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Picture showing the Hextech and Masterwork chests in League of Legends
Remix by Dot Esports

How to get Hextech Keys in LoL

Free loot? Who can resist?

League of Legends has quite a lot of ways to reward players: Prime Gaming, Twitch Drops, and Essence Emporium. But nothing is better than getting a Hextech Chest and opening it to find a skin you’ve been eyeing. Before you can start opening chests like it’s Christmas, though, you need Hextech Keys.

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Developer Riot Games recently announced the return of Hextech Chests, which means you’ll soon have more in your inventory to open for a chance of scoring free skins. To open one chest, though, you need to first get your hands on a key.

What are Hextech Keys in LoL?

Hextech Keys in League are a special type of item that can be used to open both Hextech and Masterwork Chests. While Masterwork Chests are tied to the shop and normally require you to spend money, Hextech Chests can be obtained for free either through the battle pass or the game’s Honor System.

A screenshot from the LoL client showing Hextech Chests. It cannot be opened because there's no key to open it.
No key, no free loot. Screenshot by Dot Esports

To use a key to open a chest in League, follow these steps:

  1. Head to the Loot tab, represented by a hammer and gem icon at the top of the client.
  2. Click on “Crafting” at the top-left hand side of the tab.
  3. Click on a chest. If you have a Hextech Key, you’ll be able to click “Open” at the bottom of the client.
  4. Your rewards will then appear on the same screen.

How to get Hextech Keys in LoL

With the changes introduced in Patch 25.05, League players can receive up to 10 Hextech Chests and Keys per Act. Eight of these chests can be unlocked through the free track of the battle pass alongside a key for each chest, while the other two are earned by being honored by your teammates for positive in-game behavior.

A screenshot from LoL showing the number of Keys and Hextech Chests a person has in their inventory.
Time to open a chest! Screenshot by Dot Esports

You can see how many Hextech Chests and Keys you have from the Crafting tab of the Loot inventory. In the Crafting tab, the bottom key and chest icons show you just how many of each item you have available to you.

Key Fragments

Prior to the Hextech changes made in Patch 25.05, players could also construct Hextech Keys by combining three Key Fragments, which came from a wide variety of sources: playing games and getting Honored after the match, Honor Orbs, Champion Orbs, Hextech Chests, various missions during events, and event shops. But Key Fragments are no longer obtainable, according to a League developer blog post, and any fragments players had at the time of Patch 25.05 were consolidated into full keys.

A screenshot from League of Legends showing readers that they need three fragments to craft a key
Gone are the days of Key Fragments. Screenshot by Dot Esports

The best way to get Hextech Keys is to play League matches and complete missions that reward you with battle pass experience. This way, you can earn the majority of the chests available to you in each Act. If you’re an honorable teammate, you’ll naturally receive the other two, allowing you to take full advantage of the the amount of free loot you can get within a given window of time.

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Author
Image of Rachel Samples
Rachel Samples
Managing Editor
Managing Editor. In 2018, Rachel graduated from the University of Texas with a bachelor’s in Rhetoric and Writing and first entered the esports industry in the same year. Her favorite games include indies, deckbuilders, and the entire Mass Effect franchise. Need any calibrations?