Background.
League of Legends is a free-to-play online strategy game developed by Riot Games. Since its release in 2009, it has grown into one of the most popular competitive games in the world. It is designed for PC and Mac and mainly attracts teenagers and young adults. In each match, two teams of five players face off on a large battlefield called Summoner’s Rift. Players choose from a roster of over 160 unique champions, each with different abilities, and work together to defeat the opposing team’s base. It has largely appealed to teenagers and young adults, and has been around for such a long time that it has a dedicated player base that has grown up with the game. It is dominant on an international scale and has the largest esports scene.
Figure 1. The shop with cosmetics and skins that can be bought with RP that can be bought with money. Skins can be unlocked for free using chests and keys. Otherwise, can be bought directly with RP.
Argument.
While the gameplay itself is fast-paced and rewarding, the way the game is monetized deserves closer attention. Riot Games uses several design strategies to encourage spending, and many of them rely on hidden odds, emotional triggers, and time-limited offers. These systems are not just about selling cosmetics. They are about keeping players engaged through subtle psychological pressure, and randomness plays a central role in how this works.
One of the most addictive elements of League of Legends is its loot box system. Players can open Hextech Chests, Event Orbs, and Masterwork Chests to receive randomized rewards. Some players get lucky and unlock high-value skins, while others receive low-tier content. This uncertainty is what makes the system so compelling. It is built on the same variable reward schedule used in gambling machines. You never know what you are going to get, and that unpredictability keeps you coming back.
The real problem is how Riot presents this system. To open loot boxes, players usually need keys or event tokens. These can sometimes be earned by playing, but more often than not, players need to purchase Riot Points with real money. Then, they use those points to buy keys or bundles. The odds of getting a rare item are not clearly explained in the game, and the reward system is spread across different currencies, making it hard to understand how much value you are actually getting. This structure makes it easy to overspend without realizing it, especially for younger players who may not have experience managing money.
Figure 2. They come out with new skins for select champions, based on some seasonal event. They are aesthetically pleasing, and gives sense of ownership to have a good skin with player select champion. Skins can only be bought with RP, or riot points that hide the value of it as real currency.
League of Legends also uses time-limited events to add urgency. Riot frequently releases event passes that include exclusive cosmetics, missions, and progression systems that reset after a few weeks. Players who want to unlock all the rewards need to log in regularly and grind through matches. Missing a day can mean missing a milestone. The result is a system that pressures players to keep playing, not just for fun, but to avoid falling behind. In a team-based game, where your appearance and performance are often judged by others, this can create a strong sense of obligation.
When compared to other live service games, League of Legends leans more heavily into random rewards. Fortnite, for example, also relies on cosmetic purchases, but it allows players to directly buy what they want from the item shop. There is no loot box mechanic in the same way. Genshin Impact uses a more traditional gacha system, but at least it provides clear drop rates and includes a pity system. League of Legends falls somewhere in between. It uses random rewards, but wraps them in polished visuals and complex systems that obscure what is really happening.
Figure 3. While there is a lot of randomness, they do give rewards. So it is less so that the game is rigged, but it often doesn’t go as planned. I have a lot of legendary and ultimate skins, but they are of champions that I don’t personally play. This randomness balances out so that free to play players can have a taste of cosmetics without removing the incentive to buy more.
Randomness is not inherently bad. It can add excitement, variety, and replay value to a game. Critical hits, randomized events, and surprise mechanics can all make gameplay more engaging. But when randomness is used to drive spending, especially when the odds are hidden and the rewards are tied to real money, it becomes an ethical issue. This is even more serious when the target audience includes teenagers, who are still developing the skills to manage impulsive behavior and spending. These random skins that people want, are often particularly tied to the champion they play or like the most.
Designers have a responsibility to think about how their choices affect players. Random rewards should serve the game’s experience, not exploit the player’s attention or wallet. If companies like Riot want to maintain trust, they should make loot box odds more transparent, offer more direct purchase options, and implement protections for younger players. These changes would not ruin the game. They would make it healthier and more respectful of the people who play it.
League of Legends has a crafted system that keeps players locked in with the promise of the next reward. That reward is often just out of reach, behind a paywall, or hidden in a box. For players who love the game, it can be hard to tell where the fun ends and the pressure begins. That blurry line is where addiction starts to form, and randomness is a big part of what keeps people crossing it.
