Riot Games has announced the return of Hextech Chests to League of Legends following weeks of intense criticism from players. The popular loot system, which was removed at the beginning of 2025, will make its comeback in Patch 25.05 scheduled for early March.
In a statement released on February 26, Riot Games admitted they had underestimated how much the Hextech Chests meant to players. "We didn't fully grasp how much this mattered to the community."
The decision comes as part of Riot's broader efforts to rebuild player trust after several unpopular changes to the game. "We know that some of you are frustrated—even questioning if Riot is still the company you've always known," developers wrote in their Dev Update. "We aspire to put players first, and when our decisions don't hit the mark, we need to adjust."
According to the announcement, players will soon be able to earn up to 10 Hextech Chests and keys per Act. Eight of these will be available through the free battle pass, replacing a previously offered seasonal skin. Riot explained this change was made because "players expressed how they prefer chests." The remaining two chests will be tied to the Honor system, rewarding positive in-game behavior.
This new implementation differs slightly from the previous system where Hextech Chests were earned through the Champion Mastery system. Riot claims the returning chests will be identical to the previous ones but should be more "accessible" through the pass system.
The community's reaction to the original removal was swift and powerful, with many players threatening to boycott the game entirely. Content creators joined the protest by making chest-focused videos and posts, highlighting the community's collective disappointment.
In addition to bringing back Hextech Chests, Riot is making other changes. The Blue Essence cost for all champions will be reduced by 50 percent, and more Mythic Essence will be added to the pass rewards system.
Hextech Chests and all other updates will be released with the upcoming Act 2 patch on March 5, 2025.
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