It’s been a rough time in the League of Legends fandom recently. While fans largely enjoyed the second season of Arcane and the new lore-themed season, Riot made other adjustments to the game that were far less popular. This includes the introduction of Exalted skins, which are only obtainable through a gacha system, and the removal of Hextech Chests. On Wednesday, Riot released a dev video and blog rolling back some of these controversial changes.
The first and most pressing change is the return of Hextech Chests. In a previous dev video, head of League Studio Andrei Van Roon said “free chests unintentionally became the primary way to unlock skins, and an increasing amount of players ended up with substantial skin collections for free” which was “not sustainable in the long term. In today’s video, Riot says that Hextech Chests will return, and players can earn up to ten per Act, with eight available through the free seasonal pass and two through the Honor system for good in-game behavior.
Champions are also becoming less difficult to unlock. Blue Essence is the in-game currency that can be earned through playing games, and now the Blue Essence cost for all champions will be reduced by 50% next patch, which should help new and returning players build their roster and try out some of the newest release.
Players have also been vocally unhappy about Exalted skins. These skins are unlocked through rolling in the Sanctum; after $250 worth of rolls, the player is granted the skin. So far, Radiant Serpent Sett and Fractured Arcane Jinx have both been met with harsh criticism from the community. The third Exalted skin planned is one that’s very important in lore: Sahn Uzal Mordekaiser, which shows the terrifying warlord in the prime of his life before he perished and became the revenant players know and fear. Fans haven’t been shy about critiquing the way the skin falls short of the standard set by far less expensive Ultimate skins. In response, Riot is delaying the skin to “better deliver on its core fantasy” and taking more time on all future Exalted skins, as well as reducing the amount these skins are advertised in client.
“We know that some of you are frustrated — even questioning if Riot is still the company you’ve always known. We aspire to put players first, and when our decisions don’t land the way we intended, it can damage your trust,” reads the dev blog. “We know getting League to the right place isn’t about just one set of changes. It’s about continually refining and improving the game in ways that make it better. We think today’s updates are an important step, and we’ll keep tracking how these changes feel, talking with all of you about how things are landing, and making adjustments. Thank you for sticking with us and hearing us out, and we look forward to working with you to make sure League is the best game it can be.”
Riot also shared some smaller updates, like the return of Your Shop in Patch 25.6 and the Blue Essence Emporium in Patch 25.7. Clash, the game’s tournament queue, will return to a monthly cadence as a result of player feedback. One skin on the battle pass will also be replaced with 25 Mythic Essence, which can be used for prestigious skin unlocks. It remains to be seen whether Exalted skins remain at their current price point, and what further changes Riot will make in the coming weeks, but it’s clear that fan outcry has been effective in spurring these changes forward.
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