League Of Legends Free Content How To Get Free Skins And In-Game Items

League of Legends, one of the world's most popular multiplayer online battle arena games, offers various ways for players to obtain free content. The game's ecosystem includes multiple methods for acquiring skins, in-game currency, and other cosmetic items without direct monetary investment. This article examines the available avenues for obtaining free content in League of Legends, including recent changes to promotional offerings and established in-game systems that reward players for participation and skill.

The Changing Landscape of Free Content in League of Legends

For years, League of Legends players have benefited from various free content programs, with one of the most significant being the partnership between Amazon Prime and Riot Games. Through Prime Gaming, Amazon Prime subscribers could claim monthly free loot capsules containing Riot Points (RP), permanent skins, champion shards, and other in-game items. This program provided consistent, no-cost opportunities for players to expand their cosmetic collections.

However, this benefit is coming to an end. According to official information, Amazon has decided to scale back its gaming division, resulting in the discontinuation of regular League of Legends drops. The last Prime Gaming freebies are scheduled to arrive in March 2024. This change affects not only League of Legends but also other Riot Games titles, such as Valorant, which previously offered free Amazon capsule drops.

The discontinuation follows Amazon's decision to lay off 180 staff members and close its Crown Twitch channel, shifting focus instead to its popular monthly free games program. As Amazon Games VP Christoph Hartmann explained, "We know delivering free games every month is what they want most, so we are refining our Prime benefit to increase our focus there."

Riot Games has acknowledged the change, with LoL head Andrei van Roon tweeting, "We're certainly open to other programs if the context makes sense, not sure what might or might not be out there at present though." This suggests that while the current Prime Gaming partnership is ending, Riot may explore alternative promotional opportunities in the future.

For players who have relied on these monthly freebies, the discontinuation represents a loss of valuable in-game content. The typical monthly package included "350 RP, an epic skin, a mystery ward skin, and more" – offerings that added significant value over time without requiring any gameplay investment beyond claiming the items.

Hextech Crafting System: The Core Free Content Mechanism

The Hextech Crafting system serves as the primary in-game method for obtaining free skins and cosmetic content in League of Legends. This system rewards players with skin shards, which can be used to acquire permanent skins through various mechanisms. Understanding how to effectively utilize this system is essential for players seeking to expand their cosmetic collections without spending money.

The system offers three main ways to utilize skin shards:

• Direct Unlock: Players can use skin shards to unlock specific permanent skins they own. This method provides certainty, as players know exactly which skin they will receive.

• Reroll: For those willing to take a chance, combining three skin shards of any type allows players to reroll them into a random, unowned permanent skin. While this method involves an element of randomness, it guarantees a skin that the player does not already own and potentially offers the opportunity to obtain a higher-value skin than what the shards might otherwise provide.

• Disenchant: Players who are not satisfied with a skin shard or need Orange Essence for a shard they do want can break down the shard into this crafting currency. Orange Essence can then be used to craft specific skins or obtain other cosmetic items.

Obtaining free skins through the Hextech Crafting system requires consistent play and a degree of luck, but it remains the most reliable ongoing method for League of Legends players seeking free content. The system rewards active participation with regular opportunities to earn chests and keys, which in turn provide skin shards and other valuable items.

Honor Rewards: Recognizing Positive Gameplay Behavior

League of Legends implements an Honor system that rewards positive play and sportsmanship, offering tangible benefits to players who contribute positively to the game community. As players progress through Honor levels (up to level 5), they receive Honor Orbs and Honor Capsules at various checkpoints. These containers often contain key fragments, Blue Essence, and champion shards.

More significantly for those seeking free skins, reaching higher Honor levels, particularly Honor Level 5, unlocks better rewards, including the potential to receive random skins. Players who achieve Honor Level 5 also gain access to special rewards at the end of each season.

Historically, these seasonal rewards have included unique Honor-themed skins, such as the Three Honors Malzahar, and tokens redeemable for specific chromas or previously released Honor skins. This dual benefit of encouraging positive gameplay while providing free content makes the Honor system a valuable avenue for players to obtain cosmetic items without monetary investment.

Ranked Division Rewards: Recognition for Competitive Achievement

For competitive players, League of Legends offers rewards tied to ranked division progression. While specific details about current ranked rewards are not provided in the source material, it is noted that climbing ranked divisions can potentially lead to obtaining rare skins for free. The system appears to reward players who demonstrate skill and dedication by reaching higher competitive tiers.

The exact mechanism for how ranked play translates to free skins remains unclear from the source material, but it suggests that players who invest time in improving their skills and climbing the competitive ladder may receive valuable cosmetic items as recognition of their achievement.

Free Event Loots and Missions: Seasonal and Thematic Rewards

League of Legends frequently hosts in-game events tied to new skin lines, lore developments, or seasonal celebrations. While these events typically feature a paid Event Pass with premium rewards, they almost always include a free track available to all players. By completing event-specific missions—such as playing games, securing kills/assists, or winning matches—players earn event tokens or progress along the free reward track.

The free track typically includes Hextech Chests, Keys, Blue Essence, Icons, Emotes, and sometimes Orbs specific to the event. These event-specific Orbs have a higher chance of containing skin shards, providing additional opportunities to obtain free cosmetic content. Participating in events represents an accessible method for all players to acquire free content, regardless of their skill level or financial investment in the game.

To maximize opportunities for free content, players should regularly check the in-game client for active events. Even casual participation in these events can yield significant rewards over time, particularly when combined with other free content acquisition methods.

Esports Drops: Watching Professional Matches for Rewards

League of Legends esports offers another avenue for players to potentially obtain free content. By watching official LoL Esports matches through the official site, players may become eligible for random "Drops." To participate, players must link their Riot account to the official LoL Esports viewing platform and watch live games or video-on-demand (VOD) content during specific windows.

These Drops often contain exclusive emotes, icons, or capsules that may hold Hextech components, such as skin shards or occasionally full skins. While obtaining complete skins through this method is less common, it represents another potential source of free content for engaged fans of the competitive scene.

The best opportunities for Drops typically occur during major events like the League of Legends European Championship (LEC), League Championship Series (LCS), League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK), League of Legends Pro League (LPL), Mid-Season Invitational (MSI), or World Championship. Fans who regularly follow professional competitions thus have additional chances to acquire free cosmetic items.

Account Leveling and Milestones: Progression Rewards

As players engage with League of Legends and level up their accounts, they reach various milestones that grant rewards. While the specific rewards have evolved over time, the system continues to provide benefits for consistent play. Leveling up typically awards Champion Capsules, which primarily contain Blue Essence and Champion Shards.

While these rewards may not directly provide skins, they offer value by helping players unlock new champions without spending money. Over time, the accumulation of Blue Essence and Champion Shards through account progression contributes to a player's overall ability to acquire content without direct monetary investment.

Prime Gaming Loot: A Soon-to-End Source of Free Content

For Amazon Prime members, the Prime Gaming service has provided a valuable source of free League of Legends content. By linking their Riot account to their Amazon Prime account, players could claim monthly loot capsules. While this program is ending, it's worth noting what it offered during its operation.

The contents of Prime Gaming loot capsules varied but typically included: - A small amount of RP (Riot Points) - A permanent skin that the player did not own (often an older, cheaper skin) - Champion shards - Other cosmetic items or in-game currency

This partnership represented one of the most direct ways for players to obtain free skins without requiring gameplay time or skill. While the program is scheduled to end in March 2024, it served as a significant benefit for Amazon Prime subscribers who were also League of Legends players.

Conclusion

League of Legends offers multiple avenues for players to obtain free content, though the landscape is changing with the upcoming discontinuation of Prime Gaming's monthly freebies. Players will need to rely more heavily on in-game systems like Hextech Crafting, Honor rewards, and event participation to acquire free skins and cosmetic items.

The most reliable ongoing methods include: - The Hextech Crafting system, which provides skin shards through regular gameplay - The Honor system, which rewards positive behavior with cosmetic content - Event participation, which offers free tracks with various rewards - Watching esports matches, which may provide random drops - Account progression, which grants milestone rewards

While the loss of Prime Gaming freebies represents a reduction in available free content, the game's built-in systems continue to provide opportunities for players to expand their cosmetic collections without spending money. As Riot Games has indicated openness to exploring other promotional programs in the future, new opportunities may emerge over time.

For players seeking to maximize their free content acquisition, consistent participation in multiple systems offers the best approach. By combining gameplay, positive behavior, event participation, and esports viewership, players can continue to build their collections without direct monetary investment.

Sources

1. Prime Gaming's League of Legends Freebies Ending
2. 10 Easy Ways to Get More Free Skins in League of Legends
3. Plant Giveaways/Freebies on Greg App
4. Prime Gaming Subscription Perks