Riot Games implemented tons of ways for League of Legends players to acquire in-game goodies. Twitch drops, events, and Prime drops are some of those ways. However, few methods are as effective or satisfying as opening up a Hextech or Masterwork chest to get a Champion skin you didn’t even know you needed.
However, as with many things in League, opening chests isn’t exactly straightforward. After acquiring a chest, the next step is to get a key so you can open that said chest. Fortunately, you have you covered with this as there are a handful of ways you can get your hands on some keys.
What are Hextech Keys in League of Legends
Before we dive into the methods you can utilize to acquire keys, it’s important to establish what Hextech Keys are and what they’re used for. Hextech Keys, as the name suggests, are used to open Hextech Chests. They can also open Masterwork Chests, making them the one-do-all key type for League of Legends.
These keys come in two forms. The first is complete keys, which you don’t have to do anything extra with and can use instantly to open a chest. On the other hand, Key Fragments require you to collect three individual pieces before combining them to make one whole Hextech Key.
As you can imagine, whole keys are rarer compared to their fragmental counterparts. That isn’t to say players can’t get complete keys, as Riot tends to give them out during events and through the battle pass. However, players are much more likely to acquire Key Fragments, especially if they regularly play the game.
Every way to get keys in League of Legends
With that out of the way, it’s time to go through the various methods players can utilize to acquire keys and Key Fragments in League of Legends.
Consistently play the game
The first and most common method of acquiring Key Fragments is by simply playing the game. League of Legends game modes like Summoner’s Rift, ARAM, and even limited-time modes like Arena can potentially drop Key Fragments upon completion. Naturally, the more you play the higher the chance you’ll get a Key Fragment drop at the end of a game.
Increase your Summoner Level
When players reach Summoner Level 5, they start getting Champion Capsules every time they level up. These capsules can include a variety of in-game goodies, including the Key Fragments you’re looking for. However, this method technically comes in playing the game as you’ll likely naturally level up as you play League of Legends, acquiring these capsules in the process.
Participate in events
Riot Games likes in-game events a lot, and that’s excellent for players wanting to acquire some easy keys. Participating in events like the Beginning of the Season one can potentially get players some Key Fragments or even complete Hextech Keys if they’re lucky.
Another quick and easy way for players to consistently get keys and Key Fragments is by unlocking tiers in the event Battle Passes. Both the regular and premium tiers can potentially get players Hextech Keys for achieving certain milestones. Therefore, it might be a good idea to check all of the Battle Pass tiers at the start of an event to see if anything catches your eye.
Get honored at the end of matches
League of Legends has an honor system where players can honor other players for good performance. By consistently getting honor votes from their allies and performing well by doing things like managing waves, players can increase their honor level, getting them some cool rewards. Starting from Honor Level 3, players have a good chance of getting Key Fragments as rewards.
Increasing the Honor Level also brings players some Honor Capsules and Orbs. These extra containers also have a chance of dropping Key Fragments. However, it’s important to keep in mind that increasing your Honor Level might take a while, but decreasing it only takes one instance of toxic or overall negative behavior. Therefore, try to keep a hold on your emotions.
Buying them alongside Hextech Chests
The in-game League of Legends store allows players to acquire multiple items using various in-game currencies. Those items also include Hextech Chests that players can buy using Riot Points, the premium currency of the game. These chests also come bundled with complete Hextech Keys, allowing players to open the chests they buy instantly.
While this is the most convenient and quick method as you only need to press some buttons, it’s also the most cost-intensive as you’ll have to use your actual money to get Riot Points. Players typically go for this method when they buy some RP to get a skin and have some of the currency saved after the purchase.
Opening Hextech and Masterwork Chests
Funnily enough, another way of getting Key Shards is by opening Hextech and Masterwork Chests. When you open a chest using a key, you have a chance of acquiring extra key shards for your troubles. While you likely won’t get enough to construct a full key, you won’t have to collect three shards all over again.
Conclusions
This concludes our guide to every method you can utilize to acquire keys and Key Shards in League of Legends. While players likely won’t have too much trouble getting keys thanks to how many ways there are to get them, obtaining chests is a whole different story.
