[2022] RP update: Cost and refunds

The average skin in the League store is a little over 1000 RP which equates to less than 8€ at the new prices, although the average new skin is closer to 10€. Additionally, many skins are purchased on discounts through weekly sales or bundles or My Shop, so the average spent per skin is less.

That said, we do understand that in many countries that is still too high which is one reason we began giving more skins to players for free in recent years through Hextech Crafting.

While I understand the pain caused by prices increases, we are not trying to obfuscate anything and want to be open with you about the changes we are making and the reasons for them. Here are the facts:

1) When League launched in October 2009, one euro was worth $1.49.

2) League's initial pricing was $10 for 1380 RP in NA and €10 for 1780 RP in EU, representing a 29% difference for EU players as compared to the ~49% difference in currencies. This price was selected so that Riot would pass along the majority of the VAT cost to players and receive roughly similar $ from RP purchased in NA and EU.

3) One euro is now worth $1.13 which is 36 cents or 24% lower than at launch

4) We have lowered the RP amounts for a €10 purchase in EU by ~22.5% in that time frame, roughly matching the change in currency prices. While the bulk of the currency move happened abruptly in 2014, we decided not to adjust pricing the full amount at that time, and hoped the currency would recover so we wouldn't have to.

5) Another way to look at is that in October 2009, one US dollar spent on the EU server (after converting to euros) would purchase 119.5 RP and with the new pricing, one US dollar would purchase 122 RP, slightly higher. So the change in pricing matches the change in currency rates with a slight advantage to the EU player.

6) Steam, Apple and most other companies (although not all) also set EU prices with the intent to pass along VAT and equalize the money they receive from purchases in either NA and EU. With recent exchange rates fluctuating between $1.10 and $1.25, all three companies are now charging the same amounts in $ and €, for example $10 and €10 will now buy 1380 RP in League, and the extra value from the euro helps offset VAT.

Feel free to double check my numbers and let me know of any issues, but WizardCrab vouches for them so I'm pretty confident they're right. In short, it is fair to criticize Riot for passing along VAT rather than absorbing it, but the policy is very common and was established at the launch of the EU server.