Summary

  • Riot Games' changes to League of Legends Season 15 caused player outrage due to controversial alterations.
  • Removing free Hextech Chests upset players who relied on them for skins, leading to boycott calls.
  • Riot Games' attempt to simplify rewards backfired, angering the community over the removal of key features.

Riot Games’ recent decisions regarding the future of League of Legends have sparked significant backlash, with some players even calling for a global boycott. Among the new and revamped features introduced for League of Legends Season 15, a few controversial changes have left free-to-play players frustrated and upset.

While Riot Games is no stranger to player outcry, this recent wave of discontent seems to be one of the worst it has ever faced. The controversy began with a major misstep in the company's announcement regarding upcoming changes to the reward system, specifically the distribution of Blue Essence. In the initial announcement, the earning ratio of BE was so low for some players that, according to fans, unlocking a new hero could have taken over 800 hours of gameplay. Although Riot later acknowledged the mistake and adjusted the numbers, its half-hearted apology was poorly received by the community for other reasons.

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League of Legends fans are upset over the removal of free Hextech Chests, which many relied on to earn free skins. With Riot Games now turning these chests into shop-exclusive items, some players are calling for a boycott. Under a Reddit post by user pepemujicamdq, who expressed their disappointment at losing the joy of opening Hextech Chests, another user, Garen-of-Demacia, commented, “The entire community is mad at them… it’s time to boycott.” This call for collective action has received thousands of upvotes and numerous supportive replies, highlighting the community’s dissatisfaction with the recent changes. Previously, some fans had called for similar action over the outrage surrounding LoL’s costly Ahri skin. However, that movement was short-lived, leaving some players questioning whether this new boycott would have any significant impact on the company.

Riot Games' Promise to 'Simplify Things' Backfires

When announcing the biggest changes to League of Legends in Noxus, Riot Games’ developers stated that the game’s old reward system was overly complicated and needed simplification. However, they failed to mention that this "simplification" would result in the removal of one of the game's most important free rewards, Hextech Chests.

Hextech Chests might seem like a cosmetic perk for free-to-play players, but their removal isn’t the only concern. The revamped level-up system makes grinding for rewards nearly pointless after a certain level, further disadvantaging free-to-play players. Riot Games plans to address some issues with patches by March 2025, including updates to LoL’s Feats of Strength and other mechanics, though these changes don’t meet community expectations. It’s worth noting that Riot’s Spanish Community Manager hinted on Twitter at internal discussions about bringing back Hextech Chests, but there’s no confirmation from headquarters yet.

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League of Legends
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MOBA
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Systems
PC-1
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Top Critic Avg: 84 /100 Critics Rec: 90%
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Released
October 27, 2009
ESRB
T for Teen: Blood, Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco
Developer(s)
Riot Games
Publisher(s)
Riot Games
Engine
Proprietary
Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer
Franchise
League of Legends
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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League of Legends is one of the best MOBAs in the world, allowing players to duke it out against each other or bots in a variety of game modes. There are tons of champions to choose from in LoL, with favorites like Yasuo, Graves, Nasus, Poppy, and more, with new champions like Vex and Viego recently joining the crew.

Platform(s)
PC, macOS
Genre(s)
MOBA
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty