What Is RP in League of Legends?

What Is RP in League of Legends?

RP stands for Riot Points, the paid currency in League of Legends. It buys skins, chromas, event passes, champions and name changes, and it cannot be earned through play, which is the line separating it from Blue Essence. RP is priced per server, so the same amount costs very different money by region.

How does RP work in League of Legends?

RP is added to your account balance and spent in the client store. Unlike Blue Essence it cannot be farmed, so everything exclusive to the RP store is a purchase by definition, and that includes every limited event pass and the majority of skins.

The detail that catches people out is region locking. RP is bought per server and stays there, so a balance on EUW is unusable on NA even on the same Riot account, and the pricing differs sharply between regions for identical amounts. That gap is why comparing an in client purchase against a marketplace RP top-up or skin gift is worth doing before buying an event pass, since gifted skins arrive through the official Gifting Centre without any credential exchange.

How does RP affect your account value?

RP itself buys nothing that changes gameplay, but what it buys sets the account's worth. Legacy skins, retired event exclusives and Hall of Legends sets cannot be bought again once their window closes, so a long lived collection cannot be reproduced at any price today. That is the primary driver behind League account pricing on the accounts marketplace.

The second factor is rank, which RP does nothing for. A stacked collection on an unranked account is worth far less than the same collection on a Diamond one, which is why a division boost and a full skin library together price an account far above the sum of either.

RP vs Blue Essence: what is the difference?

RP is bought with money and Blue Essence is earned by playing. Both unlock champions, but only RP buys skins, event passes and account services such as name changes. Blue Essence exists so that new players can build a champion pool for free, and RP exists so that Riot earns revenue without selling power. The separation is deliberate: everything gameplay relevant is reachable with Blue Essence, and everything cosmetic sits behind RP.

FAQ

Can you earn RP for free in League of Legends? No. RP is purchase only, though occasional Riot promotions and esports events have granted small amounts as rewards.

Is RP transferable between servers? No. RP is locked to the server it was purchased on, and transferring an account between regions does not move the balance.

Why is RP cheaper on some servers? Because Riot prices it by regional purchasing power, so the same RP package costs substantially less on some servers than on EUW or NA.