Raid: Shadow Legends
Released July 2018 Developer Plarium
A dark-fantasy collection RPG in which you summon hundreds of Champions, equip them with gear and send a squad into turn-based battles across a story campaign, dungeons, boss fights, a PvP arena and clan content. It is played on phones and PC and is aimed at older teens and adults who enjoy building and upgrading a roster.
Money health
HarmfulChance, compulsion or exploitation
Addictive design
Very high5 of 5 — counts the hooks designed in
Average price
Freefree to download
Spending ceiling
No ceilingRepeat purchases, no limit
How it makes money
Harmful: chance, compulsion or exploitation
The game is free, and early on it is generous, but money is the way past the slow later stages: Champions come from random 'shard' summons, and story and dungeon stages cost Energy. The Australian App Store sells packs from A$1.49 (Rookie Pack) up to A$79.99 (Extra Savings Pack), and its listing shows only ten items, so bigger bundles may exist. TheGamer reported a steady stream of pop-up offers with countdown timers, and critics have called the monetisation aggressive and pay-to-win. A 2019 analysis by Pocket Gamer found most players could enjoy the game without spending, but said its layered design encourages heavy spenders.
How you pay
- Gacha
Champions are summoned from shards (Ancient, Void, Sacred and others). Apple lists the app as containing loot boxes and Plarium says it contains 'in-game purchases (including random items)'.
- Free-to-play
Free on mobile and PC. App Store packs run from A$1.49 (Rookie Pack) to A$79.99 (Extra Savings Pack), and Apple lists only ten items.
Techniques it uses to keep you paying or playing
- Wait or pay
Campaign and dungeon stages cost Energy, which can be refilled with Gems.
- FOMO timers
TheGamer reported frequent pop-up pack offers with countdown timers, sometimes several in a row when leaving a screen.
- Pay to win
Purchases bring stronger Champions and gear faster; TheGamer (2020) called the monetisation 'the epitome of pay to win' and Gamezebo said progress is hard without spending.
- Game currency
Gems are the premium currency and can be converted to silver, Energy, arena tokens and boosts, so real prices are not shown per item.
- Social nudges
Clans unlock co-operative content such as the Clan Boss, and the clan grind is where deeper monetisation pressure shows up, according to Pocket Gamer.
minor part of the game - Whale design
Pocket Gamer's 2019 analysis said Plarium's layered design encourages players to spend big, with the game already a top-grossing title in several regions.
minor part of the game - Daily pressure
Free Mystery shards were granted every eight hours in 2019, and a paid daily pack dropped shards and rewards each day for a week.
minor part of the game - Collect all
Steam describes 800+ playable Champions, each with its own rarity and gear to chase.
minor part of the game - Starter pack
Pocket Gamer's 2019 analysis described a one-per-player US$10 starter pack as particularly good value, followed by a US$30 daily pack and US$100 shard bundles.
minor part of the game
Fairer alternatives
Similar games with a healthier money model
What it costs
Free to start, then A$1.49–A$79.99 a purchase
| What | Where | Price | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rookie Pack Smallest pack listed |
Apple App Store (AU) · iOS | A$1.49 | Oct 2026 |
| Extra Savings Pack Largest pack shown; the page lists only ten items |
Apple App Store (AU) · iOS | A$79.99 | Oct 2026 |
Store prices change often and sales are common; we record the regular price on the date shown.
Reviews from across the web
What the critics said
MixedSteam
player reviews
player reviews
-
70/ 100
Multiplayer.it
An Italian review that called it a pretty solid game with beautiful graphics.
Scores belong to the outlets that published them; follow the links to read the full reviews. Summaries are ours.
Age ratings & content
What's in it
The rating boards list no content warnings for this game beyond notices such as in-game purchases or online play.
Classification
Age ratings judge content (violence, language, gambling themes), summed up in the content labels above. They say little about how hard a game pushes spending — that's what the money badges are for. About rating boards
Safety & parental controls
Who can talk to your child, and what can they buy?
- Text chat
- Players can interact with strangers
- Contains user-made content (not pre-checked by the developer)
- Account: not recorded
Clans and the PvP arena put players in touch with strangers, and Apple's listing declares 'messaging and chat' and 'user-generated content' (clan names and chat). Plarium's site shows a 13+ age label, 18+ in Brazil. The game is very heavily advertised by online creators; purchases are made through the App Store, Google Play, Steam, Epic or Microsoft Store, so use their spending limits.
Who makes it
The company behind it, and its track record
No track-record badges yet.
Latest on the record
- Investigation
Named in EU consumer authorities' coordinated action on in-game currencies
European Commission - Other
Modern Times Group completed its purchase of Plarium from Aristocrat
Modern Times Group - Other
Aristocrat Leisure agreed to buy Plarium for $500 million
PocketGamer.biz
A company's history doesn't change this game's money verdict, which rates only how the game itself makes money. About company track records
Platforms & release
Where you can play it
| Platform | Released | Store |
|---|---|---|
| Windows PC Also on Plarium Play, the Epic Games Store and the Microsoft Store; the Steam release was 9 January 2024. |
21 January 2020 | Store page |
| Mac Via Plarium Play; requires macOS Monterey 12 or later. |
— | — |
| iPhone and iPad | July 2018 | Store page |
| Android phones and tablets | July 2018 | — |
Further reading
- Official website
- Pocket Gamer: How does Raid: Shadow Legends monetise? (2019)
- TheGamer: Raid: Shadow Legends is bad (2020)
- Raid: Shadow Legends on Wikipedia
- Raid: Shadow Legends official site
- Wikipedia
Facts last checked 22 October 2026. Sources: en.wikipedia.org, apps.apple.com, itunes.apple.com, store.steampowered.com, store.steampowered.com, plarium.com, www.metacritic.com, www.pocketgamer.biz, www.thegamer.com. Spotted something wrong? Send a correction.