League of Legends Level Up Rewards

By Wayne Comstock | April 29th, 2019 | Categories: League of Legends

Those free-to-play titles that enjoy any amount of longevity do so because they are able to incentivize players to stick around and invest both time and money into the game. A key component of this process is a progression system. A successful progression system will take advantage of human psychology and reward players just enough to be convinced of its merit. League of Legends understands this concept all too well with its level up system. This system is incorporated into Hextech Crafting incredibly well and League of Legends Level Up Rewards equate to being the carrot that keeps the rabbit coming back time and again.

Table of Contents

What enables League of Legends Level Up Rewards?

Experience system
Wins are more valuable than losses
Short losses are the enemy

Much like any RPG, there is an experience system in League of Legends. Interestingly enough, it is infinite. With a fresh account, players begin the grind as soon as the tutorial is completed. Rewards are given out upon each level up. Experience can be obtained after every game; however, win EXP dwarfs loss EXP by a considerable margin which may result in a lot of frustration for both new players and those leveling a new account. This frustration is doubled by the reality that experience is also connected to game length, with longer games rewarding the most.

In the simplest terms, short losses want to be avoided at all costs, but given the current state of the game, that situation is often difficult to avoid, especially for newcomers. However, if you are someone who wants to avoid interaction with others as much as possible, accounts can be leveled via Co-op vs. AI games. When using this game mode to level, be cognizant that a minimum game length of seven minutes is required to obtain any EXP. Finish the game before that time, and your efforts will be for naught. As is the case with free-to-play games, in-game purchases can aid you in your quest to level, with experience boosts being available for a set amount of RP.

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What is the immediate goal when leveling?

Reaching level 30 is key
Co-op vs. AI available at level 1
Champions handed out early on

When it comes to both leveling and the rewards associated with doing so, level 30 is the magic number. Level 30 is the level at which any player can begin participating in ranked play; given enough champions have been obtained beforehand. For the first 30 levels, there are a large number of rewards handed out to players, ranging from game modes to champions shards. Beginning at level 1, the summoner spells Heal and Ghost will be made available as well as the ability to play Co-op vs. AI games. Level 1 can be obtained after the tutorial has been completed.

The first five levels are marked by specific champions being given as rewards. However, players must strictly stick to the Co-op mode until level 3 when Blind Pick is made available, a mode wherein the enemy champions are hidden from both teams and players are unable to choose a specific role. Blind pick is a good environment in which to practice mechanics and macro play away from the pressure of ranked mode. Blind pick has its setbacks mainly that it is often filled with more experienced players simply leveling new accounts and as such this experience can lead to frustration and burnout for newcomers who feel they are never improving when matched against those who have a much better understanding of the game.

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What characterizes the rewards prior to level 10?

Key summoner spells unlocked at level 7
Controversy around summoner spells
Level 9 also has importance

Level 7 is a particularly important milestone as it finally unlocks both Teleport and Flash; arguably the two most used summoner spells. Unlocking summoner spells has often been a point of contention among the player base for many years. Many players feel it is unfair to hide core gameplay elements behind any barrier and it often proves difficult to find points to refute this argument. The last summoner spells become unlocked at level 9 and it is at this point that learning how to jungle becomes feasible as the necessary summoner spell, Smite, is locked prior to this point. Level 9 will also give you Ignite and Cleanse, two very useful spells that have their situational uses.

The first ten levels are notable for League of Legends level up rewards mainly because they grant access to many of the core features that long-time players now take for granted. In many ways, the first ten levels are the most important and this holds true considering the breadth of content unavailable prior to obtaining level 10.

What types of rewards are available in the lead up to level 30?

Champion shards
Blue essence
Specific formula

Levels 11-30 are primarily marked by champion shards, which are items that can be used in Hextech Crafting to permanently unlock champions or be disenchanted for blue essence. Apart from champion shards, basic champion capsules and blue essence are generally rewarded during these levels which is a move by Riot to push players to purchase champions before ranked becomes unlocked. In this way, a loop is created where playing games feeds into blue essence which in turn feeds into champion unlocks in order to keep players returning to the game once the final game mode has been unlocked.

After level 30, level up rewards follow a very specific formula where a basic champion capsule is always rewarded upon level up, with other rewards being given at specific milestones, specifically at levels 40, 50 and beginning at level 75, every 25 levels thereafter. By setting no limit on the level cap, Riot has a progression system in place that gives an infinite number of League of Legends rewards, and that is a scarily addictive element to incentivize new accounts and keep the global player base returning for years on end, for as long as possible.

Final Thoughts

League of Legends successfully implements a leveling up system that keeps players coming back for more on a regular basis. From the very onset, rewards are handed out to players at regular intervals and it is this consistency that entices people. The rewards are never in abundance nor are they too scarce. By having a leveling system that has no actual cap, there is no theoretical limit as to the number of rewards a player can receive. The experience system while frustrating gives players a reason to seek out level 30 and in doing so establish a returning tendency towards the title, a tendency which is more likely to result in in-game purchases down the line. While there has been concern over the locking of summoner spells, League of Legends Level Up Rewards work so well because they enable the player. They make the player feel in charge and capable of working towards a goal. League of Legends has many years left in the tank, and it is due in no small part to a lot of forethought on the part of Riot Games.

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