Mythic Essence is the new and the only rare currency in League of Legends, introduced in 12.6 to replace Gemstone and Prestige Points. It can buy exclusive skins, chromas, accessories, and other cosmetic items in the Mythic Shop. Unlike the Events Points System, Mythic Essence doesn’t expire, so you have more flexibility in saving and spending.
Before Mythic Essence, we had to choose between Gemstones and Prestige Points for different exclusive items. This was confusing and limited the way content could be accessed. By combining these currencies, Riot Games wanted to simplify the process and make accessing the rarest content more straightforward. Mythic Essence also brought a bunch of quality-of-life changes to the shop and event systems.
Buying and completing an Event Pass is the fastest way to get Mythic Essence. By earning 2200 tokens from the pass, you can trade them for 125 Mythic Essence. Other methods exist, like opening-level capsules, Hextech Chests, and Masterwork Chests, but they are less reliable and require a lot of money with low returns.
Masterwork Chests give Mythic Essence, but the 4.2% drop rate for 5 Mythic Essence is unreliable. And even though milestones for opening multiple chests give rewards, those rewards are usually skin shards or other loot and not a lot of Mythic Essence. The fastest way is still to complete Event Passes to earn tokens to trade for Mythic Essence.
However, if an item is in the current Mythic Shop and you can’t wait, Masterwork Chests are your best bet, as they are a predictable and reliable source of Mythic Essence.
If you want to learn more about Hextech and Masterwork Chests drop rates, read here.
Unfortunately, acquiring Mythic Essence for free in large amounts is not possible. You can sometimes get a small amount from Summoner Leveling or opening chests, but it’s not consistent and takes a lot of time. Masterwork Chests have a 4.2% chance of dropping 5 Mythic Essence, but that’s not a reliable way to get the currency. Special events and the Event Pass are your best bet to get Mythic Essence without relying on random drops. Read more about level rewards here.
A lot of players ask if there is a way to trade orange essence to Mythic items. Sadly those are two separate systems and you can't use them interchangably.
In 2024 Riot Games merged the Event Pass with the token shop and created a 50 level rewards track. Players earn XP by playing games and completing missions and can unlock rewards as they level up. The Event Pass still has a free and paid track so all players can get rewards and the paid track gives extra benefits to those who buy the pass.
Mythic Essence is a reward in the new Event Pass system. You can get Mythic Essence by leveling up the pass and completing missions. You usually get around 25 ME per event, but some events give more (most notably Worlds and MSI passes). If you buy the paid track, completing the 51st level (which is repeatable forever) will provide you with tokens you can use to buy Mythic Essence.
After you complete all 50 levels of the Event Pass, you can continue to get rewards from the 51st level, which is repeatable forever. Each time you complete it, you get Event Tokens, which can be exchanged for Mythic Essence or other exclusive event rewards. This way, dedicated players can keep grinding for Mythic Essence even after the main pass rewards are completed.
Masterwork Chests are a way to get Mythic Essence. Each chest has a 4.2% chance to drop 5 ME, and as you open more chests, you can hit Masterwork Milestones, which give additional rewards. These milestones give ME and skin shards as you progress by opening more chests. Masterwork Chests can be obtained through in-game missions, bundles, or directly with Riot Points.
The Masterwork Milestones system is designed to give you extra rewards for opening multiple Masterwork Chests. Here are the milestones:
Buying Masterwork Chest bundles during sales or events that include bonus chests will also give you more ME without spending as many Riot Points.
Loot Milestones are event-based reward tracks that give you extra loot, including Mythic Essence, based on how many event capsules or orbs you open. These milestones have a progressive reward system, so you get rewarded for continuing to invest in event loot. Each event milestone track is unique to the event but usually includes a combination of ME, skin shards, and exclusive event cosmetics.
How to get the most Mythic Essence from Loot
To get the most Mythic Essence from Loot Milestones:
In 2024 and 2025, the loot from opening capsules is:
No, you can’t buy or acquire Mythic Essence directly with Riot Points. But you can buy Masterwork Chests, Event Capsules, or Event Passes with Riot Points, all of which give Mythic Essence. Sometimes, special events will allow you to buy an event-exclusive currency that can be traded for Mythic Essence, but there’s no way to buy the currency itself.
Mythic Shop is the exclusive store where you can spend your Mythic Essence on rare and highly sought-after content. It replaced the old Gemstone Shop and features a rotating selection of Mythic Skins, Prestige Skins, Mythic Chromas, and other special cosmetics. This Shop gives you access to vaulted content and new skins tied to seasonal themes.
Mythic Shop content is rotated regularly to keep things new. Prestige skins rotate every 2 patches; Mythic skins rotate every 6 patches. Mythic Chromas, which change both the color and visual effects of a skin, rotate every 2 patches. So make sure to grab it if you want a specific skin, as missing a rotation means you’ll have to wait several months for it to come back. And skins usually cost more after each return.
The cost of content bought with Mythic Essence varies depending on what you’re getting. Prestige Skins start at 125 ME during their first unvault, 150 ME on the second unvault, and 200 ME on the third unvault. Mythic Skins are usually 100 ME on their first appearance and 125 ME on subsequent returns. Other items like Mythic Chromas or Emotes are 25-50 ME.
Mythic Shop has:
Unvaulted Prestige Skins are skins that were previously released and return to the Mythic Shop after being vaulted for a period of time, usually a year or more. These skins can be bought with Mythic Essence and are rotated in 2 at a time. Players who already own the original skin get exclusive commemorative edition which can’t be bought with Mythic Essence or any form of rerolling.
Unvaulted Prestige Skins pricing is tiered based on how many times the skin has been unvaulted:
Skins from earlier years like 2018 and 2019 are priced higher since they’re rarer and harder to get during their original release.
Recent Unvaulted Skins in 2024
As of 2024:
These skins were once limited event skins and are now back in the Mythic Shop for those who missed them the first time.
Riot releases a new thematic series of Mythic Skins exclusive to the Mythic Shop every year. These skins are highly detailed and visually stunning with new designs and animations tied to a specific yearly theme. For example, the Ashen Knights thematic in 2022 was one of the most popular, and each new Mythic skin usually costs 100 ME on debut.
Details on the next theme are usually revealed in Riot’s seasonal announcements, but players can expect a new Mythic skin every 3 months. These skins debut at 100 ME and become 125 ME if they return.
New Mythic skins are added to the Mythic Shop at the start of each season. You can buy them for 100 ME during the initial release. If you miss the initial release, the price increases to 125 ME when the skin is unvaulted in the future and possibly more on each subsequent return.
Prestige Skins are unique, limited edition skins that give a luxurious, golden twist to standard skins. To many, they are just exclusive chromas. Introduced initially through event token systems, these skins are now mainly obtained through the Mythic Shop with Mythic Essence. Prestige Skins have unique splash art, (sometimes) new in-game animations and sometimes borders and icons when first released.
Both Mythic and Prestige Skins are rare but they differ in design and release method. Prestige Skins are tied to specific events and are a golden rework of existing skins giving them a premium look. Mythic Skins are part of an exclusive thematic line, new skins with new designs, animations and sometimes visual effects. Prestige skins are in the Mythic Shop after a year and Mythic skins debut in seasonal rotations.
To get Prestige Skins, you need to save up Mythic Essence and wait for it to show up in the Mythic Shop. Each Prestige Skin is 125 ME on its first unvault, 150 ME on the second, and 200 ME on subsequent returns. Two Prestige skins are added to the Mythic Shop every 2 patches, so be sure to check regularly if you want to get a specific skin before it’s gone again.
Mythic Chromas are exclusive recolors of Legendary or Mythic Skins that change not only the skin’s color palette but also the visual effects (VFX). These chromas are highly coveted because they allow players to customize their rare skins further and make them stand out in the game. To buy a Mythic Chroma, you need to own the corresponding skin, and each chroma is 40 ME.
You can get Mythic Chromas in the Mythic Shop, which rotates new chromas every 2 patches. Other accessories in the Shop:
Every year, Riot releases a new Mythic Ward Skin and Emote that is tied to the current year’s Mythic theme. These are available all year round and refreshed every season. Mythic Ward Skin is 50 ME and Mythic Emotes are 25 ME.
How often does Mythic Essence reset?
Mythic Essence itself doesn’t reset or expire. Once you earn it, you can keep it in your account forever and save up for future skins, chromas and accessories in the Mythic Shop. However, the content in the Mythic Shop rotates every 2 to 6 patches, so the items are time limited.
How often does Mythic Essence drop in Chests?
Mythic Essence drop rate in Masterwork Chests is 4.2% for 5 ME. Hextech Chests have a lower drop rate (around 2.68%) for 5 ME, but Masterwork Chests are the most consistent way to get this currency.
What happens when a Mythic skin or Prestige skin is unvaulted?
When a Mythic or Prestige skin is unvaulted, it returns to the Mythic Shop for a limited time, and you can buy it with Mythic Essence. Typically, it’s available for 2 patches, and then it goes back to the vault. Pricing increases with each unvault, so it’s best to buy it the first time it’s back if you can to avoid paying more later.
