League of Legends Will Not Bring Back Hextech Chests; Players Rage Quitting
Riot Games, after removing Hextech chest rewards for leveling up in League of Legends, has since doubled down on their stance regarding their reward model. The studio has insisted that these rewards are harming the game’s monetization since players would only get their skins through leveling.
This change has sparked outrage amongst the League of Legends community, and player sentiment has dramatically dipped. Here’s everything we know about this controversy so far.
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Exchanging Leveling Rewards For New Battle Pass System
Weeks ago, Riot announced that they would be phasing out the old leveling reward system to make way for their seasonal pass reward system, which, like many battle passes, has a free and paid reward track.
Players who have previously made extensive use of the old system have expressed their concerns that this would not only drive new players away but also make the game even more costly in terms of staying competitive.
Unlike most MOBAs or other competitive games, League of Legends requires players to unlock Champions by either paying enough money or earning free currency by leveling up. With their current battle pass system, players have estimated that it’ll take months for a free-to-play consumer to unlock a single Champion.
Riot Games Stands Firm On Decision
Based on Riot’s recent developer update, players were spending a significant amount of time unlocking skins for free, which dissuaded the need to spend. Developers Pabro and Meddler have argued that while the free reward system has helped retain players, this system may affect the long-term health of League of Legends.
The studio promises that the game will remain free to play. However, remaining free to play makes the overall experience much worse. This change has burned the bridges Riot made with its community.
Will Riot Games Reverse This Change?
The removal of Hextech chests certainly has gotten players to call for a boycott, yet it’s clear that Riot will remain firm in their decision.
The future is uncertain for League of Legends, but if even a few players continue to purchase its microtransaction options, the game will stay afloat. However, if the game sees a drastic decline in player count and remains that way for a long time, there’s a chance that Riot could double back on its decision.
