Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
The verdict on

RAID

45
User verdict / 100 High confidence Divided

RAID: Shadow Legends is a visually appealing turn-based RPG with deep strategic gameplay, but it is heavily criticized for its aggressive monetization, 'pay-to-win' mechanics, and frustratingly low drop rates for desirable champions.

4.7★ lifetime (524,314) Free + in-app purchases since 2019 by Plarium Global Ltd updated 0.3 mo ago recent negative 45% 120 reviews across 4 regions
Monetization Champion Acquisition Grind & Progression Graphics & Gameplay Performance & Bugs PvP & Balance
5★324
4★102
3★101
2★82
1★352
recent reviews across 4 regions, vs the 4.7★ lifetime average

RAID: Shadow Legends offers engaging turn-based combat and high-quality graphics with a vast array of champions to collect. However, recent reviews highlight significant issues with its 'pay-to-win' model, constant in-app purchase prompts, and extremely low chances of acquiring rare characters without substantial spending.

What users like

  • Engaging turn-based RPG gameplay and strategyR2R9R37R107
  • High-quality graphics and character designsR8R22R72R224
  • Large variety of champions to collectR15R72R224
  • Can be enjoyable for free-to-play (F2P) players if focused on PvE and resource managementR114R322

What users complain about

  • Aggressive 'pay-to-win' model requiring significant spending for progressR2R17R21R47
  • Extremely low drop rates for legendary/mythical champions, even with paid shardsR7R15R57R68
  • Constant and excessive pop-up ads for in-app purchasesR2R15R70R207
  • Grindy gameplay and slow progression, especially for F2P playersR1R15R97R270
  • Many promo codes are only for new players, excluding veteransR3R13R110R253
  • Performance issues including freezing, crashing, and long loading timesR11R20R33R64
  • Unfair or unbalanced PvP/Arena matchmakingR40R73R207R333
  • Poor customer supportR12

Latest update · v11.65.0

What the developer says changed (the verdict above weighs this against what reviewers report):

New in 11.65.0: FEATURES: - Added the Win Streak mode in Live Arena & improved Live Arena matchmaking - Added Quick Battle option to Chimera Battles - Added 40 new Gemstones, earned from Live Arena - Introduced the ability to assign duplicate Mythical Champions as Faction Guardians in the Guardian Ring - Rebalanced the Plarium Points Program so users can progress faster - Increased the chances of summoning Perfect Souls for specific Champions in the Altar of Souls' Wishlist - Champion rebalance

Recurring themes

Monetization negative
Users widely criticize the game's aggressive monetization, describing it as 'pay-to-win' and a 'money grab'. They report constant, high-priced offers and feel pressured to spend to progress or acquire desirable champions.R2R17R21R25
Champion Acquisition negative
A major point of frustration is the extremely low drop rates for legendary and mythical champions, even when purchasing expensive shards. Many users report spending money or opening numerous shards only to receive common or duplicate characters.R7R15R25R30
Grind & Progression negative
Players find the game excessively grindy, requiring years of consistent play or significant spending to achieve meaningful progress or compete in higher tiers. Resource scarcity, like energy, further slows down gameplay.R1R4R15R16
Performance & Bugs negative
Several recent reviews report issues with the app freezing, crashing during loading screens or mid-play, and experiencing infinite loading screens, particularly on iOS devices. This contradicts the developer's notes which do not mention performance fixes.R11R20R27R33
PvP & Balance negative
The PvP experience, especially Live Arena, is frequently criticized for being unbalanced, with players encountering opponents significantly stronger than them, leading to frustration for F2P players.R37R40R73R114
Graphics & Gameplay positive
Despite other criticisms, many users praise the game's graphics, character designs, and overall turn-based RPG gameplay as fun and engaging.R2R5R8R9

Who it's for

This game is for players who enjoy visually rich turn-based RPGs with deep strategic team building and are willing to either invest significant time in grinding or spend money to accelerate progress R2R37R114. It is not for players who dislike aggressive monetization, constant in-app purchase prompts, or a heavily 'pay-to-win' environment, especially in PvP R21R47R73.

Evidence note: The recent reviews skew significantly negative, with a 45.2% negative sentiment, which contrasts sharply with the lifetime rating of 4.71 out of 5 stars. This suggests a recent decline in user satisfaction, possibly due to increased monetization pressure or unaddressed performance issues. The developer notes mention new features for Live Arena and Gemstones, but recent reviews indicate ongoing issues with Live Arena balance and general performance, suggesting these updates may not have fully addressed core frustrations.

Frequently asked

Is RAID: Shadow Legends a pay-to-win game?
Yes, many recent reviews indicate that RAID: Shadow Legends is heavily 'pay-to-win,' with significant progress and access to desirable champions often requiring substantial real-money purchases R2R21R47R73.
Are there many in-app purchase ads in RAID: Shadow Legends?
Yes, players frequently report being inundated with constant and excessive pop-up ads for in-app purchases, often appearing every time they navigate the game's menus R2R15R70R207.
Is it hard to get legendary champions in RAID: Shadow Legends?
Yes, reviews consistently state that it is extremely difficult to acquire legendary or mythical champions, even when purchasing expensive shards, with many players reporting very low drop rates and receiving common characters R7R15R57.
Does RAID: Shadow Legends have performance issues?
Yes, recent reviews indicate that the app frequently freezes, crashes during loading screens or gameplay, and experiences infinite loading, particularly for iOS users R11R20R33R64.
Are promo codes available for existing players in RAID: Shadow Legends?
Many players report that most promo codes are exclusively for new players and have a very short redemption window, often making them inaccessible to long-term users R3R13R110R253.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R2] 3/5 · US If money is of no concern…: If money is of no concern then you can basically buy your way through this game at such exorbitant prices that you could easily buy a new car. The gameplay itself is good for a turn based RPG aside from time gates, paywalls and extremely limited resources to start with. Not to mention the excessive amount of harassment of buy this or that to boost your chances, characte
  2. [R9] 4/5 · US Fun: Lots of fun
  3. [R37] 5/5 · US Fun strategic game: I like this game, I’ve been playing it for years now. The only thing I hate though is how there’s so many pay to win players out there, which make live arena, or any arena difficult for us free to play players. If you’re trying to do each fusion, you’ve gotta save your resources. The devs will try to throw in a double chance event between fusions, that way you waste all of y
  4. [R107] 5/5 · US Fun rpg: Really was not expecting to enjoy this pace of game. Very fun game to play so far.
  5. [R8] 5/5 · US SO FUN: This game is so fun the grafics are so good 👍I love it
  6. [R22] 5/5 · US Fun time waster: Great detail and graphics.
  7. [R72] 5/5 · US Hooked…: I can’t even say why, but I am totally addicted to this game. Great graphics, amazingly diverse legends to summon, and no end in sight! It can’t be overstated: I’m hooked! Thanks, devs… keep up the good work!
  8. [R224] 3/5 · GB Good game on paper.: The champions are great, amazing designs, unique moves, fun gameplay with many combinations of champions. The two glaring issues with the game: 1. If you don’t spend £10,000 to (maybe) get yourself some great champions, you’ll be looking at putting in a 9-5 worth of work every day, then after a few years you might be able to hold your own against whales. 2. The pop-up ads a
  9. [R15] 2/5 · US Fun time waster at best: Pros: - Plenty of champions to collect. - Fun time waster. - Plenty of battling. Cons: - Way too much grinding just for the tiniest bit of progress. - Constantly spammed with buy offers every time you return to the Bastion/Main Menu. - Speaking of buy offers, the prices on those offers are insanely high. - The odds of pulling a legendary or mythical champion are aby
  10. [R114] 5/5 · US Great game even as a F2P: The game has a lot to do and while it has its flaws none of them are raid specific such as stamina the progression is slow don’t expect even as a spender to speed through the game. However a f2p can still really enjoy the game if you’re willing to put in the work and focus on pve it’s one of the most f2p friendly out there once you understand what you’re doing and how to
  11. [R322] 3/5 · GB Tips for free to plays: As someone who's played this for a year and never spent a single dime I'd like to give tips for free to play players. Use new player promo codes immediately! According to Plarium you're a veteran player after a couple of days because you can't use codes after a day or once you reach level 10. Farm campaign for xp and dungeon for gear and gold. IGNORE GEAR STATS your san
  12. [R17] 1/5 · US Rich audience: It’s a pretty fun game. I’m poor though and it’s kind of tough. It seems like it’s more built around like a rich audience.
  13. [R21] 1/5 · US If you like getting shaken down for cash this game is for you: Do you care about your hard earned money? Well if you said NO! then your in luck because this game will constantly harass you to buy and spend your hard earned cash on useless in game items. Do you want to play a game that doesn’t care about skill or playtime, a game that only cares about the money in your bank account, and a community
  14. [R47] 1/5 · US Pay to Win Trash: This game is pure “pay to win”. They lure you in with false promises of “free” things, but they make hurdles and gates to getting those things that are impossible to cross without spending money. There are no ads, but you will be constantly, ceaselessly inundated with one “limited time - act now” offer after another. The biggest kick the pants for my, and the ultimate deal break
  15. [R7] 1/5 · US The spending isn’t worth: I brings rage to my heart to spend 30+ dollars to buy some accident shards during a 25x event and only to be given 23 rare champions and 1 epic champion out of the 24 ancient shards I bought. Honestly disappointing.
  16. [R57] 1/5 · US Pay to win: I enjoy the game I’ve been playing for a year now but the one thing that sucks is the mythical shards no matter how much money you spend on them thinking you’ll get lucky but so far all I pulled is rare and I spend a chuck in purchasing them just to get a rare that’s where I think the game is dying for me
  17. [R68] 2/5 · US It gets old fast: I’ve been playing this game for years and the absolute biggest problem I have is that you very rarely pull good characters from the portal. I can’t tell you how much money I’ve put in just trying to get something better than a rare just to be given trash every single time. I’d like better if they stopped this pay to never win stuff cause you don’t get anything worth your money if
  18. [R70] 2/5 · US Could be better: Are you looking for a game that has thirty five pop up ads you have to click x on in order to play a game, then man do i have the game for you. 10/10 would play more often if they removed the popup ads all together, yes i know it only does it two- three times a day but man i am tired of clicking x just to play a mid game. Clash of Clans is the way to go if you are looking for real
  19. [R207] 3/5 · US Over the top pop ups to spend: This game is fun But the over the top, constant pop ups to spend $$$ is annoying and these are not cheap at $25 to $100 and they do not provide much value as the rewards are random so you can up with junk. Secondly the PvP, you get opponents that are several time above your level, the PvP so the game pushes you so spend. An finally the constant game drops is frustr
  20. [R1] 2/5 · US Not a Botted Review: I’ve been playing casually since 2019. I’ve done dailies for 3-4+ days a week pretty consistently for 7 years. I’ll be honest, I’ve spent a few hundred dollars over the years. 7+ years and a few hundred dollars spent and my account is low to mid tier. The demand this game has is unrealistic, it will literally take you years to even become desirable to a decent clan. If you sav
  21. [R97] 3/5 · US Gameplay: This is a fun game and will quickly get you hooked. However, the 3 star rating is because it is increasingly difficult to play without spending money on energy. There aren’t enough opportunities to gain extra energy without spending money and as you level up it takes more energy to do anything. Either allow for energy to gather unlimited or give more opportunities to win/earn event boost
  22. [R270] 3/5 · GB Needs decent update: This game is good and fun but my main problem with it is it’s way to Grindy to time consuming way to boring at times there are so many moments you get stuck on things and it’s just stupid they could of made this game way less Grindy easier to get champions easier better drop chance it’s so pay to win if you don’t have the champs for arena you don’t stand a chance to get anywhe
  23. [R3] 4/5 · US Good but annoying: Love the game, but the genuine issue that I have is that most of all codes are tied to only new players.
  24. [R13] 4/5 · US Why can’t I use codes: So I like raid it’s a good 4. But I kept seeing these ads for free stuff I check my bar on the left I wasn’t there I thought oh it’s just because I haven’t made a account I made a account and it STILL wasn’t there I was disappointed but may just be like that for mobile other than that it’s a good game a bit to p2w tho
  25. [R110] 4/5 · US Raid: I love the game but my only kinda issue the amount of champions. Like I watch all these YouTubers who have maxed out accounts while I have 3 and all of them are free login events. another mini problem is that most of the codes are for new player only.
  26. [R253] 3/5 · GB Feels bias: I love a good game, but I find raid despite it being a good game in graphics, ideas and gameplay. Is incredibly bias like most modern games where it only gives promo codes to new players within a short window and all existing players need to pay for the luxury of help. I’ve had the game since 2020, my dad played it and my partners. But we all got to a point where the only way to get ne
  27. [R11] 1/5 · US App Freezes: This app starts to load and then freezes. It is only on IOS. Android and in my laptop works fine. This has been two days straight.
  28. [R20] 1/5 · US Fun game awful performance: Game is fun. It’s like someone made a raid version of ER. But optimization/performance has to be the worst I’ve ever experienced on a game of any platform in my 30 years of gaming. And before a dev replies that it’s my phone like I’ve seen them reply to others on here about. It’s not. I have brand new IPhone 17. 2-3 months old. I play marvel strike force and clash o
  29. [R33] 1/5 · US steady crashing: everytime i load into a match it never loads and jus crashes
  30. [R64] 2/5 · US Crashing: Within 2 updates I went 2 crashing almost every hr
  31. [R40] 2/5 · US Cheating: So much cheating in arenas teams so low power beat teams with more power it’s rediculous other then that it would be good
  32. [R73] 1/5 · US -10/5 stars. Stay away unless you have a bottomless wallet or android user who hacks.: The absolute worst P2W P2P game ever. Everything about this game is programmed to reel you in order to ensure you spend money to pay to play and pay to progress. Arena battles are pathetically unbalanced, you can have over 200,000 higher power and still can lose while they have all 4 of their heroes. Apple users
  33. [R333] 3/5 · GB Decent PVE., Embarrassingly bad PVP (especially Live): TLDR - PVE is probably 4.5 stars since the champs required for endgame content take far too long to get.. PVP however, 1 star is too generous, it needs to be taken to the shed and put down… like George to Lenny.. The PVE stuff can offer a decent challenge although still at the mercy of RNG for worthwhile champions and you want to be playing d
  34. [R12] 1/5 · US Support: That game has the worse support ever, many ridiculous rules if you have problem on that game only god can help you
  35. [R25] 2/5 · US Decent but give me money to win: Decent game that passes the time but it’s so annoying when you have to be a pay pig to get any new character or just to get a legendary from a draw. Fork over 80$ and you have a 1% chance of getting a good character
  36. [R30] 1/5 · US Prices of everything and anything: The prices for any in game purchases are extremely expensive for literally play to win like 40$ for the game pass which gives no rewards other then a character you can’t get anywhere else summons literally 100$ for 10 summons that are epic and your not even guaranteed to get an epic with “epic” summons not to mention legendary summons they also don’t guarantee le
  37. [R4] 2/5 · US Where do I get more supplies?: As my title said. Where do I get stuff to lvl up things or get more? There is barely anything to try and get materials and you’ll have to wait for more than 3hours to get it…
  38. [R16] 1/5 · US Paying to be frustrated: Some of the challenges in this game are so frustrating I’d gone them negatives stars of I could. The only reason I haven’t quit this game in it’s entirely is because I’ve spent too much time and money already. It has some really bright spots, but its difficulty isn’t among them.
  39. [R27] 4/5 · US Hello: Have fun playing this game I enjoy it two weeks ago it started glitching then shuts down mid play then I have to restart. Suggestions on how to fix this please???
  40. [R5] 4/5 · US Raid shadow legends: Awesome game
  41. [R6] 5/5 · US Raid: Fun game, but it feels like it’s pay to win
  42. [R31] 5/5 · US Mystical: Why is it so hard to get a mythical character? I’ve been opening the red shard so many time I still ain’t got one and it’s kind of making me unhappy.
  43. [R43] 3/5 · US I can’t figure out how to use the promo codes: Every add says it’s in the chest icon but you first have to use the code which I still can’t figure it how
  44. [R105] 3/5 · US Would give a more stars but!: Would give more stars, however, for beginners like me if you don’t know about The promo codes they have a 72 hour window on them and if you don’t claim it, you’ll miss out on some very great champions that are really hard to obtain. And will hurt your experience

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store