How come the same champs get new skins?

Cips·Mar 31, 2015·6 votes·4,671 views

I think giving Udyr another skin when he has an ultimate skin already is obnoxious when champs like Zac and Taric need some love.

17 Comments

RiotmoonstonesApr 1, 20159 votes

Hey Cipz!

I figured I'd jump in and explain a few things in regards to why certain champions are getting skins, versus others.

There's a lot that goes into deciding who will get the next skin, for example - the last time they received a skin or if the champion fits really well for an event skin (Harrowing, Snowdown, Lunar Revel, etc).

Udyr hadn't received a skin since 2013 (which was Spirit Guard Udyr). It'd been a while since his last skin, and Definitely Not Udyr fit well with the April Fools' thematic we were going with. As you've seen, the skins in this set are a bit more light-hearted and fun.

You're correct in that Zac needs a skin. We keep a list of champions who are in need of skins, and we're slowly making our way through the list. For example, Akali just got her Headhunter skin after waiting the better part of three years for a skin. Zac is a special snowflake in terms of his model since it stretches a lot, so a lot of textures aren't going to look right on him. That's not to say he's not ever going to receive a skin again, but it's partially the reason why this goo guy hasn't received as many skins as Annie.

Taric needs a bit of love in regards to his model before we attempt to give him a skin he deserves. Evelynn is in a similar boat. The reason she received Safecracker Evenlynn was because she fit in really well with the 'cops and robbers' type theme, and a 750 RP skin was something that accepted the limitations of her current rig and model.

Hope this clears things up!

MansanaApr 1, 20154 votes

"Special Snowflake"...

Snowman Zac confirmed.

Sweetie BrellaApr 1, 20151 votes

No one remembers Yorick Mori ;(.

MasterjlamApr 1, 20151 votes

no! Yorick will get his skin!, you'll see, he will

coeurloyalApr 1, 20151 votes

Yorick is still on the Taric/ Evelynn track. The update team is still inspecting.

MasterjlamApr 1, 20154 votes

yeah it's true, Zac it's pretty hard to work with when it comes to skins, and older champs need some rework, while others get knew looks. that's totally cool, but the fact that he hasn't got anything (skin related) since his release 2 years ago it's depressing and people who main him, like myself, still waiting for that skin to come out. I just hope it comes out this year and not next year.

IllumanatiObamaApr 1, 20151 votes

Hope you guys come out with a Lucian and Zed skin soon.

KougaApr 1, 20152 votes

I've heard the "Zac skins are too hard" explanation over and over again, and at first I understood it. However - Riot knows what they are getting into when they design and make a new champion. They know that they will be releasing new skins, and the days of Recolors are long gone. So going into it, the team either had to say, "Man, Zac is awesome. We'll never be able to release a skin for him, but let's release him anyway" or they released him without considering the challenges of skinning him.

I find either of these to be unfortunate. The latter shows a staggering lack of foresight, but the former is problematic as well. I'm not saying that Riot shouldn't green light a Champion design based on how difficult it would be to skin them, but I think it should be a consideration in a game where skins are not only one of the biggest revenue pushes, but also one of the few ways to "customize" your champion or to stand out from the crowd in some way. DotA has the cosmetic items so they don't need entire skins in the same way, but since Riot went with a Full Skin system, I find it really disappointing to see them just throw up their hands and say, "Too hard. Can't do it."

http://33.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lmy4lxHghN1qlzb7ko1_400.gif

I'd understand the statement that, "Zac presents unique challenges. So he won't get as many skins as easier champions" - I'm totally on board with that. I'll take quality over quantity. But come on guys - you are constantly pushing the envelope with your champions, whether its giving them crazy models or animations or game-changing mechanics. You can't set up the kind of relationship players have with their champions and skins and then go back on that. Our problem isn't that he only has a few skins. Our problem is he only has one and it was his release skin.

I understand why Zyra doesn't have as many skins - she has a lot of things to work on. New models and particles for all her abilities? Each plant and spell, that's a lot of work. So we only have 3 skins, and 1 was only because she was in a Champion game. But Haunted Zyra was awesome.

But you can't just say, "Zac's too hard, we won't do it."

That's not to say he's not ever going to receive a skin again, but it's partially the reason why this goo guy hasn't received as many skins as Annie.

Annie has nine. I'm not asking for nine. I'm asking for one or two over the next year or three.

If you are designing a champion, and someone says, "Can we skin this Champion?" and Riot's answer is, "No" or "Yes, but its too hard, so probably not" then I think the team needs to come to the decision to either hold off until the tech makes it easier to skin them, or to accept that they are gonna have a few challenging projects ahead of them, but commit to it.

BeatzBoyFTWApr 1, 20151 votes

You're correct in that Zac needs a skin. We keep a list of champions who are in need of skins, and we're slowly making our way through the list. For example, Akali just got her Headhunter skin after waiting the better part of three years for a skin.** Zac is a special snowflake in terms of his model since it STRETCHES a lot**, so a lot of textures aren't going to look right on him. That's not to say he's not ever going to receive a skin again, but it's partially the reason why this goo guy hasn't received as many skins as Annie.

http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/172/737/ff1.png

Nucleophilic atkMar 31, 20154 votes

Taric has pink skin. That is all he ever needs.

Angry MonsterMar 31, 20151 votes

Why bother with static when being actively being vu.

Any Zac skin will be over priced like his other skin. At best all zac skins will be recolors

The TrentMar 31, 20151 votes

[{quoted}](name=Kaosu Desu,realm=NA,application-id=A8FQeEA8,discussion-id=3q9PEP4E,comment-id=0001,timestamp=2015-03-31T22:33:04.474+0000)

Why bother with static when being actively being vu.

Any Zac skin will be over priced like his other skin. At best all zac skins will be recolors

I saw a cool concept of koi pong zac where he could have little fishes swimming in him and stuff. This would prob be a 1375 rp- 975rp skin tho. Sry if I got prices wrong lol.

ModPrandineApr 1, 20151 votes

You call 975 being overpriced? Yes it's basically a recolor but it has extra features involved with it too also (i.e. some new animations, a new look (most notably the spikes on his arms), a new recall, etc.), and since new champs' launch skins are usually priced at around 975 RP, Special Weapon Zac is at a fair price there honestly, so there's that at least.

GaleWinUnleashedApr 1, 20151 votes

If they were just going to all be recolors we'd have a few skins for him by now. I'm expecting something awesome.

Angry MonsterApr 1, 20151 votes

be prepared to be disappointed. Their is not much they can do with a model like zac, and riot pretty much for the last 2 years has had a no recolor policy hence no skins.

CindikleMar 31, 20151 votes

Taric is waiting for a VU before he'll get anything. No reason to make him a skin then turn around and have to remake it for the VU.

Zac is a hard champion to make skins that are not just recolors. Riot wants to actually make him a good skin. Otherwise like purple Zac, no one's really going to buy it.

For how old Udry is, he hardly has a lot of skins. He too is hard to make skins for because they're all kind of the same in a way. They have to get really unique for him. Which they did for the last one.

If we're going to wonder about skins not coming out, I think Zed should be on the top of that list. Sure he got the SKT skin. But that's a limited skin and not really for everyone. He's got enough going on that they can't be that hard up for ideas or interesting things they can do for him. Lucian is on the same boat, but is newer. Jinx too. Although Firecracker was really cool.