League of Legends Introduces New Gacha Mechanics Inspired by Genshin Impact

To commemorate the much-anticipated launch of Arcane Season 2, Riot has announced an array of new cosmetics for League of Legends, Valorant, and TFT. However, the introduction of the Arcane Fractured Jinx skin, which utilizes a Genshin Impact-influenced gacha system, has sparked concerns among players.

On October 16, Riot announced the launch of an exciting new skin category called Exalted. Described by the developers as a “luxury good,” these skins will represent 10% of the total cosmetic offerings alongside Transcendent and Mythic Variant skins.

The inaugural Exalted skin, Arcane Fractured Jinx, draws inspiration from the storyline of Arcane and Jinx’s character in the upcoming season. Although it won’t reach the notorious price of the $450 Faker Hall of Legends Ahri skin, the new Exalted tier’s introduction of a Genshin Impact-like mechanic has led to discontent within the player community.

Instead of a fixed price for these skins, players will need to engage with a novel system dubbed the Sanctum. This mechanism resembles a banner found in popular gacha games such as Genshin Impact, requiring players to utilize in-game currency for a chance to unlock rewards from a designated pool.

In this setup, players must buy Ancient Sparks at a cost of 400 RP each, which do not expire. Riot has also introduced a layer of “bad-luck protection,” ensuring players receive the Arcane Fractured Jinx after 80 attempts, translating to a total of 32,000 RP ($250).

Arcane Fractured Jinx skin VFX showcase — Riot

Players familiar with Genshin Impact will recognize elements of LoL’s Sanctum mechanic.

While it’s possible to obtain an Exalted skin like Arcane Fractured Jinx with fewer attempts, the odds of doing so stand at only 0.5%, making it a risky venture.

Several players have noted the parallels between this new system and the cosmetic mechanics of Teamfight Tactics, which also features a similar gacha-like banner system. Nevertheless, many have pointed out that the Exalted system appears to impose stricter conditions than those found in TFT.

One comment emphasized, “[Riot] provides ample TFT currency without charge, so unless Riot modifies this approach, I doubt it will be as ‘fair’ as the TFT gacha system.”

Others echoed sentiments about the Sanctum banner’s resemblance to the mechanics of other gacha titles, including Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail. “Hoyoverse games offer a 0.5% chance for a 5-star drop plus an 80-pull cap for a pity reward,” noted one user.

“It seems Riot has largely borrowed their gacha design without incorporating any of the free currency advantages typically obtained through gameplay.”

This isn’t the first instance of backlash against Riot’s incorporation of gacha systems within League of Legends; similar reactions ensued following the introduction of the Dark Cosmic Erasure Jhin skin last year.

While Riot has yet to announce a release date for the Arcane Fractured Jinx, it is evident that the community is expressing dissatisfaction over the forthcoming Sanctum gacha mechanism.

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