League of Legends is still the top game with the most active players. However, players have noticed longer queue times instead of the expected decrease. This article explores the reasons behind these longer queue times.
Ranked Population
The number of players at your rank plays a significant role in longer queue times. As you climb in MMR, the pool of players at that rank decreases. This means there are fewer players to fill each position while keeping MMR balanced. As players finish their games and queue again, the waiting time increases.
Unpopular Game Mode
Some game modes, like Ranked Flex, are less popular than others. More players enjoy playing Blind Pick or ARAM than queuing for Ranked Solo games.
Time Of The Day
The time of day affects queue times. Queuing past midnight or during work/school hours results in longer waiting times. On weekends, queue times are shorter as players have more free time.
Popularity Of Roles
Not all roles are equally popular. Mid lane, for example, is very popular due to its high impact. Support, on the other hand, has a smaller player base. Queueing for a highly contested role can significantly increase waiting times.
Matchmaking Changes
Riot Games has made changes to the matchmaking system to improve game quality. These changes, such as the Smurf Queue, Autofill Parity, and Duo Queue Parity, have had an impact on queue times. The Smurf Queue matches low elo accounts with other smurfs, which can be time-consuming. Autofill Parity and Duo Queue Parity aim to balance teams, but this can also lead to longer queue times.
Champions Queue
In the NA server, professional players and high elo players can queue for a special game mode called Champions Queue. This leads to higher queue times in high elo, as these players are occupied with Champions Queue instead of SoloQ.
In conclusion, queue times in League of Legends can be longer due to various factors. It’s important to be aware of these factors and choose the best times to queue to avoid wasting time.