We all know that League of Legends is one of the most toxic games out there, but Riot is trying to incentivize players to be a little friendlier with their peers. That's where the LoL honor system comes into play, but what is it even about, and how does it work?
When playing online games, it sometimes feels like you only ever interact with toxic people, right? Especially in League of Legends, players become keyboard warriors the moment a gank goes awry or you accidentally steal a kill with your ignite. To combat such unnecessary behavior Riot has implemented the honor system.
What is the honor system, though, and how do you rank up to get rewards? What rewards can you even get for being a good teammate? Well, that's what we're going to check out right now, so you know just what you've got to do to reach the highest honor in League of Legends – Honor Level 5.
What is the Honor System in League of Legends?
The honor system in League of Legends was added into the game to incentivize players who behave positively in their games. Players get rewarded thanks to the honor system, which in turn will influence them to continue their good behavior in games, no matter how toxic they might want to be.
When Was the Honor System Added to League of Legends?
The honor system has been around for quite some time already, first getting introduced to the game back in 2012. Players used to also be able to honor opponents when they faced off against an honorable foe, but that feature has since been taken out after Riot reworked the honor system in Season 7.
In Patch 7.13 Riot reworked the honor system to fit into the current League of Legends system. There are multiple types of honor a player can receive thanks to the new system, as well as continuous rewards when reaching a specific point in the honor system.
How Does the Honor System in League of Legends Work?
In the reworked honor system, Riot added three types of honor that players can give to another teammate at the end of the game before entering the post-game lobby. In the lobby, you'll be able to see whether a teammate gave you an honor. These are the three types of honor you can receive:
| Honor | Meaning | Description |
| Stayed Cool | Tilt-proof, chill. | Stayed cool is the Honor meant for a teammate who stayed calm and was a provider of a positive playing experience. |
| Great Shotcalling | Leadership, strategy. | Great Shotcalling is the Honor meant for a teammate who had good leadership and was able to lead your team to a triumphant win or a gracious defeat. |
| GG <3 | Team player, friendly. | GG <3 is the Honor meant for a teammate who was Honor worthy but didn't fit into a neat and tidy box of what they did to earn it. |
When you are the most-honored player on your team, you will also receive a shout-out in the post-game lobby, letting everyone – even the opposing team – know. If everyone on your team gave someone an honor, then everyone will receive extra honor for their progress.
What is Honor Progression?
At the beginning of every season, a player's Honor is reset and players will start off at level 2. From there they'll have to work their way up to try and make it to honor level 5. Each honor level has 3 checkpoints. Reaching a checkpoint will reward players with in-game rewards.
Where Can You See Your Honor Progress?
You can see your honor progress on your profile page on the bottom left of the page. You will be able to see the honor icon, the level, as well as which checkpoint you've reached. You'll have to hover over the honor icon to know the checkpoint, though.
It is also important to note that you won't be able to see someone else's honor when going on their profile. You will see their honor level in the pre-game loading screen, though.
What Are the Honor System Rewards?
Since the honor system was put into place to incentivize well-behaved players, there are also some rewards when reaching the different checkpoints and leveling up in the honor system.
| Honor Level | Level Up | Checkpoint Rewards |
| Level 0 | N/A | Three Checkpoints
|
| Level 1 | One Key | Three Checkpoints
|
| Level 2 | One Key | Three Checkpoints
|
| Level 3 | Level 3 Capsule
| Three Checkpoints - Level 3 Orb
|
| Level 4 | Level 4 Capsule
| Three Checkpoints - Level 4 Orb
|
| Level 5 | Level 5 Capsule
| No Checkpoints (you still consistently gain rewards) - Level 5 Orb
|
Not only do you receive these rewards, but those who have managed to reach Honor Level 5 will also be getting a unique recall. This was introduced in 2022 to further incentivize good behavior in League of Legends.
Not only that, but it seems that Riot is working on more exclusive content which should be launched at the end of 2022 for the start of the 2023 season. One of those rewards is an exclusive skin, but there is no official information on the skin, nor the champion yet.
At the end of each Season players also receive rewards depending on their honor level. Each honor level has its own unique ward skin that players receive.
What is the Honor 5 Token Shop?
The honor 5 Token shop is an exclusive shop for those who have reached the final level in the honor system of League of Legends. There, players can redeem their honor 5 token they received to purchase skins, as well as chromas for those skins.
- Medieval Twitch
- Grey Warwick
There are multiple chromas that can also be exchanged for the honor 5 tokens. Throughout the years, Riot has added more and more chromas to the list of the shop. This is going to stop in 2022 with Riot adding a brand-new skin line for Honor Level 5 players instead. So, the skins will still be available, but Riot is going to stop making new chromas.
Riot Added New Honor Skin Line In 2022
At the end of LoL Season 12, Riot revealed that they would be giving any players that reached honor level 5 a skin for their efforts. Every year a new honor skin will be added and only layers who reached honor level 5 will be able to receive the skin.
Honor Level Skins
- 2022: Three Honors Malzahar
Can You Lose Honor in League of Legends?
Players who misbehave can also be demoted from their honor level. Depending on the severity of their behavior, the penalty will be adjusted accordingly.
- Bad behavior, but not worthy of a chat restriction - slows experience gain temporarily
- Chat restriction: Demote to level 1, or 0 if already at 1
- 14-day ban: Demote to level 0
By receiving a penalty, players will also have their honor progress disabled, as well as Mastery Chest and Key fragment gains.
Players are able to reform with continuous good behavior and re-start their honor climb. There is no set time, though, when players will count as being 'reformed' and will be able to earn the rewards once more. Riot judges case-by-case and evaluates a player's behavior.