League has several different things called borders, and they come from unrelated systems. If yours vanished, changed, or never appeared, the reason is almost always that you are thinking of a different one.
Short answer
Ranked borders come from where you finished last season and are shown on your loading screen card for the following season only. Mastery borders come from your champion mastery level on that specific champion. Event and skin borders come from purchases and are permanent.
Ranked borders
These are the ones people mean most often. At the end of a ranked season, your final tier is recorded, and during the next season your loading screen card carries a border reflecting that tier.
Two things surprise people. First, it reflects last season, not your current rank — so climbing in the middle of a season does not change it. Second, it expires: when the following season ends, a new border replaces it based on your new result. It is a record of where you finished, not a trophy you keep forever.
See also: League of Legends Comics — the closest League answer to this one.
Mastery borders
Champion mastery is per champion and tracks how much you have played and how well. Higher mastery levels change the border and emblem shown around that champion's portrait, both in the loading screen and on your profile.
Unlike ranked borders, mastery does not reset between seasons. It accumulates, which is why a long-time player can show a very high mastery border on a champion they have not played for a year.
See also: League of Legends Failed to Launch — another League answer people look up right after this one.
Skin and event borders
| Source | Duration | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Ranked season result | One season | Your loading screen card |
| Champion mastery | Permanent, accumulates | That champion only |
| Prestige and event skins | Permanent | That skin only |
| Clash and tournament rewards | Varies by event | Your card, for a period |
See also: Dota 2 Battle Pass — same shape of answer, different game.
Why yours disappeared
- A new season started. Ranked borders are replaced, and if you did not complete placements last season there is nothing to replace it with.
- You did not play enough ranked games. Rewards, borders included, generally require finishing the season in a placed rank.
- You are looking at the wrong screen. Mastery borders appear around the champion, ranked borders around your card — they are different parts of the same loading screen.
- It was event-limited. Some borders are attached to a specific event window and end with it.
Can you choose which one shows?
Partly. Profile customisation lets you pick what appears in some places, and skin borders apply when you play that skin. The ranked border is automatic and not selectable — it reflects a result, so there is nothing to choose.
League of Legends FAQ
How do I get a ranked border?
Finish a ranked season in a placed tier. The border appears during the following season.
Do borders affect gameplay?
No. All of them are cosmetic.
Why does my friend have a border and I don't?
Most often because they completed last season's ranked placements and you did not.
Do mastery borders reset?
No. Champion mastery carries over between seasons.
If it changed at the start of a season it was ranked; if it is around a champion it is mastery; if it came with a skin it is yours permanently.