If you’ve ever stood in the League of Legends champion select lobby envying your teammate’s flashy Arcane Jinx skin or rare Black Alistar cosmetic, you’ve probably wondered how do you get skins in League of Legends without risking your account or wasting money on scams. For new players, figuring out the safest, most cost-effective ways to add skins to your collection can feel overwhelming with all the scam ads and conflicting advice online, but the process is actually really simple once you know which methods are legitimate. I’ve been playing LoL for 8 years, and I’ve collected over 200 skins through both free and paid methods, so I’ve tested every legitimate option out there to separate the real deals from the scams that can get your account permanently banned.
Legitimate Ways How Do You Get Skins in League of Legends for Free
You don’t have to spend a single dollar to build a solid collection of LoL skins if you’re willing to put in a little playtime and take advantage of Riot’s regular free reward programs. Most players earn at least 3 to 5 free skins a year just by playing regularly and completing simple missions, and these skins are often the same ones you can buy directly from the store. Here are the most reliable free methods I’ve used over the years:
- Event pass free track rewards: Every new in-game event (like Arcane, Worlds, or Lunar New Year) comes with a free reward track that gives skin shards, full skins, and blue essence just for playing matches and completing simple missions. You don’t have to buy the premium pass to claim these rewards, and many of them are event-exclusive skins you can’t get anywhere else later.
- Hextech Crafting drops: You earn a Hextech chest every time you or a teammate gets an S-, S, or S+ rank on a champion you own, plus a key from regular match play. Chests can drop skin shards, permanent skins, gemstones, or mythic essence that you can use to craft skins for free, no money spent.
- Riot Games affiliate and prime rewards: If you have an active Amazon Prime subscription, you get a free LoL skin shard or full skin every month through Prime Gaming, plus occasional exclusive skins for cross-promotional events. Riot also sometimes runs social media giveaways for rare skins when they launch new game updates or champion releases.
- Honor level rewards: When you reach Honor level 5 at the end of each season, you get a free exclusive honor skin, plus random skin shards for consistent positive behavior in matches. These skins are only available to players with good in-game conduct, so they’re a rare way to show off you’re a positive member of the community.
It’s important to note that any third-party site promising free skins in exchange for your account login information is 100% a scam. Riot never asks for your password outside of their official login pages, and giving your info to these sites will almost always lead to your account being stolen or permanently banned for violating terms of service. I’ve had multiple friends lose accounts they’d spent years building because they fell for one of these scams, so don’t make that mistake.
Paid Skin Options That Give You the Best Value for Your Money
If you’re willing to spend a little money to get a specific skin you’ve had your eye on, there are plenty of legitimate options through Riot’s official store that won’t put your account at risk. The most straightforward option is buying skins directly from the in-game store using Riot Points, which you can purchase with real money through Riot’s official payment portals. Prices range from 520 RP for basic skins up to 3250 RP for ultimate tier skins that come with custom voice lines, animations, and in-game effects. If you’re still figuring out how do you get skins in League of Legends that fit your playstyle and budget, starting with smaller purchases of skins for your most-played champions is the best way to avoid wasting money on cosmetics you’ll never use.
Wait for bi-annual skin sales to get up to 50% off hundreds of skins if you don’t need a skin right away — Riot runs these sales in June and December every year, and you can pick up high-tier skins for half their normal price if you’re patient. You can also buy event passes for 1650 RP, which unlock a premium reward track with dozens of skin shards, exclusive event skins, and mythic essence that adds up to way more value than buying individual skins separately if you play regularly. Mythic skins are some of the rarest in the game, and you can only get them by spending mythic essence earned from event passes, Hextech chests, or occasional mission rewards. Don’t waste your mythic essence on random skin shards — save it for limited-edition mythic skins that only rotate into the shop every 6 months or longer, like the Prestige edition skins tied to major events or champion releases.
How to Unlock Rare and Limited-Edition Skins Legally
Many players want rare skins like Black Alistar, King Rammus, or the original Championship Riven, but most of these skins are no longer available for direct purchase through the official store. Limited-edition event skins are only available for purchase during their respective event windows, so if you miss the release window, the only legitimate way to get them later is through Hextech crafting drops or occasional reruns during anniversary events. If you’re curious how do you get skins in League of Legends that are truly rare, the only legitimate way is to participate in every event and save your mythic essence for limited releases that don’t come around often.
Never buy accounts from third-party sellers that claim to have rare skins — Riot’s terms of service explicitly forbid account selling, and they regularly ban accounts that are transferred between owners, even if you paid hundreds of dollars for them. I’ve seen players drop $500 on an account with Black Alistar only to have it banned a week later when Riot detects the account transfer, so it’s never worth the risk. For legacy skins that rotate into the store occasionally, you can sign up for Riot’s official email notifications to get alerts when your favorite skin is back in stock. Riot also runs annual anniversary events that let you earn or purchase legacy skins that haven’t been available for years, so keep an eye out for those events if you’re chasing a specific rare skin.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Collecting LoL Skins
Even if you stick to official Riot channels, there are a few common mistakes that can make you waste money or miss out on better skin deals. First, don’t buy a skin the second it comes out unless it’s a limited-edition skin you absolutely can’t live without. Most regular skins go on sale within 6 months of their release, so you can save half the cost if you’re willing to wait a few months. If you’re new and still learning how do you get skins in League of Legends, it’s easy to get sucked into buying every new skin that comes out, but taking your time will save you hundreds of dollars in the long run.
Don’t waste blue essence on skin shards for champions you don’t play — you’re better off disenchanting those shards for orange essence to craft skins for your main champions, or saving blue essence to unlock new champions instead. Another common mistake is buying individual skin shards from the Hextech store instead of waiting for a full skin drop or event reward. You’ll spend far more orange essence buying individual shards than you will if you just wait for a chest drop or event reward for the skin you want. Don’t fall for “limited time” pressure from unofficial sellers — Riot almost always reruns popular skins eventually, even if they’re labeled as limited edition, so you don’t have to overpay for a skin from a scammer just because it’s not in the store right now.
At the end of the day, collecting skins in League of Legends is supposed to be a fun way to customize your game experience, not a stressful chore that puts your account at risk. Whether you prefer earning skins for free through event missions and Hextech drops or buying your favorite skins directly from the official store, there are plenty of legitimate options for anyone wondering how do you get skins in League of Legends. Take your time, avoid scam sites and account sellers, and you’ll build a skin collection you’re proud of without wasting money or losing the account you’ve spent so much time building.