> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.surrenderat15.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # How Hextech Crafting Works: Chests, Keys, Shards, and Orange Essence Explained - URL: https://www.surrenderat15.com/how-hextech-crafting-works-chests-keys-shards-orange-essence/ - Published: 2026-09-04T21:05:13.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-07T13:24:16.000Z - Description: Hextech chests changed in 2025, no more mastery grinding or key fragments. Here's exactly how chests, keys, shards, and orange essence work. - Author: FF15 - Tags: BLOG *If you learned about *Hextech Crafting* a few years ago, most of what you knew is now *out of date*. Riot *pulled free chests* out of the game entirely in *early 2025*, then *walked it back* a few weeks later after heavy player backlash. What came back wasn't the old system. *Key fragments are gone*, *champion mastery no longer earns you chests directly*, and chests now arrive *already paired with a key*. Here's how it actually works today.* ## What Is Hextech Crafting? Hextech Crafting is the loot system built into your in-client **Loot tab**. You earn **Hextech Chests**, open them with **Keys**, and get **Skin Shards** for skins you don't already own. From there you decide whether to turn a shard into the **full skin**, break it down for **currency**, or gamble it away on something else entirely. It's Riot's main way of letting players build a **skin collection without spending RP** on every single one. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f7/f0/f7f034b8-dd29-4600-b912-25df9490ed52/content/images/2026/08/lol-hextech-guide.png) ### How Do You Actually Get Hextech Chests Now? The short answer: mostly by **playing normally**. Since **Patch 25.05**, chests and keys come **bundled together**, and the **free Battle Pass track** is the main source. You can earn up to **8 chest and key bundles per Act** just by progressing through the **free Battle Pass**, plus another **2 through Honor milestones**, for up to **10 per Act**. With roughly **6 Acts across a full year**, that works out to as many as **60 free chest and key bundles annually** if you're playing consistently. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f7/f0/f7f034b8-dd29-4600-b912-25df9490ed52/content/images/2026/08/lol-hextech-chest-mordekaiser-meme.jpg) Battle Pass progress comes from **normal games, Ranked, and ARAM** alike, along with **daily and weekly missions**, so there's no need to grind a specific queue. If you want more than the **free allotment**, chest and key bundles are also purchasable directly from the store for **195 RP each**. What's gone for good: the old **key fragment system**, where you'd slowly collect three fragments to craft one key, and the old **champion mastery path**, where hitting a high grade on a champion handed you a free chest. Neither exists anymore. **Mastery** still matters for other reasons, it just feeds into **Battle Pass XP** instead of granting chests on its own. ### What Happens When You Open One? Opening a **Hextech Chest** with a **Key** gives you a **Skin Shard**, a locked-in version of a skin you don't currently own. It sits in your **Loot tab** until you decide what to do with it. Nothing forces your hand right away—**shards don't expire**, so you can **stockpile** a few before deciding. ### What Can You Do With a Skin Shard? Every shard gives you three options. - Upgrade it into the full permanent skin using Orange Essence. - Disenchant it, converting the shard into Orange Essence instead of keeping the skin. - Reroll it, combining it with two other shards to get one random permanent skin. ### Should You Disenchant or Reroll? As a general rule, **cheaper shards are better off rerolled** and **pricier ones are worth holding onto**. Lower tier shards don't disenchant into much **Orange Essence**, so breaking three of them down barely moves you toward unlocking anything. Rerolling those same three shards gives you a real shot at something you'll actually want, and whatever comes out is guaranteed to be a **skin you don't already own**. Higher tier shards are the opposite case. If you already like the skin, **keep it** and save toward the **Orange Essence** to upgrade it, since disenchanting a shard you actually wanted just to gamble it away on a reroll rarely pays off. ### What Is Orange Essence For? **Orange Essence** is the currency that turns a **Skin Shard** into a **permanent skin**, similar to how **Blue Essence** works for champions, except it's locked to cosmetics. You'll get most of it from **disenchanting shards** you don't plan to keep, with the occasional bonus from **event missions** on top. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f7/f0/f7f034b8-dd29-4600-b912-25df9490ed52/content/images/2026/08/lol-orange-essence.webp) ***Orange Essence** ### A Few Things Worth Knowing Chests already sitting in your **Loot tab don't expire**. Only your ability to earn **new ones resets when an Act ends**, so there's no rush to open what you've already collected. If you run into an older guide mentioning **Feats of Strength** as a way to earn chests, ignore it, that system was **removed entirely with Patch 26.1** at the start of the year. ## FAQ **Do I still need key fragments to open chests?** No. Fragments were retired with Patch 25.05\. Chests now come bundled with a key already attached. **Does champion mastery still give free chests?** Not directly. High mastery grades feed into your Battle Pass XP instead of handing you a chest on their own. **How many free chests can I realistically earn in a year?** Up to 60, assuming you complete the free Battle Pass track and hit Honor milestones across all 6 Acts. **Is it better to reroll or disenchant a skin shard?** It depends on the shard's value. Cheap shards are usually better rerolled, while shards for skins you actually want are usually worth keeping and upgrading with Orange Essence. *Trying to figure out which skins are worth saving your shards for? Check out our* [*latest skins coverage*](https://www.surrenderat15.com/tag/lol-pbe-news/) *for everything currently in rotation.*