Hall of Legends’ bundle is actually good for the game, according to certain players
While many Western players have critized the $450 Faker bundle in League of Legends, its sales are reportedly skyrocketing in Eastern regions. However, players believe that this is overall beneficial for the game.
On June 24, a player on Reddit sparked a community discussion by stating, “Milking the whales is fine and healthy for the game.” They see it as a win-win situation, where Riot Games makes money from big spenders, or “whales,” without affecting the casual.
“These products are clearly made for whales. Riot has said this multiple times. They are the League of Legends equivalent of a €3000 Gucci handbag. If you’re rich, you get to buy cool, pointless stuff; that’s just how life goes”
They also mentioned that many free-to-play games are actually pay-to-win. Considering this, expensive but non-essential cosmetics are a better model for almost all players, regardless of their price.
Many players agreed but highlighted two scenarios they wouldn’t want to see in League. First, they don’t want Riot to make only expensive skins for the wealthy ones. Luckily, this is unlikely since new skins are released with every patch. Second, they don’t want exclusive skins to provide in-game advantages. This hasn’t happened yet and doesn’t seem likely.
On the other hand, some disagreed with the discussion and explained their reasons. One of the top comments pointed out how Riot is exploiting players by making expensive bundles without making sufficient gameplay changes.
“So there’s a $500 skin in the game making the company a lot of money, but they still can’t get a Shyvana rework done. We shall see what the impact is, but it leaves a sour taste in my mouth,”
Either way, the release of Faker’s Hall of Legends bundle was met with backlash, so it will be interesting to see if it affects future Riot marketing and sales strategies.