Riot’s monetization makes it feel bad to be a free-to-play League of Legends fan

I played League of Legends considering it was a plucky indie game run by a small crew, and while most things have changed over the past decade, one thing has always been consistent: Competition is a free to play game. Whether I’m on mobile or PC, I can play as many games as I want without a paywall, ads or obstacles. But everything surrounding the game itself, especially the champion cosmetics, has become more expensive and annoying to deal with.

Personally, I prefer playing League of Legends on mobile these days because of the shorter games and comfortable controls, but I’ve sunk thousands of hours on PC. The core system for both games is simple: you can buy champions with IP (in-game currency) or RP (paid currency), and there’s a rotating “free” roster that allows players to sample from the vast smorgasbord of champions. Most people don’t spend money to get new characters – for Riot, the real money is in skins. Skins give characters a completely new look and splash art, and sometimes new voice lines and animations.

In the early days of Competitionskins can be simple palette swaps, or the same champion in a slightly fancier shirt. In 2015, Riot released DJ Sona, an Ultimate skin with three unique models, each with its own custom soundtrack, that cost around $25. At the time, that was a surprising price tag compared to Legendaries, the tier below Ultimate, which cost around $14. There have been adjustments and regional changes, but the prices of Legendaries and Ultimates have remained fairly consistent over the years.

Now, in 2024, players Are fierce about gacha systems And temporary unlocks those costs hundreds of dollars. For example, there are two new Exalted skins – similar to some Ultimate skins in features – that can cost up to $250.

Arcane Fractured Jinx is a skin that lets you play as the three different Jinxes that have emerged over the course of Netflix Arcane TV show adaptation. There’s also Radiant Serpent Sett, a take on the Ionian pit boss character that portrays him as a cool movie star who also fights crime IRL. Exalted skins are rolled in The Sanctum, a hub where players can use a new currency called Ancient Sparks. Exalted skins are guaranteed to disappear after 80 draws, and Ancient Sparks cost 400 RP each, so the maximum cost for these skins is a shocking 32,000 RP – or $250 USD.

Wild canyonthe mobile port of Competitionhas become absolutely clogged with options to gamble for skins, earn new currency to gamble with, and new progression tracks and leaderboards for events that I don’t understand. None of these things affect the gameplay, but they are additional systems added to entice the player into more microtransactions.

Fiend Queller Yonean extensive cosmetic with an animated splash screen impossible to ignorerequires the player to purchase an event currency and roll the dice. Every time I open my game I’m flooded with pings and notifications about a new way to spend my money. On top of the Wild Pass, which is your usual battle pass, there is the subscription costs for Stellar Bonds which awards XP rewards and cosmetics in the basic ($7) or premium ($50) categories.

Then there are the companions, little buddies who follow the champion around the canyon. Companions have absolutely no impact on gameplay, but they collect small amounts of money for the player as they play a match, and can be upgraded via an unlock system.

Sometimes Riot actually offers a reasonable event, like a Arcane connect for Wild canyon that would have allowed me to earn Jinx and Vi skins. I missed this event under the sea of ​​other notifications and ads, making it impossible to complete by the time I came across it. When I first started playing Wild canyonI looked forward to events – they were a fun way to unlock the occasional champion or cosmetic without spending any money. Now they’re just another piece of content fed through a user interface that seems barely able to handle all the timed events and lotteries.

Yes, I can still play a game League of Legends and play for free, which is fun. But the surrounding costs for skins, cosmetics and events are confusing and unpleasant or too expensive. These functions are not placed in their own corner; they’re promoted and pushed through the game’s main screen, drowning out the weekly challenges or occasional events I want to complete. Skins like DJ Sona or Elementalist Lux were once considered a nice, high-end option. Now the idea of ​​buying those same skins for just $25 seems strange.

Although the price has increased, the technical limitations on skins remain the same. Elementalist Lux remains the most comprehensive cosmetic in the game, with 10 unique forms – the Exalted Sett and Jinx skins only offer three.

It feels downright bad to be a free-to-player right now, even though I’m not that involved in the League of Legends ecosystem like I used to be. Wild canyon There used to be occasional skins and regular rewards given out for logging in or playing a few games, and now it feels like it’s in gambling advertisements. League of Legends on PC is introducing two of the $250 Exalted skins, and their success will likely lead to more Exalted skins. The game itself is fine, but I’m disappointed that so many money grabbers are blatantly shoved in my face.