It’s no secret that the League of Legends Champion roster is absolutely huge, and Riot is still releasing new Champions today for players to explore and master. The large Champion roster makes for some interesting gameplay, but there is a drawback: you have to unlock Champions before you can play them (unless they’re in the rotation pool — more on this later).

As a new player, you’ve probably come to realize that only a few Champions are actually playable from the get-go. Unlocking the entire Champion roster in League of Legends takes time and it isn’t an easy feat. However, there are a few different methods you can try to help speed up the process.

Today, we’ll guide you through these various ways and explain everything else you need to know about unlocking Champions in League of Legends.

How Many Champions Are There in League of Legends?

As of 2024, there are more than 160 Champions in LoL’s roster. Ambessa is the latest (and 169th) Champion in the game. Riot continues to release new Champions regularly — usually between 3 and 5 champions every year — so this number will only continue to grow.

How Do I Unlock Champions in League of Legends: Best Methods Explained

From earning Blue Essence (BE) to participating in events, there are several ways you can unlock Champions in League of Legends. We’ll touch on the best methods below:

Earn Blue Essence

Blue Essence — yep, the sweet ol’ blue stuff — is one of the main currencies in League of Legends. You can use BE to unlock loot and purchase all kinds of content from the in-game store, and that includes Champions.

You can earn BE through various means, like playing matchmade games, leveling up, and participating in missions. Our dedicated guide explains more and covers how to grind BE fast.

The exact amount of BE you’ll need to earn depends on the Champions you wish to unlock.

Champions range in price from 450 BE to 7800 BE, with newly-released champions costing a lot more than old Champions.

Splurge on RP

While grinding BE is an easy way to unlock Champions in League of Legends, it isn’t the fastest method — that’s where Riot Points (RP) come in. RP is essentially the premium currency in LoL that you can purchase with real-world cash. You can use RP to obtain cosmetic content like skins and emotes, as well as to instantly unlock Champions.

Now, unlocking all the Champions with RP will leave a huge dent in your wallet, so we only recommend this method if you want to unlock a specific Champion or simply don’t have the time (or patience) to grind BE. As a reference, Champions are priced between 260 RP and 975 RP, which roughly translates to around $2.50 - $7.50.

If you’re determined to collect ‘em all by splurging on RP, consider waiting for Champions to go on sale; Riot reduces the RP price of five random Champions in the shop every week.

Champion Capsules

Leveling up doesn’t just give you BE — it also rewards you with Champion Capsules. These Capsules often contain Champion Shards, which allow you to unlock Champions permanently for a significantly reduced BE price. As an example, unlocking Zac with a shard will set you back 2880 BE instead of 4800 BE.

You can use XP boosts to speed up the leveling process, which in turn means you’ll obtain Champion capsules a whole lot quicker. XP boosts do cost RP, but investing in them is a lot more cost-effective than buying Champions for their upfront RP price (provided you’re still happy to grind).

Champion Shards can also be disenchanted to obtain BE instead.

Hextech Chests

While we’re on the topic of Champion Shards, there are a few other ways to earn them outside of Champion Capsules. They can also drop from Hextech Chests. Hextech Chests have a 25% drop rate for Champion Shards, and they’ll only drop shards worth at least 4,800 BE.

You can get chests by reaching specific milestones in the new champion mastery system. You can also purchase them directly from the store (125 RP each).

However, do note that you’ll need Hextech Keys to open the Chests. You can buy Keys from the store individually or as part of a bundle — 225 RP for a Chest and Key set — but you can also earn Keys for free through in-game activities like playing matchmade games.

Missions and Event Passes

Another effective way to unlock Champions is to participate in events. Completing event missions will grant you tokens, which you can exchange for random Champion Shards in the dedicated event store.

The amount of tokens you can earn for free is limited, usually to around 300 or 400. However, if you’re happy to grind it out, you can purchase an event pass to access a whole load more tokens.

Be Honorable

Yep, believe it or not, keeping a cool head can actually help you unlock champions. This is thanks to League’s in-game Honor system. As you level up your Honor and hit certain checkpoints, you’ll be rewarded with loot like Honor Capsules and Honor Orbs, both of which have a chance of containing Champion Shards.

You can learn more about the Honor system in our in-depth guide, but essentially, staying positive, being a team player, and making effective shot calls will allow you to level up your Honor and reach those checkpoints quickly.

Free Champion Rotation Pool

Technically, you don’t need to unlock Champions to play them. Every week, 20 to 30 Champions are selected to become free-to-play, giving you the perfect opportunity to explore different Champions and understand which ones are truly worth your investment. Just be mindful that you can’t earn mastery progression on Champions you haven’t unlocked.

You can find out which Champions are currently free to play in the client. Navigate to the “Overview” page and then select the “Free Champion Rotation” button (top right).

Unlocking ‘Em All

Unlocking all the Champions in League of Legends is undeniably time-consuming, but it’s possible to do so without spending a single IRL dime. You just need to play regularly, stay honorable, participate in events, and grind the sweet blue stuff.

If you are determined to speed up the process, then feel free to splurge on RP and purchase the likes of Hextech Chests and event passes. And in the meantime? Don’t forget to make full use of the free Champion rotation pool!