If you’ve ever stared at a pile of unopened Hextech chests in your League of Legends inventory wondering why you can’t crack them open, you’re not alone. Most players accumulate chests far faster than they get the keys to unlock them, and those chests hold some of the best free loot the game has to offer, from rare skins to exclusive emotes and champion shards. This guide breaks down exactly how to get keys in League of Legends, no sketchy third-party tools or exploits required, so you can start opening that backlog of chests as soon as possible.
How to get keys in League of Legends through regular gameplay (no real money required)
The vast majority of players earn their keys for free just by playing the game normally, and it’s easier than you might think if you know how the drop system works. First, it helps to remember that keys are usually earned as fragments first: you need 3 key fragments to craft one full, usable key. You can only earn key fragments from matches if your honor level is 2 or higher, so if you’ve been penalized for negative behavior, you’ll need to rebuild your honor level first to unlock drops.
Key fragments drop randomly after match wins, with a monthly cap on how many you can earn for free. Most players can earn up to 12 fragments (or 4 full keys) per month just from winning matches, even if they only play 2-3 games a day. Getting honors from teammates after matches slightly boosts your drop rate, so playing nicely and helping your team can help you get fragments faster.
Honor level rewards are another consistent free source of keys. Honor level 3, 4, and 5 orbs always include at least one full key, plus extra fragments and other rewards like skin shards and orange essence. I’ve gotten 8 full keys just from honor orbs over the past year, and I don’t even grind ranked games regularly. Key fragments are non-tradeable, so you can’t get them from other players, but they’re easy to earn if you stick to consistent, positive play. You won’t get a fragment every single win, but most players earn enough to make 3-4 keys a month if they play 2-3 matches a day, which is more than enough to open the 4 chests you can earn per week from S ranks on different champions.
Paid methods to get keys faster for casual players
If you don’t have time to grind 10+ wins a month, or you have a huge pile of chests you want to open right away, there are a few low-cost paid options that offer good value. The most straightforward option is buying keys directly from the in-game store with RP, but you’ll get more for your money if you skip individual purchases. Buying key bundles in the store gives you 20% more value than purchasing individual keys, so wait for bundle offers if you plan to buy multiple keys at once.
Event passes are an even better value for most players, especially if you already plan to play during an event cycle. When you buy a paid event pass, every level you earn on the pass gives you rewards, and many levels include key fragments or full keys. If you play enough to finish the pass, you’ll usually get 5+ full keys worth of fragments on top of all the other event loot like exclusive skins, emotes, and orange essence. If you already plan on buying an event pass for the exclusive skins or emotes, the keys you get along the way are basically a free bonus. I usually buy one event pass a year, and I end up with enough keys to open all the chests I’ve saved up over 6 months, plus extra fragments left over.
Just make sure you only buy keys or passes directly through the official Riot store, not from third-party sellers. Even if a third-party site offers keys for half price, Riot will ban accounts that purchase loot from unapproved sources, and you’ll lose access to all your progress and skins. Official partner promotions sometimes include free keys or Hextech bundles for subscribers, but you’ll always claim these rewards directly through Riot’s official website or client.
Less common ways to earn extra keys you might be missing
Most players only stick to the two core methods above, but there are a handful of other reliable ways to stock up on extra keys without extra effort. I’ve gotten almost a dozen extra keys over the past two years from these often-overlooked sources:
I’ve personally gotten 3 full keys just from logging in during World Championship events over the past two years, and I didn’t even have to play a single match to claim them. A lot of players skip login rewards because they assume they’re just small booster shards, but it’s always worth checking the in-game notifications tab when you log in during a big event to see what’s available. You don’t want to miss out on free keys just because you forgot to check your rewards.
Common mistakes to avoid when farming for keys
Even if you follow all the methods above, small mistakes can slow down your key farm by weeks or even months. The most common mistake I see is players letting their honor level drop below 2, which completely locks you out of free key fragment drops from matches. If you’re currently chat restricted or honor locked, focus on being positive in matches, avoiding toxic chat, and playing to win to get your honor level back up as fast as possible.
Another mistake is hoarding key fragments instead of combining them into keys. A lot of players keep fragments in their inventory for months, forgetting they have them until they stumble across them by accident. There’s no limit to how many full keys you can hold in your inventory, so combine your fragments as soon as you get 3 to avoid forgetting you have them. It’s also a good idea to keep a small stock of 2-3 full keys on hand at all times, so you can open a chest right away when you earn one from an S rank.
Finally, never fall for scams that promise free unlimited keys in exchange for your account login information. Riot will never ask you for your password to give you free loot, so any site that asks for your account details is a scam that will steal your account, wipe your progress, and potentially use your account for toxic behavior that gets it permanently banned. If an offer for free keys seems too good to be true, it almost always is.
At the end of the day, farming keys doesn’t have to be a grind if you know what methods to focus on. If you play regularly and keep your honor level up, you’ll earn more than enough keys to open every chest you get from S-rated matches. If you want to speed up the process, paid bundles and event passes offer great value for players who don’t have time to grind dozens of matches a month. No matter what method you choose, sticking to official in-game or Riot-approved rewards will make sure you get your keys safely without risking your account. Now that you know how to get keys in League of Legends, you can start working your way through that pile of unopened chests and claim all the free loot you’ve earned.