Riot’s Stance on Removing Free Hextech Chests in League of Legends Because “It was not sustainable for League in the long term”

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Riot’s Stance on Removing Free Hextech Chests in League of Legends Because “It was not sustainable for League in the long term”

The League of Legends community is in an uproar, and for once, it’s not about a broken champion or questionable balance changes. This time, Riot Games has taken aim at players’ wallets by removing one of the game’s most beloved features: free Hextech Chests.

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Free stuff in League? In this economy? laughs in Riot. | Image Credit: Riot Games

After weeks of radio silence and mounting player frustration, Riot has finally broken their silence on the matter. In a recent dev update, they’ve attempted to explain their reasoning behind this controversial decision— though their explanation might leave you wondering if they’ve been spending too much time in the bot lane.

Riot defends their stance on free Hextech Chests

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“The chest rewards were way too good to last forever.” | Image Credit: Riot Games

The removal of free Hextech Chests from League of Legends wasn’t just some random decision made during a particularly spicy team meeting. According to Head of League Studio Andrei “Meddler” Van Roon, it was a calculated move to address what Riot saw as an unsustainable system:

Over time, though, free chests unintentionally became the primary way to unlock skins and an increasing number of players ended up with substantial skin collections for free.

That might sound reasonable on paper, but tell that to the player who just hit their tenth mastery 7 champion with nothing to show for it.

Meddler went on to acknowledge the obvious:

That did lead to a great player experience, but it was not sustainable for League in the long term.

The community’s response? Well, one particularly spicy tweet managed to “ratio” Riot Games‘ own announcement:

In this Dev Update

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and

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explain why we removed free Hextech Chests and talk more about the thinking behind the change. They also talk about some improvements to the Battle Pass and skins, as well as an update on Swiftplay, information about Arena’s return,…

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— League of Legends (@LeagueOfLegends)

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The game is falling into a pit, and you’re doing nothing to prevent it; in fact, you’re contributing to it with every decision you make. Free Hextech Chests removed, mediocre Battle Passes, terrible skin quality, overpriced skins, Mythic Essence now being “premium,” gacha system,…

— League of Legends Leaks & News (@LeagueOfLeaks)

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Executive Producer Paul “Pabro” Bellezza tried to soften the blow by explaining their middle-ground approach:

We didn’t want to go all the way back to the early days of League, with no skins earned with play time at all, but we also realized we couldn’t continue giving away as many as we were.

But players aren’t buying it:

You really can’t afford giving hextech chests??? That’s a total joke…

— HAKAN ¹⁴³ (@InfjHakan)

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Riot’s attempt at damage control hasn’t exactly put out the fire. Instead, they’ve proposed “improvements” to the battle pass system, including better visual effects on battle pass skins and the promise that these skins will now unlock their respective champions. For players who’ve been hoarding their last remaining free chests like dragon gold, these consolation prizes feel more like salt in the wound than actual compensation.

The community isn’t buying what Riot’s selling

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Players showing their appreciation for Riot’s ‘sustainable’ decision. | Image Credit: Riot Games

The backlash hasn’t just been loud—it’s been nuclear. Players are calling out what they see as corporate doublespeak, with many pointing to League of Legends’ massive profits as evidence that the “sustainability” argument doesn’t hold water:

Translation:

We saw Wuthering Waves, Azur Lane, and Mihoyo’s five different gacha games, and our shareholders just couldn’t help themselves force us to implement a ******* gacha system to cash in as well. Now we have to convince the playerbase it was done for sustainability.

— SongEternal

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(@SongEternal_off)

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The timing of this change, coinciding with the rise of gacha games in the market, hasn’t gone unnoticed by the community.

Players are drawing their own conclusions about Riot’s true motivations, and they’re not pretty:

Congradulations! This video has successfully convinced me that your company, due to excessive greed, is NOT worth spending money on!

Thank you for helping no longer help pay league’s bills!

— TwitchyAnimation (@FishPrison)

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It’s worth noting that while Riot claims this move is about “ensuring the sustainable long-term health of League,” players are quick to point out that the game managed just fine for eight years with the free chest system in place. In fact, those were some of League’s most profitable years.

The community’s verdict seems clear: this isn’t about sustainability—it’s about squeezing more money out of an already profitable game. And players aren’t afraid to vote with their wallets.

What do you think about Riot’s explanation for removing free Hextech Chests in League of Legends? Are they making the right call for the game’s future, or is this just another case of corporate greed? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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#Riots #Stance #Removing #Free #Hextech #Chests #League #Legends #sustainable #League #long #term

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