LoL’s Mastery system is finally getting reworked after almost a decade

Flex your Mastery.

Sona flashing her Mastery in the middle lane
Image via Riot Games

The Mastery system, introduced to League of Legends almost a decade ago, is finally getting a makeover in 2024, Riot Games announced today.

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For years, the Mastery system, which is supposed to depict how well-versed you are with specific champions, has been nothing more than a Blue Essence sink. In 2024, it’s undergoing a massive overhaul and finally becoming what it was intended to be—a system that truly reflects how much time you’ve invested into a single champion. The first and probably biggest change is that Mastery levels will no longer have a cap. In simple terms, Mastery level seven isn’t the end of the journey. 

10 different Mastery Crests in League of Legends
Mastery Crests have evolved, too. Image via Riot Games

Another major change coming to the Mastery system is Marks of Mastery. They’re replacing the S-grade tokens you needed to collect to fully unlock champion mastery. Instead of being permanent like S-grade tokens, Marks of Mastery are tied to specific champions and League splits. At first, you can earn Marks of Mastery by getting high grades on your favorite champions, and further down the road, Riot plans to extend this.

Although the Mastery system might sound confusing, it will essentially work the same. You’ll play games and earn mastery scores but also have Marks of Mastery available through a new reward track for each champion. From levels one to four, you won’t need Marks of Mastery, but for five to nine, you’ll need one. For 10 and above, you’ll need two. Luckily for veterans, Mastery score won’t reset and all points you’ve earned so far will simply translate into the new system.

On top of that, the boring old Mastery Crests you can flash in your games to flex on your opponents are getting updated as well. Inspired by the Mount Targon Runeterra region, Mastery Crests will come in 10 variants and scale infinitely.

The biggest change of all—at least in my opinion—is that Mastery will be based on each split separately and won’t be permanent. All League champions will have their own four milestone reward track each split. To complete them, you need to keep getting good grades. There will also be rewards to look forward to.

Seasonal milestoneNeeded gradesRewards
OneOne B grade and four D or higher gradesOne Mark of Mastery
Hextech Chest (six available per split)
TwoOne A grade and four D or higher gradesOne Mark of Mastery
ThreeOne S grade and four D or higher gradesTwo Marks of Mastery
Hextech Chest (unlimited)
FourOne S grade and four D or higher gradesTwo Marks of Mastery
Champion title (e.g. Aatrox, the Darkin Blade)
FiveThree S grades and seven D or higher gradesOne Mark of Mastery

If you’re free like a bird and aren’t bound to just a handful of champions, don’t worry. Riot has a special treat for you—Mastery Sets. These are made of all champions played that split and others you might like, and once you complete enough milestones, you can get “a new super-charged mastery chest.”

Author
Image of Izabela Tomakic
Izabela Tomakic
Staff Writer & World of Warcraft lead. Izabela has a long history with writing and games like World of Warcraft, League of Legends, Fortnite, and The Sims. Before finding her home at Dot Esports in 2021, Izabela was an English teacher and a freelancer at Hotspawn, GGRecon, and Gameranx. In her free time, you’ll find her writing novels, wandering Azeroth, or inting on Summoner’s Rift.