What is Fearless Draft in League of Legends & How it Works?

Fearless Draft is League of Legends’ newest drafting system that adds an extra layer of strategy to competitive play. Unlike the traditional draft where banned champions only affect a single game, Fearless Draft carries over picked champions as bans throughout an entire series.

This creates a constantly evolving challenge where teams must carefully manage their champion pools and adapt their strategies as more champions become unavailable.

How Does Fearless Draft Work in LoL?

In Full Fearless Draft mode, any champion picked in a game becomes automatically banned for the remainder of the series. The system is straightforward but creates complex strategic decisions.

Here is a breakdown of how the bans accumulate in a BO5 series of a LoL match:

• Game 1: Standard bans + picks become unavailable
• Game 2: Previous game’s 10 picks + new bans (20 total unavailable champions)
• Game 3: Previous 20 unavailable champions + new bans
• Game 4: Previous 30 unavailable champions + new bans
• Game 5: Up to 50 champions can be unavailable for play

This system forces teams to think several games ahead when making their picks. You can’t rely on the same powerful champions throughout a series, which tests both strategic depth and champion pool versatility.

Right now, Fearless Draft is making its debut in professional play through several major events. The Winter Split Playoffs LoL 2025 will feature this system, but perhaps most excitingly, it will be showcased at the First Stand Tournament in Seoul.

This international competition will really put the system to the test, as teams from different regions bring their own interpretations of how to best approach this new drafting challenge.

Our Take on LoL Fearless Draft

We’re genuinely excited about Fearless Draft’s introduction to professional League of Legends. This system promises to change how teams approach drafting and roster development fundamentally. Having players who can only play three or four champions at a high level won’t be enough anymore – teams will need true flexibility across their entire roster.

The progressive champion bans will likely create fascinating scenarios where teams need to play unexpected matchups by games 4 and 5. Imagine getting to game 5 of a crucial series with most of the meta picks gone.

From a viewer’s perspective, this could solve one of competitive League’s biggest criticisms – seeing the same champions picked over and over again. With Fearless Draft, we should see champion diversity increase as each series progresses. We might even see pros pull out picks they haven’t played on stage in years, simply because their usual options won’t be available.

We’re strongly in favor of this change. Fearless Draft brings something fresh and exciting to competitive League of Legends. It should reward teams that invest in versatile players and creative strategies, rather than those who simply perfect a single style or rely on a few overpowered picks. Maybe this is the time where G2 or FlyQuest will do well as they have consistently been picking up off meta picks in previous tournaments and doing well with them.

Fearless Draft represents a significant evolution in competitive League of Legends. It tests not just a team’s ability to play the meta, but their overall versatility and strategic depth. This system forces teams to maintain broader champion pools and develop more diverse strategies than ever before.