Riot Games Faces Backlash Over New Gacha System in League of Legends
In recent years, Riot Games has faced considerable criticism for using a “gacha” system to unlock certain special skins. Nevertheless, to some extent, skins like Dark Star Jhin were accepted by a portion of players, as the requirement was to open a certain number of loot boxes to receive them. Additionally, the value of these loot boxes was clearly stated in the store.
However, with the newest Exalted skin named Arcane Jinx: Shattered, things have taken a turn for the worse. Players need to spend RP to purchase an item called Thunder Gem to “roll” for a chance to receive this skin. Notably, the price of the Thunder Gem is not displayed in the League of Legends client or store interface. All players can do is buy as much RP as possible in hopes of rolling this Exalted skin.
Immediately after this system was announced, many League of Legends players voiced strong opposition to Riot Games’ new “gacha” system. They argued that hiding the price of the Thunder Gem is an act of “extreme bloodsucking” that Riot is implementing to profit as quickly and as much as possible from the gaming community. Some players even bluntly stated that Riot’s “luck-based” system is terrible and cannot compare to current “gacha” games, especially Genshin Impact.
Riot Games May Face Consequences for Its Gacha System
In the past, the release of new skins by Riot Games was considered a small celebration for the champions receiving them. This was so common that some champions who went too long without receiving a skin were labeled “stepchildren” and became a “meme” in the community. However, in recent years, the adoption of various “gacha” systems to sell skins has diminished players’ excitement each time a new skin is released.
It is worth noting that with Arcane Jinx: Shattered, many players are willing to “gacha” to receive this skin as it is a beloved character (especially after the show Arcane). However, the next Exalted skin for Sett may be a completely different case as this character does not receive as much affection as Jinx. If the quality of Sett’s Exalted skin is not good, Riot Games may face significant losses when it launches and once again become a subject of ridicule in the League of Legends community.