Winter and Christmas Themed Skins

Northwake·Dec 15, 2015·10 votes·1,500 views

I feel like Riot is straying away from directly Christmas (Christianity) skins now that they're getting to be a big company and a big name in the gaming industry. For instance, Santa Gragas, or Happy Elf Teemo. These past few years, they're leaning more towards generalized "Winter" themed skins, which I don't know if that's necessarily a good thing. I think a lot of people really would've liked to see Santa Bard this year, which again, is a "Christmas" themed skin, with his E making you ride a sleigh through the portal and stuff. Anyways, I just thought it was a good topic for discussion. Thanks for reading this :)

26 Comments

PalPlaysDec 15, 20154 votes

So much this... I find it incredibly dumb when companies shy away from Christmas just because they're in "big business."

ModWulf HelhammerDec 15, 20151 votes

Yeah.

Conpletely different industry, but props to the CW tv network for their mid season finales of Arrow and Flash. They did not shy away at all from saying Christmas, and the time they said holiday was explained with one of the characters being Jewish, so the party was also for Hanukkah

PalPlaysDec 15, 20151 votes

Still, they at least MENTIONED Christmas!

Kaiser NoahDec 15, 20151 votes

It is quite silly. Yet its not like they are anti Christain. Im sure many many many rioters are Christain (largest religion in the world so its obvious many would be)

WolfessDec 15, 20153 votes

It's a legal and social kinda thing, same reason why you hear "Happy Holidays" These days a lot more often than specific greetings for Hanukkah, Christmas, or Kwanzaa (or other I may not be as familiar with) because there are just a bunch of holidays around this time of year that a "Happy Holidays" is a general term for wishing them a good time for whatever their personal beliefs may be rather than trying to guess or being awkward about it.

Santa Gragas might be just a bit before Riot jumped on the "Holiday" bandwaggon, but at the same time I definitely have to say that Santa is a very iconic figure wherever you go. Whether some people may like him or not, chances are most will still know who he is and as such, who better than Gragas and his stout build to encompass the spirit of Santa, along with some body slams and probably an extra large serving of eggnog. Plus santa is a jolly figure head, he's meant to put some good humor on everyone's holiday cheer and make people smile. Happy elf skins probably were used because why not take the opportunity to throw in some bonus small-stature-race to fill in the Santa theme (plus bad santa veigar, though IMO he would have made a better not-so-happy-elf vaigar skin)

The snowdown/snowday/winter etc skins are there because not many holidays have Iconic figures like Christmas and Santa are, so they fill in with generic Winter/this-time-of-the-year themed skins for that wintery snow feeling (but hey, I live in florida. Snow is a myth around here ;:p)

Now, I'm sure Riot has thought of other religion-based skins along the way, though probably given a slight pat on the back when talking to whoever's in charge of their legal stuff with a "Well, it's a good concept, just wouldn't recommend it" due to specific religiously-iconic themes being a bit more dangerous since it might be easier to offend someone that way, probably the said someone's being people of those beliefs.

now, that aside.....WHERE'S MY COCA-COLA BEAR VOLI SKIN RITO. I KNOW YOU'RE IN GOD TERMS WITH THE COCA-COLA COMPANY. MAKE IT HAPPEN. [slayer-jinx-catface]

A LiberalDec 15, 20153 votes

WHERE'S MY COCA-COLA BEAR VOLI SKIN RITO. I KNOW YOU'RE IN GOD TERMS WITH THE COCA-COLA COMPANY. MAKE IT HAPPEN.

NEED

kaltenashesDec 15, 20151 votes

sorry i didnt read all

but the TLD;DR is awesome

WHERE'S MY COCA-COLA BEAR VOLI SKIN RITO. I KNOW YOU'RE IN GOD TERMS WITH THE COCA-COLA COMPANY. MAKE IT HAPPEN.

i'll read the rest

Solidair3Dec 15, 20153 votes

I prefer more generically winter themed skins, to be honest. A lot of people can relate to that, while many would rather not relate to Santa Claus, etc.

While it would be fun to have Santa Bard, I'm totally down for snow day/generic winter skins, because I think they're fun and acceptable to everyone.

NorthwakeDec 15, 20151 votes

Maybe they could do a mixture of the two, as in maybe some year, they're going to release four skins. One or possibly two could be some direct reference to Christian culture, where as the other ones could be more generic winter theme ones.

lettuceguyDec 15, 20152 votes

I don't know man, i'm still waiting for Pizza Delivery Man Twisted Fate, but yea that sounds cool too. Rudolph hecarim or something too

NorthwakeDec 15, 20151 votes

FYI I think PDM Twisted Fate sounds flippin' hilarious, LOL, but I Definitely see what you're saying. Permit the Kermit friend.

A LiberalDec 15, 20151 votes

inb4 duo release later this year of PDM TF and PDW Sivir

Virgin RayDec 15, 20151 votes

There are some religions out there that don't celebrate Christmas, mine for example, and if some sensitive parents in those religions see their kid playing a Santa Gragas they'd get pissed off. Might be a really stupid response to the forum, but I guess they refrain from the Santa skins because they probably want people who dont celebrate christmas to get the snow day skins without fear of being bombarded with mad parents saying "they celebrate a holiday they don't celebrate by playing a santa themed skin."

NorthwakeDec 15, 20151 votes

That's a really good point IMO, maybe I'm just sad to see them gone, but if you don't celebrate it, don't buy it, right? I mean I really don't think it could hurt to have them in the game. Look at the MOBA game smite for example, all the characters are gods (or some other magical being, I don't play the game) I mean they still have success and it's not like their offending anyone, at least I think.

Virgin RayDec 15, 20151 votes

Ironically, moments after I posted this I got a Bad Santa Veigar skin from a mystery skin. My aunt and uncle don't care about me playing santa themed skins because they know I'm not celebrating it and that they to understand playing these skins simply means you like them, or like what happened to me, just want to play a random skin they got from a chest.

YumaS2AstralDec 15, 20151 votes

[{quoted}](name=Kenji Chang,realm=NA,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=Hkr06zOt,comment-id=000200000000,timestamp=2015-12-15T05:19:07.778+0000)

Ironically, moments after I posted this I got a Bad Santa Veigar skin from a mystery skin. My aunt and uncle don't care about me playing santa themed skins because they know I'm not celebrating it and that they to understand playing these skins simply means you like them, or like what happened to me, just want to play a random skin they got from a chest.

The way you said that made me remember from when they created Tracey to replace Brock on the Pokémon anime because they thougth that people would complain about Brock being a racist stereotype, but then they reverted this when they realized that no one would care about what Brock look like. (http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Brock_%28anime%29#Trivia)

YumaS2AstralDec 15, 20151 votes

I've also noticed that. I really miss that and I even expected Bard to have a Santa skin, now that he already has a Snow Day skin it will be even harder for him to get a Christmas skin.

Azir is also another good candidate for a "Toy Soldier" skin.

I would really like to know why Riot is no longer making Christmas themed skins.

NorthwakeDec 15, 20151 votes

I think they started out making more Christmas themed skins, because they were a much smaller company, and are based out of US which is a heavily Christian country so the majority of their customers would be ok with it or at least understand if they aren't Christian. But now that they've gotten a larger/Worldwide audience, they could really offend some people by not making skins for their religion. I thought maybe they could, possibly during a large holiday, make a skin for an iconic figure in that culture.

ThePartyLeaderDec 15, 20151 votes

Why not make Hanukkah bard instead?

A LiberalDec 15, 20151 votes

omg his w could be dreidels and his q could leave a star of david and his e would be a candelabra ^-^ Bard would look really good with a kippah and a tallit.

Rito plz

kaltenashesDec 15, 20151 votes

OR OR OR KWANZA BARD

https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSOPp60gc_-B0TWCcCvv_m90LnTX7P3JCLZaSqz4IoZBmt39sqM

http://slurmed.com/imgs/misc/xmas_2009_santa-kwanza-zombie.png

KrigjerDec 15, 20151 votes

As a celebrator of Christmas, I don't particularly like Christmas things.... I decorate my house with fake snow and blue/white decorations. I stay away from Santa motifs and red/green because I don't like them.

I'm glad there was no Santa Bard skin, because I prefer general winter themed things.

I'll prepare for my downvotes, but I'm just saying. Riot straying away from Christmas and Santa might not necessarily mean they're avoid the holiday, just that they thought general winter skins would appeal to more people.