League of Legends has two currencies: Blue Essence (BE), earned for free by playing, and Riot Points (RP), purchased with real money. Champions can be unlocked with either currency, but skins and most cosmetics require RP. If you just downloaded the game — or returned after a long break — the dual-currency system can feel confusing at first. This guide breaks down exactly what each currency does, how to earn Blue Essence faster, and how to build your champion roster without spending a cent.
What is Blue Essence?
Blue Essence is League of Legends' primary free-to-play currency. You cannot buy it directly with real money, and that is intentional — it is Riot's reward for time invested in the game. Every match you play earns XP, and as your account level climbs, you receive Champion Capsules (or Glorious Champion Capsules at milestone levels) that contain champion shards. Disenchanting those shards converts them straight into Blue Essence.
Here is how BE reaches your wallet:
- Level-up capsules. From level 1 onward, every time you cross a level threshold you receive a capsule. Early capsules tend to contain cheaper champion shards; capsules after level 30 scale up noticeably.
- Disenchanting shards. Champion shards can either be activated (spending extra BE to permanently unlock the champion) or disenchanted for a flat BE payout. The payout is roughly 20% of the champion's full BE cost, so disenchanting several cheap shards adds up quickly.
- Missions and event passes. Riot regularly runs limited-time events tied to new skin lines or champion releases. These missions award tokens that can be converted to loot, which often includes champion shards — and therefore more BE.
- First-win-of-the-day bonus. Winning your first game each day awards a small flat BE bonus on top of normal match XP.
- Honour capsules. Reaching Honour level 5 and maintaining it earns bonus capsules throughout the season, some of which contain champion shards.
Beyond champions, Blue Essence can also unlock certain Legacy chromas that Riot occasionally places in the BE shop, as well as cosmetic upgrades tied to specific events. That said, its primary purpose remains champion access.
What is RP (Riot Points)?
Riot Points are League of Legends' premium currency, purchased with real money. RP bundles are sold in fixed increments, and larger bundles give slightly better value per point. Prices vary by region, but in most markets a standard skin sits around the 1,350 RP mark. What can RP buy?
- Skins — from cheaper legacy skins to ultimate-tier skins with full animations and voice lines.
- Champions — every champion can be purchased with RP instead of BE, typically from 260 RP for legacy champions to 790 RP for the newest releases.
- Chromas — recolours of skins, usually a few hundred RP each or bundled.
- Event passes and battle passes — season-long or event-limited passes that unlock exclusive emotes, icons, and skin-specific loot.
- Summoner name changes, icon bundles, and emotes.
One important note: RP does not directly buy gameplay power. No item, rune, or stat boost is locked behind RP. What you pay for is purely cosmetic expression — or the convenience of unlocking champions faster than the free path allows.
Blue Essence vs RP: Key Differences
| Feature | Blue Essence (BE) | Riot Points (RP) |
|---|---|---|
| How you get it | Playing, leveling, disenchanting shards, missions | Buying with real money |
| Unlocks champions | Yes — primary free method | Yes — 260–790 RP per champ |
| Unlocks skins | No (except rare event BE-shop chromas) | Yes — all skins and chromas |
| Buys passes & bundles | No | Yes |
| Affects gameplay/stats | No | No |
| Best used for | Building your champion pool for free | Cosmetics, faster champion access, name changes |
The simplest mental model: BE = your champion budget earned by playing; RP = your cosmetics and shortcut budget bought with cash. A fully free-to-play player can access every champion in the game given enough time — they just cannot unlock skins without spending.
How to Unlock Champions Efficiently
New accounts start with a rotating set of free champions each week and a handful of permanent starters. From there, building a usable roster is about smart spending rather than hoarding.
Use the shard system, not direct purchases. When a champion shard drops from a capsule, activating it with the reduced BE cost (roughly 60% of the full price) is almost always better than disenchanting it and buying the champion outright. The discount saves hundreds of BE per champion over time.
Prioritise your mains. It is tempting to unlock everyone, but a focused approach pays off faster. If you are learning the game, check our guide on the best LoL champions for beginners before committing BE — a roster of 15 well-understood champions is more valuable than 50 you have never played.
Start with cheaper champions. Older champions cost as little as 450–1,350 BE and are often mechanically simpler — ideal for learning fundamentals. Recent releases tend to cost more. Filling your roster with cheaper champions first and saving for newer releases is the standard progression path.
There is no exchange between BE and RP. The two operate in entirely separate economies, so plan purchases accordingly. If you want a fully stocked account from day one, pre-leveled League of Legends accounts on BuyAccount come with Blue Essence already accumulated, letting you skip the early grind.
How to Earn Blue Essence Faster
There is no trick that multiplies BE infinitely, but several habits meaningfully speed up accumulation:
- Play consistently. The capsule system is XP-gated, so spreading play across days also ensures you collect the daily first-win bonus.
- Disenchant shards you will never use. Champions you dislike or already own are dead weight in your loot tab — disenchant them.
- Participate in every event. Even the free event track usually awards a champion shard or two; over a year that is several thousand bonus BE.
- Chase milestone capsules. Glorious Capsules at certain levels contain higher-value shards than standard ones.
- Maintain your Honour level. Honour 5 capsules are free value that require only basic sportsmanship.
Once your champion pool is solid, the deeper game becomes climbing ranked. For that, see our guide on how to climb in League of Legends.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you unlock champions completely for free?
Yes. Every champion in League of Legends can be unlocked using Blue Essence alone. It requires patience — a brand-new champion at release costs more, dropping in price after roughly 30 days — but no champion is gated exclusively behind real money. Free-to-play players have access to the full roster over time.
How much Blue Essence do you earn per level?
The exact amount varies because capsules contain random shards rather than a fixed payout. On average, accounts earn a few hundred to over a thousand BE per level once you factor in typical shard disenchants, with milestone capsules yielding significantly more. Early levels (1–30) tend to produce less per capsule than post-30 leveling.
Can you buy Blue Essence with real money?
No. Riot Points and Blue Essence are separate economies with no direct exchange. You cannot convert RP into BE or buy BE from the store. The only way to obtain BE is through gameplay: leveling, missions, and disenchanting shards from capsules. This is a deliberate design choice to keep champions accessible to non-spending players.
Do you need RP to be competitive in ranked play?
No. Riot Points buy cosmetics and convenience, not performance. No skin makes an ability stronger, no emote improves your stats, and no RP purchase unlocks a rune page or item path unavailable to free players. Rank is entirely determined by gameplay, decision-making, and champion mastery. A player on a fully free account can reach any rank a heavily spending player can.
Whether you are grinding Blue Essence to fill out your roster or looking for a head start, understanding LoL's currency system puts you ahead of players who just blindly spend. For a second account — for practice, a fresh ranked environment, or to play with friends in another tier — explore LoL smurf accounts on BuyAccount with Blue Essence already farmed. And if you ever want to sell accounts yourself, check out our seller application.