Riot Games is rolling out a brand-new gacha system for League of Legends called The Sanctum, set to launch later this year.
Gacha systems have long been a staple of mobile games, especially in the free-to-play market, where they encourage players to spend in-game currency for randomized rewards. Over time, this mechanic has crept into PC and console games as well, and now even League of Legends.
The idea of gacha in League of Legends isn’t entirely new. Riot initially dipped its toes into the system back in 2023 with the release of Dark Cosmic Erasure Jhin, a skin that was only available through a loot-based system. While this decision stirred some controversy among players, the revenue generated was apparently enough to motivate Riot to double down on the approach.
Now, Riot is looking to refine and expand upon this concept with The Sanctum, an overhauled and more immersive gacha system that promises bigger rewards and a more structured experience.
The Sanctum: An Improved Gacha Experience
Alongside the system’s release, Riot has also introduced a new skin tier called Exalted Skins. These skins are some of the rarest and most coveted cosmetic items in League of Legends, and they can only be acquired through The Sanctum.
Much like other gacha mechanics, The Sanctum operates with a tiered reward system, but it introduces its own unique flair with Ancient Sparks, a new premium currency. Players can purchase Ancient Sparks for 400 RP each, and these sparks will not have an expiration date, meaning they can be used at any time.
Every time a player uses an Ancient Spark, they’ll draw from a curated loot pool with varying odds depending on the rarity of the reward. There are three tiers of rewards: S-tier, A-tier, and B-tier. S-tier rewards are the most valuable but also the hardest to obtain, while B-tier rewards are the most common. Riot has implemented a pity system for The Sanctum, ensuring that players will be guaranteed an S-tier reward after 80 pulls, minimizing the frustration of endlessly trying for a rare item.
| Tier | Description | Loot | Drop Rate |
| S-Tier Content | Highest value loot within The Sanctum’s pool | Arcane Fractured Jinx Exalted skin | Base drop rate is 0.5%, and will be guaranteed within 80 attempts, bringing the effective drop rate to 1.5% |
| A-Tier Content | Various cosmetics including skins, rare new content, exclusive rewards | Select skins, exclusive paragon chromas, exclusive banner | Base drop rate is 10%, and A-Tier content will be guaranteed within every 10 attempts |
| B-Tier Content | Primarily Mythic Essence in varying denominations and some accessories | Mythic Essence (5/10/25/50/100), random icon, random emote | Base drop rate is 89.5% |
One of the major pain points in many gacha systems is the potential for duplicate items, but Riot has addressed this in The Sanctum. If a player already owns a particular reward from the loot pool, the system will automatically adjust to avoid duplicates.
In the case where a player has already unlocked all available S-tier or A-tier rewards, pulling from these tiers will instead reward the player with Mythic Essence, with more essence granted for S-tier pulls than for A-tier. This mechanic ensures that even after a player has obtained everything they want, their pulls won’t be wasted.
Exalted Skins and Mythic Shop Revamp
At the heart of The Sanctum system is the new Exalted Skins, a skin tier that rivals the exclusivity and prestige of Mythic and Legendary skins. These skins will not be available for rerolling, with the exception of Dark Cosmic Erasure Jhin.
Additionally, Riot plans to revamp the Mythic Shop alongside the release of The Sanctum. The new Mythic Shop will feature updated items and potentially new ways to spend Mythic Essence and other currencies that players accrue through gacha pulls and other in-game activities.
Release Date
Players can expect The Sanctum to make its debut in League of Legends with Patch 14.24, which is scheduled for release on Wednesday, December 11, 2024.