Riot has killed off a League of Legends hero that some people paid money for

League of Legends players came in for a bit of a shock this week when it was discovered that one of the game’s heroes has been killed off.

The news was a particular blow for those who had paid cash to play as the pirate Gangplank, or to access any of his character skins.

The immediate reaction from much of the fandom was one of anger, with plenty of refund demands being made, although it seems as if the unusual step is part of a larger narrative that will shortly lead to Gangplank’s return.

Champion death is unprecedented in League of Legends, and we do not take it lightly,” Riot said on the League of Legends forums. We encourage all Gangplank fans to remain calm for a few days until we can fully assess the situation.

At this time, we are not addressing refund requests for him or his skins but please know that over the next several days we’ll do our best to make things right for everyone.”

Indeed, the character was just earlier this month given an overhaul – a move that seems unlikely were his demise imminent.

The game’s lore achieves have also been amended with messages from rival hero Miss Fortune, who has claimed credit for Gangplank’s death and has vowed that more are to come.