After the wave of controversy, publisher and developre Riot Games has announced that free Hextech Chests will return to League of Legends, though the acquisition methods for these free chests will differ from before.
League of Legends has always been a free-to-play game. However, one of its biggest appeals was how players could acquire randomized skins through free hextech chests. That changed when Riot Games removed those free Hextech Chests, making it so players could only get the chests, and the game’s skins, through purchases made with real money.
Understandably, the decision was met with a wave of controversy. All League of Legends social media posts were swarmed with comments from angry fans asking for Hextech Chests to return. While they’re now coming back, the way to get them will be different.
Players can get free Hextech Chests again starting from League of Legends 2025 Act 2 on March 5, 2025.
The announcement was made in a developer update video posted on the League of Legends X account on February 26. Andrei “Meddler” Van Roon and Paul “Pabro” Bellezza, two Riot Games representatives, stated the team “missed the mark” with the Hextech Chests changes and want to ensure players can obtain free chests again.
The video clarifies that the chests will be the same as those that players could previously obtain through the mastery system. This suggests players can get skin shards for most skins in the game once again. Additionally, players will require Hextech Keys to open every chest by acquiring a complete key or by combining key shards.
This announcement comes some days after the development team had doubled down on the removal of free Hextech Chests. This isn’t the first League of Legends change to get walked back on, either.
Players can get a total of 10 free Hextech Chests every act in League of Legends through the free battle pass and honor system.
League of Legends 2025 Act 1 introduced a heavily revamped battle pass system. Things like daily log-in rewards, completed quests, and honor rewards all primarily give experience for the battle pass. While the first act made it so players could get a seasonal skin and a skin shard for a skin worth 1,350 Riot Points or less through the free pass, that’s changing in the game’s second act.
Starting from the second act, players can receive eight Hextech Chests by leveling up the free battle pass. The free skins will be removed from the pass. It’s unknown if this means players can also get Hextech Keys this way, or if those will be acquired differently.
The other two Hextech Chests will be obtainable through the honor system. The developer update stated the two honor-related chests will be delivered through missions. This will be a temporary solution as the team works on the revamped honor system.
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