Does it work in curbing bad behavior though?
In-Depth Explanation of The Honor System
When it comes to toxicity in games, League of Legends has a community that is always at the top of the list. However, not everything about the community is as bad as it seems, and quite a few players are honorable in their own way.
Not every game of League of Legends, especially ranked ones, finds you in the middle of an extremely toxic team. On the contrary, there are enough players that waver between the two, for Riot Games to set up a system with rewards that encourages good behavior, making for a more positive in-game experience.
What is the LoL Honor System?
As we said previously, the Honor system found in League of Legends is one that encourages players for their good behavior, by allowing players to choose the most honorable amongst their team in each match.
When Was Honor Added to LoL?
Back in the day, at the beginning of what is called the Golden Era of League of Legends, Riot Games added the Honor System to the game. This Honor System, which was added in 2012, allowed you to honor all players in a single match.
That means that you could honor enemies and allies alike if they proved to be honorable on the Fields of Justice, which is what Summoner's Rift used to be called.
In season 7, however, or more precisely, in patch 7.13, Riot Games reworked the Honor System into what we know today, to fit more with the modern standards of LEague for Legends, The fact that it allows you to only honor your allies was a foreshadowing for sure.
How Does Honor Work in LoL?
The Honor System in League of Legends is quite simple. At the end of every match, you can choose to honor one player from your team, with one of three options.
| Honor Option | Meaning | Description |
| Gg <3 | Team player, friendly | This is the Honor OPtion for players that you felt comfortable playing with. They are the ones that inspired camaraderie in your team. |
| Great Shotcalling | Leadership, strategy | If your teammates' calls on when to take Neutral objectives, when to push, or warning of possible jungle ganks, is what won you the game, then they deserve this Honor Option. |
| Stayed Cool | Tilt Proof, Chill | This honor Option is reserved for those that let no setback, toxic teammate, or lane camping get to them. They are the bedrock of a strong League of Legends mentality. |
In the post-game lobby, you will be able to see if you yourself received any honors, and which type they were. In addition, the players with the most honors on one team will be highlighted to both teams, as an example of a good League of Legends player, in more ways than just pure skill.
In patch 12.14, Riot Games added the option to see exactly who honored you after the game, which may ruin some friendships for sure.
What Does Honor Progression Mean in LoL?
Receiving honors in League of Legends matches is more than just a feel-good system. instead, as you accumulate honors from teammates, you progress in honor levels, and gain various rewards, from Hextech chests, to even skins!
At the beginning of every season, a player's Honor is reset and players will start off at level 2. From there, the goal is to reach Honor Level 5, which is not an easy thing to do, seeing as every Honor Level has three checkpoints to be completed, as well.
How To See LoL Honor Progression?
Honor Progression is a part of your League of Legends account as much as your rank is. That means that your Honor Level is displayed on your profile screen, just beside your League of Legends rank.
One difference to note is that you cannot see the Honor Level of other players, on their profiles. The only way to do so is to play a game with them, and see their Honor flair on the loading screen.
What Rewards Does Honor Give in LoL?
As we previously said, the League of Legends Honor System is meant to incentivize good behavior. ANd that cannot be done without rewards. in League of legends, every Honor Level achieved brings its own rewards to the table.
| Honor Level | Level Up Reward | Checkpoint Rewards |
| Level 0 | No rewards | No rewards |
| Level 1 | One Hextech Key | No rewards |
| Level 2 | One Key | Two Key fragments |
| Level 3 | Level 3 Capsule containing:
| Level 3 Orb containing:
|
| Level 4 | Level 4 Capsule containing:
| Level 4 Orb containing:
|
| Level 5 | Level 5 Capsule containing:
| Level 5 Orb containing:
|
One thing to note is that Honor Level 5 contains no checkpoints to reach. instead, it's like the Challenger rank, where you've hit the highest level upon reaching it. And, aside from the rewards found in the loot portion of your account, players who hit Honor Level 5 also have a unique recall when they play League of Legends, no matter which champion they use.
Per the information currently available, Riot seem to be working on more exclusive content which should be launched at the end of 2022 for the start of the 2023 season. One of those rewards is an exclusive skin, but there is no official information on the skin, nor the champion yet.
What is the Honor Level 5 Token Shop Used For in LoL?
Upon achieving Honor Level 5 in League of Legends, players receive a token for their efforts. That token can, then, be redeemed for skins or skin chromas in the Honor 5 Token Shop.
These skins include:
- Grey Warwick
- Medieval Twitch
Buying these two skins is impossible for RP. They used to be rewards for referring a friend to League of Legends, back when the game needed that type of system to attract players, and Riot have repurposed them as another incentive instead.
Additionally, a new skin line has now been added to League of Legends, called Three Honors. Its first entrant is Three Honors Malzahar, and will be awarded to honorable players on the Rift.
The Three Honors skin line is replacing the new chromas for the Medieval Twitch and Grey Warwick skins, that Riot add each year for players to choose from when they reach Honor 5.
Can You Lose Honor in LoL?
There is a short and a long answer to that question. In short, League of Legends players can lose their Honor Levels for bad behavior. However, talking in more detail, before that happens, depending on the severity of the infraction, Riot are more likely to first implement some other punishment.
- Bad behavior, but not worthy of a chat restriction - slows experience gain temporarily
- Chat restriction: Demote to level 1, or 0 if already at 1
- 14-day ban: Demote to level 0
These punishments also restrict the ability to gain Mastery Chests and Key Fragments, which is a blow for players looking o update their collection of kins, for free. To restart their Honor journey, players need to be approved by Riot, on a case-to-case basis, when they deem they are reformed.