Summoner's Rift is League's flagship mode and the basis for ranked play. Two teams of five compete on a three-lane map with jungle, dragons, Rift Herald, and Baron Nashor as major objectives. Games typically last 25-40 minutes. Ranked mode places you in tiers from Iron to Challenger based on your performance, with visible LP (League Points) tracking your progress within each tier.
ARAM (All Random All Mid) is the most popular alternative mode. Five players per team are assigned random champions and fight on a single-lane map called the Howling Abyss. There's no recall allowed — you can only buy items when you die. ARAM games are fast, chaotic, and great for learning team fighting and trying champions you might not normally play. Games last around 15-25 minutes.
Quickplay lets you select your preferred champion and position before matchmaking, getting you into a game on Summoner's Rift faster than the draft process of ranked. It's the best mode for casual play when you want the full map experience without the pressure of LP.
Rotating game modes appear periodically, including Ultimate Spellbook (replace a summoner spell with another champion's ultimate), Arena (2v2v2v2 rounds-based combat), and One for All (everyone on a team plays the same champion). The Practice Tool lets you test builds, practice combos, and work on last-hitting with no pressure. Co-op vs. AI matches against bots are available for brand-new players who want to learn at their own pace before facing human opponents.