Riot Games Reverses Certain Controversial League of Legends Changes

Riot Games’ League of Legends has been around since 2009, and it has attracted a large group of fans from around the world since its release. And when those fans aren’t happy, they aren’t afraid to be vocal about it. Some of Riot’s most recent moves–including the removal of Hextech chests–angered players so much that the company is now walking back that decision as well as a few other unpopular changes.

In the video above–and in the accompanying post on Riot’s site–Senior Vice President Andrei Van Roon and League of Legends executive producer Paul Bellezza explained why the company is reversing its recent decisions. Bellezza noted that their choices had eroded some of the trust that fans had for Riot, and they want to fix that.

The first step in rebuilding that trust is coming in next week’s patch, which will restore Hextech chests to the game. Eight chests will be available through the free seasonal pass, while players can earn two additional chests through the game’s Honor system. The dev post notes that the Honor system is still being worked out, but it’s meant to reward players who are good teammates and respectful opponents.

League of Legends’ Exalted skin for Sahn Uzal Mordekaiser is also being delayed to give the developers more time to “deliver on its core fantasy.” Fans have been very critical about the Radiant Serpent Sett and Fractured Arcane Jinx Exalted skins, which is why Riot plans to put greater effort into future Exalted skins to meet players’ expectations.

Riot is also reducing the cost of unlocking champions through League of Legends’ in-game currency, Blue Essence. As of the next patch, the price for all champions will drop by 50% in the hope that players can more easily expand their roster with new and older characters.

Earlier this month, Riot announced that the League of Legends fighting game, 2XKO, won’t be getting the large playtest in March that was originally planned. Instead, a smaller playtest will be held while the company builds its infrastructure for a larger test later this year. League of Legends also recently added Mel Medarda to the roster, following her larger role in the second and final season of Arcane. Mel was also featured in a recently released cinematic that appears to take place after the series finale of Arcane.