the enemy team gives you almost as much XP as a 30-minute game, but takes half the time. Focus on early game aggression and objectives to close out games as fast as possible.
Conversely, if you’re losing a game badly, don’t be afraid to surrender at 15 or 20 minutes. A quick loss followed by a fresh game is often more efficient than dragging out a hopeless match for another 10-15 minutes. Your goal is to maximize XP per hour, not XP per game.
Complete First Win of the Day Missions
Make sure to log in daily and secure at least one win for the First Win of the Day bonus. This mission provides a significant XP boost and only requires a single victory. Even if you can only play one game, make it count by claiming this daily bonus. Over the course of your leveling journey, these bonuses add up substantially.
Avoid Toxic Behavior and Penalties
Getting chat restricted, banned, or placed in low-priority queues will severely hamper your leveling progress. Not only do penalties waste time, but low-priority queues force you into longer queue times and may reduce your XP gains. Keep chat positive or simply mute all players if you find yourself getting frustrated.
The Estimated Time to Level 30
With no XP boosts and a 50% win rate, reaching level 30 typically takes between 150-200 games, translating to approximately 80-120 hours of gameplay. However, with both types of XP boosts active and maintaining a 60% win rate, you can reduce this to roughly 40-50 hours of play time spread over one to two weeks.
The grind to level 30 is an investment in your League of Legends journey. While it may seem daunting, use this time to learn game fundamentals, experiment with different roles, and develop the skills you’ll need for ranked play. By following these strategies, you’ll reach your goal as efficiently as possible while building a strong foundation for your competitive career.
