Riot August is designing champions again

Spideraxe·Dec 13, 2017·113 votes·14,242 views

August Browning on Twitter

Riot August was the designer of Jhin, Ekko, Jinx, Vi, and Gnar. He moved off to R&D but now he's back to making champs

152 Comments

RalanrDec 13, 201781 votes

A 5 hit passive you say?

Bring it.

6SfoolDec 13, 201738 votes

As much as 3 hit passives are memed about, I like the gameplay pattern they create. It makes champs stay just long enough to let the enemy retaliate. Well except on Ekko, he can somehow kite all 3 hits.

Teridax68Dec 14, 201713 votes

I agree with this, 3-hit passives are a means of providing persistent damage in a manner that feels impactful to all, and can allow champions to output spaced-out, back-loaded and therefore more interactive bursts of damage, as opposed to a constant and much less interesting DPS stream. Because of this, I think the 3-hit passive model could be a potential good replacement for crit in its existing form, as it would allow marksmen to have variance in their damage in a manner that truly encourages interaction and commitment, instead of the current random burst model.

5000000000000000Dec 14, 201725 votes

it just looks boring from overuse, but it's definitely a good mechanic.

Teridax68Dec 14, 20173 votes

I agree, which is why turning it into a simpler keyword might be better. We question three-hit passives, ability delays, and healing/shielding power, but we don't question stuff like crit, autoattacks, or even pets, all of which are individually used far more often on average. If three-hit passives were changed to a simple keyword like "on critical hit, do X", instead of a long-ass description each time, it would likely become more accepted, even if it were to be present on even more kits.

ChaddyFantomeDec 14, 20172 votes

{quoted}

I agree, which is why turning it into a simpler keyword might be better. We question three-hit passives, ability delays, and healing/shielding power, but we don't question stuff like crit, autoattacks, or even pets, all of which are individually used far more often on average. If three-hit passives were changed to a simple keyword like "on critical hit, do X", instead of a long-ass description each time, it would likely become more accepted, even if it were to be present on even more kits.

Thats actually a good point.

RiotAD YuumiDec 15, 201731 votes

{quoted}

As much as 3 hit passives are memed about, I like the gameplay pattern they create.

Dude. Same.

patmax17Dec 15, 20172 votes

Who's "Riot August"? WHAT ARE YOU CALLED NOW I DON'T KNOW ANYMORE! T___T

(ps: you look anime as heck)

MalchaDec 15, 20172 votes

[sg-miss-fortune]

I see what ya did thar

RabblerouserDec 13, 201747 votes

August, if you're reading this post, you're one handsome devil.

https://avatar.leagueoflegends.com/NA/Fondling%20Gems.png

EDIT: Whoever comes up with the filenames for these avatars is a goddamn genius!

DragonSheaDec 13, 201711 votes

{quoted}

August, if you're reading this post, you're one handsome devil.

https://avatar.leagueoflegends.com/NA/Fondling%20Gems.png

Real life Bishounen.

Kai GuyDec 13, 201727 votes

Cool, I like a lot of his champs.

EarthyMadnessDec 13, 201723 votes

August isn't allowed to make champs with more than 4 letters in their name apparently

GrReaper96Dec 13, 201713 votes

Petition to change Vi to Viii

BattalionDec 14, 20175 votes

Why not IV (Roman 4)

ChuShoeDec 14, 20172 votes

But VI already has six characters in her name tho...

G-get it? cause... roman... numerals.

ElohavenDec 13, 201716 votes

CertainlyT isn't even mentioned and you still see people to find a reason to whine about him.

AazzlanoDec 13, 20177 votes

If none of the champs he designed existed, the game would be significantly better. They have warped the game far too much and have made bars to what a champ needs to be/do in order to compete.

ElipoDec 14, 20172 votes

Literally you said this game would be better if Ct didn't work for Riot or worked ina diferent jov. Yet he still is working for Riot. That's nepotism

AazzlanoDec 14, 20175 votes

No I'm saying if those champs didn't exist the game would be significantly better. We wouldn't have to balance shit around this bar of potential that has been set ridiculously high due to these champions.

MetaVolcaDec 13, 201712 votes

He literally made my top 5 favorite champs including the first 2 I ever bought

Holy fuck I love him

DoktorKaiserDec 14, 20178 votes

All his champs have a distinct personality and feel good when you play them, the immersion is extremely good, especially with Jhin. On the other hand their balance is a problem sometimes, while not nearly on level of CertainlyT cancers, some of them have been somewhat op over the years.

Vi lacks counterplay when she is strong due to her ultimate being point and click and her having tons of damage even when tanky, but generally she is well designed.

Jinx is a champion I have PTSD from, many don't remember or weren't there but after her release for about 2 years (untill Kalista came out and before every champ had mobility) she was destroying everyone 24/7 due to AOE crits and unreal ultimate damage, but now when literally 90% of released/reworked champs have some kind of mobility and hard CC, you can say that Jinx is balanced.

Gnar is really problematic even today imo because his Q stacks his 3 hit passive and because said 3 hit passive does too much damage for a mobile champion, I really like the mini-mega interaction and its a fantastic design but the focus is always on toxic mini Gnar harassing you worse than Kennen ever could.

Ekko is just a bad/average design, broken, no interactivity in lane with his wave clear, boring character with no immersion, overloaded, was gamebreaking multiple times both as AP and as tank, when he is weak he isn't worth picking and when he is strong his ultimate makes him by far the best champion in the game. Only thing I like is his W and I think its a fantastically designed spell especially when it interacts with his ulti, but his other abilities belong in a trash can.

Jhin is perhaps the best designed and most thematic champion in the game. He feels unique, looks unique, sounds unique. I really hate the fact that he is always either weak or broken, I really want this champion to be balanced because I think his design is phenomenal and I hate how his passive numbers fuck up the rest of his wonderful kit to the point where he 1 shots you or just doesn't have the damage to keep up with crit spamming ADCs.

Either way welcome back GypsyLord, you have been missed, I can't for your next kickass champ !!!

HalcyonDwellerDec 13, 20177 votes

I love playing most of those champions! Here's hoping his next one is just as fun <3

AIIanDec 13, 20177 votes

That feeling when you're mastery 5 to 7 with all the champions the OP quoted and they're some of your favorite in the game.

http://i0.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/facebook/000/006/077/so_good.jpg

Bring it August-senpai, bless us lowly players with another one of your sublime creation.

TikTok FamousDec 13, 20177 votes

he designed some lit champs

HonestJohnTheConDec 13, 20176 votes

A five-hit passive? Blasphemy! I will get all Jhin mains to unite against this atrocity.

But seriously, welcome back! You have made some really awesome champs... including my main and my second (Jhin and Jinx, respectively).

BattalionDec 14, 20173 votes

Aatrox city

HonestJohnTheConDec 14, 20172 votes

Oh, fun fact. "atrox", the Latin word that atrocity is derived from...

Literally means horrible. And what is Aatrox?

Horrible.

(it actually means horrible as in bloodthirsty or cruel rather than bad, which also works for his theme)

SasogwaDec 14, 20176 votes

As long as he doesn't make another Gnar... Fine with him !

Sir FuzziDec 13, 20175 votes

Ekko aside, those are all in my top 35 except maybe Gnar. Ekko's just an overloaded sommabitch, while the Gnar to Mega Gnar transformation is pretty lackluster as mechanics go (it's very unrewarding to play or face, a lot of the time I find Gnars will just turn Mega by my designs and blow it before it's useful).

Vi, Jinx, and Jhin are all solid characters with low balance issues. (compared to some, anyway)

RabblerouserDec 13, 20174 votes

SWEET! Some of my favorite champs are there! Also, lol. FIve-hit champion.

Fights simply don't last that long. :( Maybe a tank with some weird attack speed.

Pale PirateDec 13, 20174 votes

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/El_Greco%2C_The_Vision_of_Saint_John_%281608-1614%29.jpg

YES EMO-LORD IS BACK.

MAY WE PRAISE ARE LORD AND SAVIOR TEEMO.

UNTIL WE REGRET IT ALL ALL OVER AGAIN AND PUT HIS ARM IN AN INDUSTRIAL BLENDER AND MAKE HIM DRINK IT Kappa

theminiomDec 14, 20174 votes

I hope he's not joking and is actually gonna make a 5 hit passive, it's like reverse Psychology.

positive pIayerDec 14, 20174 votes

That's really cool, since I love his champions.

T4underboltDec 14, 20173 votes

Oh my God certainlyt v2. Out of those champs only jinx and ekko are balanced.

DariusDemiurgeDec 13, 20172 votes

So he makes decent adcs, terrible everything else.

Be sure to only involve him with adcs riot. Thank you.

ModWulf HelhammerDec 13, 201718 votes

When you call Ekko, Vi, and Gnar trash

[sg-miss-fortune]

Kai GuyDec 13, 20171 votes

Dari mate, I want a little clarity here. When you say terrible what do you mean exactly? Bad and unviable, strong and OP, or just a kit you do not like?

DariusDemiurgeDec 13, 20174 votes

[{quoted}](name=Kai Guy,realm=NA,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=METxzahh,comment-id=00040001,timestamp=2017-12-13T21:58:33.540+0000)

Dari mate, I want a little clarity here. When you say terrible what do you mean exactly? Bad and unviable, strong and OP, or just a kit you do not like?

True I didn't clarify that. More op/obnoxious. Borderline certainlyT type.

Like almost no one enjoys laning vs gnar. Getting R'd by vi is not delightful. Ekko's get out of jail free R removing cc last I remember is/was dumb.

Hell I feel dirty when I play them.

Chembaron YamadaDec 15, 20172 votes

Ekko R does not cleanse CC. As far as I know, it never did.

DeadUnbornDec 13, 20171 votes

wasnt jinx made by jinxylord though?

SpideraxeDec 13, 201718 votes

He went through a lot of names

Electro522Dec 14, 20173 votes

First, it was gypsylord....

But, he then changed it to groovylord, because apparently calling someone a gypsy in Europe is actually quite offensive.

And then he changed it to jinxylord, because......well......lets be honest, "GROOVYlord" is actually kind of lame.

ThrillØfTheHuntDec 13, 20171 votes

A 5 hit passive would be garbage in many cases. Just come up with a new idea than "x hit" passives lol

GrReaper96Dec 13, 20179 votes

I think the joke is Ekko, Jinx, Vi, and Gnar all have 3 hit passives, and the latest champion Jhin has a 4-hit one

ChuShoeDec 14, 20171 votes

jinx has a 3 hit passive?

RyusaetherDec 14, 20173 votes

Not in thst sense, but her minigun form gets more atk speed each time she autos, up to 3 times. The atk speed buff is a stack, and each stack fades after tot secs.

ChuShoeDec 14, 20172 votes

oh yeah that's right.

notice me Sin piDec 14, 201714 votes

if any of the designers are great at coming up with a new idea, it's CertainlyT. But i'd rather have another "x hit" passive champ than another CertainlyT champ.