Year 2025 for League of Legends: Nerf to Free to Play and Ranked Changes

Year 2025 for League of Legends: Nerf to Free to Play and Ranked Changes

Year 2025 for League of Legends: Nerf to Free to Play and Ranked Changes

League of Legends is a constantly changing game, and one of the most contentious aspects of its design is the delicate balance between monetization and player satisfaction. As we approach the dawn of LoL Season 2025, the changes to the reward system have set the community ablaze in discontent. Players are crying foul over what they believe is a subtle nerf to free and budget-friendly cosmetics. All in the name of a "simplified" gameplay experience.

Let's get into the nitty-gritty of what's changing, why it's problematic.

Rewards Changes

One of the best aspects of League's reward systems was the ability to earn tokens for specific events. These tokens allowed players to choose which cosmetics they wanted to exchange them to. As an example you could grind Mythic Essence by exchanging 2200 tokens for 125 ME. This was the quickest and most affordable way to earn Prestige and Exalted skins. We are being locked into the Battle Pass's predetermined reward track.

The Champion Mastery system, where players could earn Hextech chests filled with skin shards by leveling up champions, is being replaced with Battle Pass XP. This means players will no longer earn chests or have the freedom to grind for extra chests. The new system is capped at four skins per split.

With those two avenues of earning Mythic Essence gone, players will be forced to buy the full Battle Pass to access event-themed cosmetics with no options to choose them.

The Masterwork Chest system, which provided a steady stream of Mythic Essence and skin shards, is being completely removed. Players who relied on this system to accumulate cosmetics are out of luck. There is no equivalent system in place to replace it in the new rewards structure.

The new Battle Pass will have a free and paid track, with free players earning two skins per Act (up from the nine skins per year they'd earn previously). However, the free rewards track no longer includes skin shards, and players are now locked into a set reward schedule with no way to reroll or choose which cosmetics they want.

The Problem at the Heart of It

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One of the most important aspects of League's reward systems is the freedom to grind for cosmetics on a budget. Whether it was earning event tokens or mastering champions and earning chests, players had ways to accumulate cosmetics without breaking the bank.

The removal of so many grinding-centric systems, like event tokens and Champion Mastery chests, is a clear indication that Riot is moving towards a "pay to play" model.

Battle Pass XP is a hard-capped progression system. Even the most avid players will hit a wall and be unable to earn additional rewards. There's no way to earn more OE or XP to grind for extra rewards.

Riot's framing of these changes as a "simplification" is wildly off-base. Yes, some systems were complex, but that complexity was often in the service of providing players with freedom and choice. What we're getting is a "simplified" version of the rewards system that's been gutted of its free and budget-friendly options.

The Bigger Picture

This change fits into a larger, disturbing trend in gaming: the removal of free rewards and grinding systems in favor of pay-to-play models. While Riot is adding some free skins to the Battle Pass, the overall direction is clear: free players are no longer a priority.

The skin shard system is just one example of this. Instead of providing players with a way to accumulate cosmetics, like shards, Riot is instead giving them a set amount of skins and chromas. It's a telling shift in design philosophy: rather than empowering players to maximize their cosmetic earnings, Riot is instead guiding them along a set path.

The Future of Free Cosmetics: How Bleak?

Riot says free players will still get 12 skins per year (up from nine), but that's a misleading statistic. Free players will lose:

  • The ability to choose their own rewards.
  • Access to secondary cosmetic systems, like Hextech chests.
  • The ability to reroll duplicates or unwanted shards.

If you loved grinding for extra rewards or accumulating OE, 2025 is the year your hobby is being hung out to dry.

The Community Reaction

The response from the community has been largely negative. Across forums and social media, players are speaking out against Riot's latest "simplification" of the rewards system. Many are angry about the way these changes affect free and budget players, and even more are upset by Riot's framing of this as a "simplification." Shortly after the news release reddit threads with complaints popped up on many forums.

What else is new? Ranked 2025: The New Reset

One of the biggest changes coming to League of Legends in 2025 is the Ranked reset system. Riot is eliminating the mid-season resets in favor of a single hard reset in January. The idea behind this change is to reduce grind fatigue and improve Ranked stability, but it's going to be a jarring shift for players who rely on those mid-season resets to readjust and regroup. Climbers and returning players are going to struggle the most with this change.

If you're worried about the challenges posed by this new system, we recommend you try playing on a smurf early on in the season. For the first 1-2 months of the new season with everyone demoted to about silver elo the games will be wildly unbalanced. So do not ruin your main’s account MMR too early in the season.

If you want to start at specific ELO to get a feeling of next season there are platforms that let you buy a Diamond LoL Account. If that’s not your cup of tea you can also guarantee results by always having a good player on your team by using one of the famous lol boosting services.

What It Means for You

The good news is you'll have the entire year to climb and reset in January. The bad news is you'll have the entire year to climb. If you fall into a bad position early in the year, you're stuck in that rank until January unless you can climb back up through regular play.

  • More Pressure on Your First Weeks: Your first few weeks of the season are now make-or-break. If you lose those early games, you're in for a long season.
  • Fewer Chances to Reset for Smurfs: Decay adjustments have made it harder for smurfs to bounce between roles. You're stuck with your role for longer, and fewer mid-season resets are available to help you recover.

This new system is all about setting yourself up for success in January. Not everyone is prepared for that kind of pressure.

As we approach the 2025 Ranked season, consistency and dedication are key. With a single reset and stricter matchmaking changes, you'll need to start strong and maintain steam throughout the year. If you're worried about the pressure or simply don't have the time, boosting or pre-leveled accounts can be a practical solution.

However you choose to approach Ranked in 2025, the goal is the same: make the most of this new system and enjoy your Ranked experience.

Conclusion

Season 2025 is a dark time for free and budget-friendly cosmetics in League of Legends. Riot says it's a "simpler" system, but the truth is harsh: fewer rewards, less flexibility, and fewer opportunities to grind for cosmetics you can earn without spending money.

Whether Riot listens to the community's concerns is anyone's guess, but one thing is certain: the f2p experience in League is rapidly shrinking, and players are not happy about it.