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Português Why Did Riot Remove Hextech Chests from League of Legends?
The League of Legends community is in turmoil following Riot Games’ controversial decision to remove free Hextech Chests. This move has sparked widespread backlash, as Riot’s justification revolves around the idea that players were getting too many free skins, reducing overall purchases. For many, this explanation isn’t just unsatisfactory—it feels like a direct attack on the free-to-play experience.
Riot Removes Hextech Chests from LoL
In a recent video, Riot Games laid out its reasoning behind this major change. The key takeaways:
- Free Hextech Chests became the primary way players unlocked skins.
- Large collections of free skins led to fewer skin purchases.
- Riot experienced diminishing returns as players no longer felt the need to spend money on cosmetics.
- The company claims that while free skins were a “great player experience,” they were not sustainable in the long term.
From a business standpoint, the logic is clear. A free-to-play game like LoL thrives on microtransactions, and if too many skins are given away, it can impact revenue. However, players aren’t buying it—both literally and figuratively. The way Riot quietly removed the chests before offering an explanation has only fueled the outrage.
Community Backlash: Riot’s Cash Grab
Player frustration has reached an all-time high, with many accusing Riot of prioritizing profits over player enjoyment. A viral response under Riot’s video summed up the sentiment:
“The game is falling into a pit, and you're doing nothing to prevent it. In fact, you're making it worse with every decision.”
The League of Legends player base has pointed to numerous other issues that are eroding the experience:
- Mediocre Battle Pass rewards
- Declining skin quality despite higher prices
- Mythic Essence becoming a “premium” currency
- Gacha mechanics creeping into the game
- Persistent problems with matchmaking and toxicity
With so many pain points, Riot’s removal of free Hextech Chests feels like another blatant attempt at boosting profits rather than improving the game.
Riot’s Priorities: Funding Arcane Over LoL?
Adding fuel to the fire, many LoL fans have pointed out Riot’s heavy investment in projects outside of the game—specifically the hit Netflix series Arcane. Reports suggest Arcane had a $250 million budget, and while Riot insists that their goal is to fund great content, players feel betrayed.
Riot co-founder Marc Merrill addressed the controversy with this statement:
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This sentiment might have landed better if Riot hadn’t simultaneously been removing free content and making League of Legends feel increasingly monetized. When Riot tells players to spend more money on skins to sustain the game while also funding expensive TV shows, the disconnect becomes painfully obvious.
Riot Employees Aren’t Happy
Reports suggest that Riot’s internal teams are also unhappy with these decisions. Riot has undergone multiple layoffs in recent years, raising concerns about the company’s financial stability and priorities. If the goal is to make League of Legends better for players, these actions aren’t aligning with that mission.
Will Hextech Chests Return to LoL?
Riot hasn’t backtracked on its decision to remove free Hextech Chests, but the backlash isn’t fading anytime soon. Players feel like LoL is becoming more about monetization than gameplay, and unless Riot makes meaningful changes, this frustration will only grow.
For now, if you’re looking to increase your collection of skins, be prepared to grind through Battle Passes or spend more RP than ever. If Riot hoped to get more revenue with this change, they might instead be boosting player dissatisfaction to new heights.
Will Riot listen to its community, or will League of Legends continue down this path of aggressive monetization? Only time will tell—but players aren’t happy, and Riot has a lot to answer for.
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