League of Legends has long struggled to make its Honor system a meaningful incentive for positive player behavior. While intended to promote sportsmanship, it often feels like just another progression system yielding occasional loot. However, significant changes coming in 2025 have the potential to finally make Honor something players genuinely care about.
The current system, introduced in 2022, revolves around “Three Honors” skins, Honor Orbs, and Honor Capsules. These rewards, primarily Key Fragments, culminate in a Three Honors skin at the end of the season for players with sufficiently high Honor levels. A special Honor recall animation further distinguishes high-Honor players. The system progresses up to Honor Level 5, a level easily attainable even with occasional lapses in perfect behavior. This ease of progression undermines the system’s intent, incentivizing neutral play rather than genuine positivity.
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The upcoming changes tie Honor progression to League‘s forthcoming battle pass system. Instead of Key Fragments, players will earn Battle Pass XP, with larger amounts awarded to higher Honor Levels. Reaching Honor Level 4 unlocks more frequent pings and emotes, demonstrating Riot’s trust in these players. At Honor Level 5, players receive Honor emblems in chat, the Honor recall, and the coveted Three Honors skins.
While these skins are appealing, they share a drawback with other annual rewards like Victorious skins: their value diminishes if a player doesn’t enjoy the chosen champion. Given League‘s already complex progression systems (keys, capsules, tokens, event passes, Eternals, etc.), streamlining Honor rewards into Battle Pass XP offers a clearer objective. The Three Honors skins remain the ultimate prize for those interested.
Beyond rewards, the revised system introduces impactful penalties. Honor Level 3 becomes the baseline for acceptable behavior, granting access to all chat features and rewards. Dropping to Honor Level 2 restricts communication with the enemy team, disabling All Chat. At Honor Level 1, players lose all chat privileges except for team chat.
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This tiered penalty system is a promising step, though some argue it doesn’t go far enough. The ability for low-Honor players to engage in disruptive behavior suggests a need for stronger deterrents. Perhaps Honor Level 1 should remove all chat functionality, forcing players to rely solely on pings and teamwork to demonstrate improved conduct.
Regardless of whether further changes are implemented, the new Honor system brings a renewed sense of optimism for League in 2025. Connecting Honor to the battle pass should make it a more prominent aspect of the game, encouraging players to prioritize positive behavior. Currently being tested on the PBE, the true impact of these changes will become clear once the new season officially begins.
