LoL Hextech Crafting Explained: Chests, Keys and Shards

Hextech crafting is League's loot system: you open Hextech Chests with Hextech Keys to get shards, then either upgrade a shard into a permanent skin or champion, disenchant it into essence, or re-roll three skin shards into one random permanent skin. Riot cut free chests at the start of 2025 and brought them back through the season pass from patch 25.05, so how you earn loot has changed. A stocked loot tab has some convertible value, which is why it's worth knowing what's in yours.

The three core pieces: chests, keys, and shards

• Hextech Chests hold the loot but stay locked until you have a key.
• Hextech Keys open chests. You can assemble them from key fragments.
• Shards are what comes out: skin shards, champion shards, ward skins, emotes and icons. A shard is a token you decide what to do with, not the finished item.

A chest is useless without a key and vice versa, which is why it's common to have one piling up while you wait for the other.

How you earn them in 2026

At the start of the 2025 season Riot removed most free Hextech Chests, and after a strong community backlash it brought them back in patch 25.05 (March 2025) through the free season pass, which then offered up to 10 chests and keys per act. The main routes today:

• The free season pass — the largest steady source of chests and keys since 2025.
• Honor rewards — progressing your Honor level earns loot such as key fragments.
• Events and missions — limited-time events regularly include loot.
• Direct purchase — chests and keys can be bought with RP.

The exact numbers change with each season's pass, so check the pass track in your client for what the current act offers.

What's inside — and what to do with shards

Action	What it does	Best when
Upgrade (unlock)	Turns the shard into a permanent skin or champion by spending essence	You want the skin or need the champion
Disenchant	Converts the shard into Orange Essence (skins) or Blue Essence (champions)	You don't want it
Re-roll (skins)	Combines 3 skin shards into 1 random permanent skin	You have spare skin shards you won't use

Re-rolling is the underrated move: three unwanted skin shards can become a permanent skin instead of a small essence payout.

The currencies: Orange, Blue and Mythic Essence

• Orange Essence comes from disenchanting skin, ward and emote shards, and is spent to unlock skin shards.
• Blue Essence comes from champion shards and play, and unlocks champions. Our Blue Essence and RP guide covers the 2025 changes.
• Mythic Essence is the premium crafting currency that replaced Gemstones and Prestige Points. It's spent in the rotating Mythic Shop on items such as older Prestige Edition skins, Hextech skins and chromas.

Does a loot inventory raise account value?

It can help, modestly. Unopened chests, keys, skin shards and banked essence let a new owner unlock skins and champions straight away, and Riot's transfer rules keep the Hextech inventory with the account. But buyers mostly price the skins and champions an account already owns, plus its rank and region; loot is a bonus rather than a main driver. For how the main factors add up, see how much is my LoL account worth, check comparable listings on the account price index, or estimate an account with the LoL account value calculator.

Smart crafting tips

• Keep chests and keys roughly balanced so you're never blocked.
• Re-roll skin shards you won't use rather than disenchanting all three.
• Save Mythic Essence for something specific in the Mythic Shop — it's the scarcest currency.
• Disenchant duplicates to fund the unlocks you care about.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need both a chest and a key to get loot?

Yes. Chests stay locked until you use a Hextech Key, and keys do nothing without a chest.

Can you still get free Hextech Chests in 2026?

Yes, mainly through the free season pass. Riot removed most free chests at the start of 2025 and restored them via the pass from patch 25.05; Honor rewards and events add more.

Is it better to disenchant or re-roll skin shards?

Re-rolling usually wins if you have three shards you won't use, because it guarantees a permanent skin. Disenchant only shards you're sure you'll never want.

What is Mythic Essence used for?

It's the premium crafting currency that replaced Gemstones and Prestige Points, spent in the Mythic Shop on items such as older Prestige Edition skins, Hextech skins and chromas. Our rarest LoL skins guide explains which skins can't be obtained this way at all.

Shopping for an account with a big collection already unlocked? Browse League of Legends accounts by skins and champions, or shop by skin on our LoL skins pages.