“Can you guys stop taking out loans?”: League of Legends third-party store says players are getting into debt to afford new $500 skin

Some parts of the League of Legends community are up in arms over a new $500 skin bundle, but other parts are reportedly taking out loan agreements to afford it.

That’s according to Twitter user Starlight, who runs an online third-party store allowing League of Legends and Genshin Impact players to purchase in-game currency at reduced prices thanks to regional conversion rates. Even with those lower prices, however, Starlight says that players are going to pretty extreme lengths to procure League of Legends’ hyper-expensive new skin.

In a tweet yesterday, they asked “Can you guys stop taking out loans to buy the Ahri skin,” referring to that $500 bundle. “I don’t want to put you into debt,” they continued. “Legit every second order is with a loan agreement.” In subsequent tweets, they clarify that in some countries, such as the UK and Germany, it’s possible to pay with loan agreements via Paypal, and pay the money back over 3-6 months.

At what appears to be 0% interest, that’s not technically any more expensive than paying straight up, but it’s still far from the most sensible financial choice. Given that you’ll have to purchase four maximum-size bundles of currency for a total of £400 ($508), the skin in question – a Signature Ahri cosmetic intended to honor League of Legends’ best-ever player, Faker – you’re already setting yourself back a substantial amount to even afford the item. And given that some League of Legends fans are planning to permaban the champion to prevent anyone from using the skin, it seems like this might be an even more unwise investment than it first appears.

Faker might be the GOAT, but $500 still seems a bit steep.