Does Duo Queue put you at a disadvantage in Ranked?

For the longest time, the League of Legends matchmaking system has been an enigma. From loser’s queue and autofills to duo queue, the MMR system, a relic of old times, remains a huge question mark for players, particularly newer ones, as it can be one of the biggest factors in one’s climb despite remaining largely invisible.

Today, after years of speculation, Matt Leung-Harrison, commonly known as Riot Phroxzon, confirmed that matchmaking penalties are applied to players who duo queue, particularly at higher ranks. The penalty is based on the assumption that duoing players have an inherent advantage through better communication and synergy, meaning the system compensates by making their overall matchmaking slightly more difficult.

Riot’s reasoning behind the penalty ultimately comes down to the inherent advantage that comes with playing alongside someone you know. Duo players can communicate more easily, coordinate plays, share information, and generally have a better understanding of each other’s intentions than two randomly matched teammates.

However, this advantage is not considered equally impactful at every rank. According to Riot Phroxzon, there is “basically no penalty” for duo queue below Emerald, with the adjustment only starting to kick in slightly around Emerald and Diamond as communication and coordination become more important.

Because of this, Riot has to account for that advantage when building matches to ensure that duo queue remains fair for everyone involved. At higher ranks, where players are generally better at capitalizing on communication and coordination, the matchmaking system applies a larger adjustment to compensate for the duo’s advantage. The goal is ultimately to keep games fair regardless of whether players queue alone or with a friend, rather than to punish duo queue itself.

With Riot now confirming that duo queue players can face matchmaking penalties, some players have naturally started questioning whether other hidden matchmaking adjustments could also exist—most notably, the infamous “Loser’s Queue.” The idea that the system intentionally places players on losing streaks with weaker teammates has been heavily speculated within the League community for years, and the recent confirmation around duo queue has only reignited those discussions. However, there is currently no evidence confirming that Loser’s Queue exists.

Riot’s latest known stance on the matter remains a firm denial. In February 2024, Phroxzon stated that “losers queue doesn't exist,” explaining that ranked matchmaking is based on a player's rating rather than intentionally placing bad players on their team. He also argued that losing streaks can naturally happen when a player reaches a level where they are no longer consistently performing above their opponents. While the existence of a duo queue penalty has now been confirmed, that does not by itself corroborate the existence of a Loser’s Queue. For now, it remains a widely discussed theory among players, but there are no known signs or evidence indicating that Riot deliberately creates unfavorable games for players who are on a losing streak.