Ranked 5s return to League of Legends but there’s a catch

Queuing up with four friends and enjoying some ranked used to be a long forgotten memory in League of Legends, but after years of absence (over a decade), Ranked 5s are back in League of Legends, but there’s a catch.

Announced on Wednesday, May 27, the queue format is set to return on weekends only, and only between certain times. And while this is being promoted as a way to reduce queue times and make for the best experience, it could prevent some players from experiencing the queue mode.

Ranked 5’s return, but only on weekend evenings

In a detailed blog post, Riot Games outlined their decision to re-add Ranked 5s:

“We think competitive League is at its best in a team environment. Some of our most memorable moments in gaming have been playing at local tournaments in PC cafes, competing in the Riot Rumble tournament, and organizing our friends and family to get together, compete, and connect. When you get 5 people working together to achieve a shared goal, it’s peak.”

It’s been years since Ranked 5s have been part of the game. The move was officially removed at the start of Season 6, all the way back in 2016. Since then, the ability to five-stack for something resembling ranked has returned only intermittently with modes like Clash.

But with the return comes the new restrictions. Ranked 5s will only take place on weekends, which we assume means Saturdays and Sundays. Additionally, they’ll only take place between 9pm and 1am, based on the region. Here’s the times as given for each server:

• North America: 9 p.m.-1 a.m. CDT
• EU West: 9 p.m.-1 a.m. CEST
• EUNE: 9 p.m.-1 a.m. CEST
• Latin America North: 9 p.m.-1 a.m. EDT
• Latin America South: 9 p.m.-1 a.m. CLT
• Brazil: 9 p.m.-1 a.m. BRT
• Oceania: 9 p.m.-1 a.m. AEST
• Southeast Asia: 9 p.m.-1 a.m. SGT
• Middle East: 9 p.m.-1 a.m. AST
• Russia: 9 p.m.-1 a.m. CEST
• Korea: 9 p.m.-1 a.m. KST
• Japan: 9 p.m.-1 a.m. JST
• Taiwan: 9 p.m.-1 a.m. CST
• Vietnam: 9 p.m.-1 a.m. ICT
• Turkey: 9 p.m.-1 a.m. TRT

Ranked 5s will use Tournament Draft, rather than standard Ranked Draft, giving a more strategic edge to proceedings. And beyond this, you won’t have to set up a set Ranked 5s team, and will instead be able to pick any of your friends for the game.

Riot stresses this is an experiment, and will likely tweak things as they continue. Already some players have seen some issues, especially with countries like Russia and North America, where the multiple Time Zones will effectively eliminate the chance for some players to enjoy the queue. Still, the return of Ranked 5s could potentially help drive Amateur competitive play across the globe for League of Legends.