How to Get Key Fragments in League of Legends for Greater Experiences

By | May 21st, 2018 | Categories: League of Legends

As a free-to-play game, League of Legends has always been marked by microtransactions. During its early years, these microtransactions were not overly apparent for the most part. The old client used by Riot Games rarely turned them into a public spectacle. Since the inclusion of Hextech Crafting, a more apparent system is in place that truly takes advantage of the idea of loot.

Nowadays, chests and capsules that reward a variety of items have become almost a fabric of the game itself. Keys are needed to open said chests, and these keys are created by fusing together key fragments. Understanding How to Get Key Fragments in League of Legends can be a confusing undertaking, but comprehending it will allow for a greater experience, especially if you care about obtaining new champions or any of the numerous cosmetic items within the game.

Hextech Crafting Outlined

Hextech Crafting was released on the North American server on March 15th, 2016. Hextech Crafting is a system in League of Legends whereby players receive rewards by opening and unlocking specific items. As part of the leveling system, players can receive champion capsules which will contain at least one champion shard and possibly blue essence as well. Keys are not required to open these capsules, which is a great aid to new players looking to buy as many champions as possible.

Mastery Chests, on the other hand, do in fact require keys. A Mastery Chest is awarded when you, or a teammate, receive an S-, S, or S+ on a champion after a game ends. However, a chest can only be obtained by a champion once per season and only one chest can be earned every seven days. Hextech Chests are exactly the same as mastery chests, but they can be purchased with 125 RP or Riot Points. With that said nothing is more frustrating than receiving a chest and being unable to open it. For that reason, key fragments and keys perfectly play into chests and Riot’s understanding of human behavior indicates if you dangle a delicious carrot in front of someone, he or she will be that much more likely to spend money.

Before anyone chases illusions of chest grandeur, similarly to chests, keys are not only capped but can be purchased with the same amount of RP. Three key fragments are used to forge one HextechKey. A total of twelve key fragments can be obtained during a four week period. After four weeks, the key fragments are reset. Once again, this incentivizes the player base to spend money. If something is hard to obtain, capped, or both, that 125 RP no longer seems as big of a hurdle as it once was. When Riot changed the honor system prior to the start of season seven, key fragments were also overhauled and spending money is as appealing as ever as a result.

Reworked Honor System

One of the most common complaints among the player base prior to season seven was the outdated honor system in League of Legends. The vast majority of people felt the honor system was meaningless in every sense of the word. There was no tangible reward other than a loading screen ribbon that seemed almost impossible to obtain. When season seven launched, a revamped honor system followed suit a few months later. After every game, players were able to vote for a teammate and work towards leveling their honor ranking if someone on their team returned the favor.

Changed System, Changed Rewards

When season eight happened earlier this year, the rewards present in the honor system were revamped in a big way. The honor system now includes a checkpoint system. There are three checkpoints between each level, with new players beginning at level two and level five being the maximum level. The level two checkpoint rewards are different compared to the other levels so it behooves players to work towards a higher honor level and seek out those postgame honors.

No Longer the Key Fragments You Once Knew

Prior to now, key fragments were handed out to players after wins. When the current changes launched, key fragments became exclusive to the honor system. As a result, toxic players unable or unwilling to spend money on RP are affected in a big way in terms of obtaining new champions and other chest rewards. If you receive punishment such as a chat restriction, you will drop below the level two threshold needed for rewards.

As for other players, key fragments no longer being connected to wins removed the pressure and anxiety that comes with winning to a certain extent. In fact, any player who is honor level two or above is eligible to receive a key fragment at random. This key fragment can be received at any point which encourages players to leave the client open in the hopes of receiving one while away from the computer.

Outside of the random drops, key fragments are tied to the honor system’s levels and checkpoints. At every level two checkpoint, a player will receive two key fragments. When someone reaches level three, four, or five, that person will receive an honor capsule which will contain a number of key fragments equivalent to your honor level. For example, a level three honor capsule will contain three key fragments while a level four honor capsule will hold four. Furthermore, each checkpoint after reaching level three will have an honor orb. An orb is very similar to a capsule in that it will not need a key to unlock and will possess key fragments. Level three and four honor orbs will have two key fragments and orbs above level five will have three. What must be noted is that the cap is still ever present. Even if a player theoretically rises through the honor system quickly, he or she will still be restricted by the limit of twelve set in place.

A Focus on Money and Attitude

The main purpose of League of Legends, as is any game, is to make money for its developer. Changes are almost always made with the bottom line in mind. Key fragments in combination with chests are a steady source of income for Riot Games. A loot system plays into the human psyche that is always chasing after rewards. With the most recent changes to the honor system, key fragments are now tied exclusively to it and you are pushed to be a positive player. If you are able to appease your teammates, you will be rewarded with key fragments in some way. This trend is here to stay and key fragments will pave the way for League of Legends to make more money and become more and more of a global staple on computers around the world.

For more League of Legends, check this out: Staying Attuned to Changes in League of Legends ESPN-Style

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