Will all faction based champions have the same color palette from now on?

DynamiteGazelle·Nov 28, 2014·23 votes·11,369 views

Because that's really boring. I understand the reasoning behind tying factions together more, but I think of each champion as an individual first. They aren't rank and file soldiers who wear uniforms, so why should every champ have to have similar color schemes.

Especially for somewhere like Noxus. Noxus has always seemed darwinian to me insofar as nobody cares who you are or what you look like as long as you can hold your own in battle. So if all champions end up with the same red and black color scheme, I think it would just rob those champions of their individuality. I can understand some champs following the themes though. Sion and Darius for example are the leaders of the Noxus forces so it makes sense, but I think making LeBlanc for example have a red-focused color scheme would hugely take away from her personality.

The one I probably dislike the most is the Shadow Isles. So every Shadow Isles champion from now on will be the same shade of ghostly green? Sooo boring.

I can understand if there are a few key champions who share a factions color schemes, but to make that extend to every champ in the faction would be an overreach imo.

Anyone else have opinions? Yea or nay?

36 Comments

RiotWhrenNov 29, 201419 votes

Hey there! I help flesh out the visual background of the factions and I thought I could give some context on this. Disclaimer: it's a team effort and color palettes of champions are not dictated by any one person.

Ideally, we would not want to restrict champions from a faction to that specific color scheme. You're right, it's boring. It's a fine balancing line between having a variety of colors and between palette chaos. The idea is that we strive to have a logic and philosophy behind each faction's look and feel, rather than a strict dictation of what it should be. For example, the color palettes that people would wear in a faction might be dictated by their available geographical resources, how fashionable the people of that faction might be, or if colors mean anything symbolic to them. Things like that. Our goal is that there are stories behind why a faction looks the way it does. So, rather than saying "Noxus is red and black or get out", the goal is to be more like "desaturated, muted, warm colors -- use cool colors sparingly for distinct reasons". Maybe they just don't care that much about using a lot of dye -- not too inconceivable in a place like Noxus that's busy with other things.

Personally speaking, I don't see Leblanc as an 'ordinary, every-day' Noxian. She wouldn't wear typical Noxian colors, because she's something else. She's not like everyone else. Neither would Draven, in my opinion, because he just has too much to say about himself. However, if all we have are 'exceptions', then we have no baseline and less sense of place. Hence the balance between embodying a faction and individuals who, through their quirks, establish the outer limits of that faction.

Anyways, keep discussing! It's great to hear what you guys think and feel about this.

JingerbeardmanNov 29, 20149 votes

What about the void champions... the past 3 have had almost the exact same color palette while the original 2 are vastly different. I was kind of disappointed when I saw that Rek'sai has the exact same motifs as vel'koz and kha'zix without any real deviation. She actually looks more like skarner than anything from the void...

ShínyNov 29, 20146 votes

Well theres only one possible explanation,the void has blue vegetation and purple soil, at least in xer'sai territory (You heard me the void is infested with bluegrass.)

Unfortunately cho'gath was in our world for too long and his skin lost some of it's void camouflage, malzahar came over and fixed that right up. Cho no longer has that very distinct red. http://ddragon.leagueoflegends.com/cdn/img/champion/splash/Chogath_0.jpg

Also with our resident puppy cannon KogMaw that's easily explained as just because he's in his "larva" state he not quite got his final void coloring, i can easily see him getting a fully metamorphised skin.

JingerbeardmanNov 29, 20144 votes

it is funny you bring up that splash art... he is actually even more red than before. It doesnt seem that way because of the back lighting in the composition. he is actually an extremely bright red but the blue lighting in the back makes him look more purple.

VelasanNov 29, 20142 votes

I think the real question is why doesn't he have a visual update to actually look more like that splash art. He has one of the least detailed models that I've noticed. Someday!

JingerbeardmanNov 29, 20141 votes

This is very true. He is still using his model and textures from when the game first started... My only thought is that he may be seeing some game updates in the near future and they are holding back on any new visual work until it is ready. I am just a player and know nothing about their plans though.

JunkοNov 29, 20141 votes

They are probably not updating Cho because there are worse visual offenders out there (Taric, Morde for example)..

JingerbeardmanNov 29, 20141 votes

yes but cho is right up there with them. he might not be in the next few patches but i could see some updates in maybe the first half of the year.

ItemsGuyNov 29, 20142 votes

I'd have to agree with you here--while some cohesion is good as far as palettes go (like what Whren mentioned with Noxus not necessarily being RED AN BLACK OR GEE TEE EFF OH), the last three Void champs have been pretty...same-y as far as aesthetic goes (which gets messy when other champions like Skarner, uh, also happen to have that palette). It seems like the question of "Well how are people going to tell it's from the Void???" has come up, and instead of "Well, let's make them look really alien and even Lovecraftian at times, something that clearly has no place among the magical-yet-mundane (ie. mostly combinations of different animals or animals with mutant characteristics) fauna of Runeterra" they have answered with "Well, we do have these specific shades of blue and purple we can just throw on them. This guy can look like a praying mantis from the Plague Jungles (where he totally wasn't originally from) and totally not call him Teek, and this gal can look like Skarner but way more interesting." Kog'Maw, Cho'Gath, and Vel'Koz honestly seem like the most genuinely Void-like champions, because they carry it through with their design, not just two colors worn like an arbitrary high school dress code.

Speaking of Skarner and Rek'Sai, I guess the similarities don't really stop there! Lives in the desert...scorpion tail...angular purple and blue carapace...likes to thrash about...two big sets of claws and little skittering feet...hyped up as a subterranean terror in their preview piece...Who am I talking about here, Rek'Sai, or Skarner?

JingerbeardmanNov 29, 20144 votes

Exactly what I am getting at. The void champs already have a clear aesthetic identity in their carapace/exoskeletons. that has become one of the most visually defining factors on all 6 of them... adding a restricted color palette on top seems unnecessary. I can understand a standpoint where giving them a more open palette might limit the possibilities of an actual insect champ that hails from runeterra but at this point I feel like that would clash with the already existing void motif.

ItemsGuyDec 1, 20141 votes

Hell, even if we were to have say, an insect from the Plague Jungles (ie. what Kha'Zix/Teek was originally meant to be before some origin story edits, an easy way to keep them distinct from the Void champions is to keep them strongly grounded with a more "realistic" design--the Rammus or Wukong of insects--as opposed to going all Eldritch a la Vel'Koz's eyes and tentacles or Cho'Gath's mouth-tongue and crazy limbs. We could just have some sort of Kuwagamon dude running around, and it would make sense to not have it be part of the Void, 'cause we could look at it and go "Well yeah, it just looks like some kinda mutant bug" like how Bristle is a mutant boar and the Murkwolves are mutant wolves and Gromp's a mutant toad and so on and so forth.

Which I guess is my main beef with Kha'Zix and Rek'Sai--without the Arbitrary Void Palette, they would seem pretty mundane as far as Runeterra stuff goes. The only real difference between the non-Voidling Teek and the Voidling Kha'Zix is that...Kha'Zix is purple and a bit more streamlined?? Rek'Sai borrows too much from mundane biology and generally looks like what Skarner could've been if you replaced her big mole hands with scorpion claws, so I feel like they didn't quite do the Void justice with her either--I mean, compared to the graboids from Tremors or the worms from Dune, she's...pretty mundane! Compare to something like Baron Nashor who even without the purple you could look at and go, "Alright, this dude ain't from 'round these parts."

Ah well, maybe next time???

JingerbeardmanDec 1, 20141 votes

pretty sure they were not going for a worm design for rek'sai but a land shark motif.

ItemsGuyDec 1, 20141 votes

More talking about the inspirations they were drawing from--the land shark was mostly for that cool Jaws effect of the fin poking up from the ground, but everything else (huge subterranean predator in a vast desert, uses a system of tunnels to travel around, can feel the vibrations of people walking aboveground, etc.) is drawing from various other sci fi monster tropes as well. Main point is, they opted to to design her using large chunks of fairly mundane creatures (mole, scorpion, shark) as opposed to taking the path they did with Cho'Gath, Kog'Maw, and Vel'Koz and still using some sort of real-world reference but giving it a much more warped and alien feel.

Like I said before, take the blue and purple away from Rek'Sai, and she can easily be confused for an original Shuriman denizen. She follows the same rules as other Runeterran creatures (Bristle, murkwolves, gromp, etc.) as opposed to being more alien in design (new Baron Nashor).

JingerbeardmanDec 1, 20141 votes

I would still say rek sai would feel like she is from the void even if her color scheme changed. the obvious exoskeleton puts her origins there. I just feel there is a bit to much similarity between her and skarner.

TonyTonyMordecaiNov 29, 20142 votes

I think that it's a good idea to have a theme with certain champions

Void: Purple and sometimes metallic/rocky Shadow Isles: Green, luminescent, and has some sort of haunting appearance, with an echo-VO Frelijord: Blue, Ice, White, Bundled up Demacia: armored, bright colors, sometimes royalty or generals have a clear color scheme with a cape Noxus: (like mentioned) muted, darker colors, but royalty can have somewhat brighter colors Piltover: mechanical, any sort of colors that fit the champion Zaun: no real theme, but what I can tell, the colors show personality, and are usually bright.

Are there any other factions/themes?

EdbwnNov 29, 20142 votes

You didn't mention the Shadow Isles at all :/ Everyone there recently has been purely the ghostly green color. The only exceptions are Mordekaizer and kind of Yorick. Shouldn't the Shadow Isles champs also have somewhat of a sense of individuality and not just "we're ghosts and we're coming to get you" feel to them? I mean, that will probably come in time, as most of the SI champs still have Institute of War in their lore, so their story is "he's on some dread quest and he's conquering stuff" right now. Hopefully once these champions get updated stories (no rush!) they'll have a bit of a personality. Like honestly, Hecarim and Morde basically have the same personality, and Thresh isn't too far off of either.

TerffNov 29, 20144 votes

I know a mord VU will be coming eventually and I'd like to see him NOT have the greenish glow (it would kill mord's personality imo)... I think a purple or a reddish orange would be better if he were to have one...

ShinjusukeNov 29, 20146 votes

The problem is, this is the league of LEGENDS (or it was.. now it's like.. "random gathering of people of unknown variable importance" :P)

Every champion should be an exception from your typical citizen of their faction. The real "exceptions" would be the one like Darius/Swain/Garen/Jarvan, who are devoted to their nation or it's ideals enough to want to showcase it's defining colors and themes.

Most of the characters are way above and beyond the thought of "wearing something because that's what's available in the nation they were born in".

RiotWhrenNov 29, 20149 votes

The problem is, this is the league of LEGENDS (or it was.. now it's like.. "random gathering of people of unknown variable importance" :P)

Every champion should be an exception from your typical citizen of their faction. The real "exceptions" would be the one like Draven/Swain/Garen/Jarvan, who are devoted to their nation or it's ideals enough to want to showcase it's defining colors and themes.

Most of the characters are way above and beyond the thought of "wearing something because that's what's available in the nation they were born in".

Agreed. I feel like Shadow Isles and Void are unique in the sense that they don't really have this power scale, or at least a different one. I too would love to see more varied colors for them in future. :) Personally, and these are just my own thoughts, I would LOVE to see sickly yellow-greens and bright royal blues and pinks somewhere in the Void, like a bad case of the flu. Something... out of this world. <_<

DynamiteGazelleNov 29, 20142 votes

Ya, purple is great for the void, but we just have so dang many purple void champions now. Let's change it up a bit! Kog and Cho aren't purple. I think someone else here mentioned that the most uniting factor for void is just being a bunch of weird slimy looking monsters - which is a strong identity.

I think trying to shoehorn the purple into all void creatures has kind of ruined Rek'Sai's appearance. Her color scheme is way over the top in my opinion

Gray FanchonNov 29, 20141 votes

I actually really like it - reminds me of the Zerg from Starcraft. :) I do think she could've afforded to have more warm colors in her design mayhaps, but there's always skins, yeah?

ShinjusukeNov 29, 20147 votes

Just my take, but I think any bright colors like that on Void champions would need to be in minor spots (Example: Sickly yellowish-green glow peeking out from under a carapace) at this point. I love the Void aesthetic, but it's been really solidified as a purple/black/blue kind of place.

Every effect that's void related has been purple, black and blue, and when I imagine the place I either imagine a formless, shifting world in those colors or a place that is always night time, with the dim light of an aurora-like purple wave pattern in the sky or something.

Obviously that's just one person's perception of the Void, but because the spell effects all are those colors, it certainly seems like blue/black/purple are the "core" of what the void is. Releasing more than maybe one champion who breaks that color scheme would not only look odd, but make the previous Void champions look EXTRA odd ("Why up to this point would every Void champion come out looking like X if it's not the norm by a massive margin?")

Granted, that's not to say Void champions can't have different colors, I'm just of the opinion that the majority of them needs to be black, purple and blue at this point. Unlike the Shadow Isles, where there's definite "Ghost" champions (Hecarim, Karthus, Thresh, Kalista), and "Physical" champions (Yorick, Elise, Mordekaiser-sort-of), all the Void champions have this weird mixture of "Ethereal" and "Physical" to them that necessitates a consistent color theme (like, if you guys put out a Shadow Isles "Ghost" without the Turquoise glow, it'd look like it didn't fit/would break the theme).

The Void is described this almost.. half-real-half-not kind of place. If you have played Dragon Age, I think The Fade is a perfect parallel. It has physical elements to it, but there's also an otherworldly, mystical aspect to it that's vastly different and powerful (and can do things like 'eff up Kassadin hardcore, or turn Malzahar into Void Jesus). Because of this, the Void creatures may have the same color scheme because of some connection that color has to the power of the Void itself.

The two cases where I think a breaking of the black/purple/blue scheme would in fact make sense, is if either

The void has a sort of "Hierarchy" to it, where creatures at different "ranks" in... something.. have different colors. Maybe the weak little fodder (think bunny rabbits) is a yellowish color, and the predators that prey on them are purplish-blue-black, and creatures above that (Koggy's dada) are a "bright royal blue".
The purple/black/blue color scheme is an effect of exposure to the energy of the Void, meaning a Void Creature that hasn't had powerful exposure to it might not be those colors (inb4 Zaunite scientists attempting to create Void Jurassic Park).

Anyway, just some thoughts. I've considered this topic a few times before (I come up with champion concepts for fun), and this is usually the conclusion I arrive at. The Void is unfortunately/fortunately restrictive in it's color scheme, to some degree. It does open up quite a few doors from a storytelling standpoint, however :D

Gray FanchonNov 29, 20141 votes

This post really makes me wonder what it's like to walk around in the Void. Just how much of it is a physical place? I mean, we've got floating tentacle monsters, burrowing beasts and Kog'Maw coming out of it - does it have some kind of ecosystem? I'm really curious what the Void is gonna end up being with the new lore direction.

RainbowgasmNov 29, 20141 votes

Agreed. I feel like Shadow Isles and Void are unique in the sense that they don't really have this power scale, or at least a different one. I too would love to see more varied colors for them in future. :) Personally, and these are just my own thoughts, I would LOVE to see sickly yellow-greens and bright royal blues and pinks somewhere in the Void, like a bad case of the flu. Something... out of this world. <_<

Well I figured the Void would have evolved to camouflage themselves with their environment. A colourful void creature (that isn't violet) would have to evolve that way to warn predators that it is incredibly poisonous (hint hint). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aposematism

CronoveyDec 2, 20141 votes

Is there any chance of moving away from the blue bodysuit thing going on with the Demacian female champions? If we're trying to have champions be distinct and unique, while still sharing at least a color scheme of sorts, that's one thing. But look at the champions both in game and in splash arts:

http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120225034903/leagueoflegends/images/8/8f/Fiora_OriginalSkin.jpg

http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20121003200406/leagueoflegends/images/4/44/Lux_OriginalSkin.jpg

http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20141116061713/leagueoflegends/images/6/64/Quinn_OriginalSkin.jpg

http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140822003221/leagueoflegends/images/2/22/Vayne_OriginalSkin.jpg

The only exceptions to this blue bodysuit for Demacian females are the following: Poppy, Shyvana, and Sona. Poppy is a Yordle who is originally from Bandle City, and I'd imagine this outfit wasn't made for someone her size. Shyvana is also not originally from Demacia, and it would probably cause issues in her transformation, which is why I can see how it wasn't adopted for her. Sona is also not originally from Demacia; her origin is technically unknown right now, but she was raised in her early years in Ionia and moved to Demacia after adoption.

So for the 4 female champions actually born in Demacia, each of them has this same distinct bodysuit going on, with embellishments. Lux has her silver plate over it, Fiora has her duelist gear over it, Quinn has what appears to be leather armor covering it almost completely (but it's still there), and Vayne has her little cloak and whatnot.

Any chance we'll see a shift from this on any of those characters, or at least a new Demacian female without it sometime in the future? It's somewhat repetitive, and I don't know if it was an intentional design choice or just a really freakish coincidence that it happened.

On top of that, the Shadow Isles coloring; while the sickly green is fun and all, it's going to become very repetitive. While I absolutely adore what you've done with Karthus' model, the fact that ALL of his abilities are the exact same color is very boring. Thresh has the same color scheme going on with all his abilities, now we have Kalista using the exact same color scheme, while Hecarim is using a similar color scheme for himself even if his abilities aren't quite the same. I'm honestly terrified that when Evelynn's visual update finally comes down the pipeline that she's going to be slapped with the same green colors for her abilities as something to make her "cohesive" with the rest of the Shadow Isles, or that when Mordekaiser finally gets the love he deserves, he'll get the same stinkin green on all his stuff too. I mean, even one of Elise's skins has the color scheme going on it. What happens when Yorick finally gets reworked? Do all his ghouls suddenly turn green?

While I understand the want for some unity and cohesion between factions/areas, a little variety without having to buy a skin for it would be nice, and this is coming from someone with well over 100 skins right now for whom it makes little difference.

[Edit] Also, the Void. Purple everywhere. Kassadin, Malzahar, Kha'zix, Vel'koz, Rek'sai. Kog'maw and Cho'gath are the only ones who don't follow this massive purple/blue scheme going on there.

And for something a bit unrelated....why are all the champions who originate from the Void using some two part name with an apostrophe separation? Cho'gath is the only one out of the 5 who doesn't follow the 3 letter/apostrophe/3 letter naming scheme going on, and his is 3/apostrophe/4. Some unconscious thing from the design team, or intentional? I'm a little curious.

redniwediSNov 28, 20144 votes

It would probably depend on where they are from. Demacia has it's uniforms, and the Shadow Isles have their glowy ghost stuff, but places like Piltover and Bilgewater will likely have more variety.

Duke AnaxNov 28, 20144 votes

The shadow Isles have a lot of ghosts and spirits , so they have a lot of ghost green.

But Karthus for example, while in his recent VU still has green effects, he himself is completely grey, red and purple.

Hecarim Thresh and Kalista, also use different kind of Armor.

There is a chance that the Mordekaiser Vu will go in that direction too, but he might as well be a smoky version of Hecarim and Thresh.

Yorik will definitely continue to be a ghoul.

TerffNov 29, 20142 votes

I'd rather have mord purple or a reddish-orange to signify pain...

insaiyanbaccaNov 29, 20141 votes

he may not even get glowy stuff he may just continue being the hulking set of metal armor but a cooler looking hulking suit, if that makes sense

MotajoNov 28, 20143 votes

Yeah, character comes first. I don't understand where the need for "clarity" comes from. Seeing a faction's color scheme on its champions will never be relevant, let alone needed, in-game. Some similarities in style or whatever are fine, but don't shoehorn characters into color coordination like a child afraid of mixing their play-doh.

Delirious WizardNov 28, 20142 votes

I appreciate the unifying color schemes of the faction but I imagine not all of them are going to be as obvious as the shadow Isles. Some of them will probably just be themed like how piltover is mostly unified through tech (although I thing they me going for a purple theme with future champs) It may be as subtle for a champ as the new jungle camp color schemes.

GreenLoreNov 29, 20142 votes

I hope they won't do that. I dunno why Kalista is even green,considering that she is BLUE in her splash art(seriously does this Kalista look like green?)

But overall I think they won't go that way. I mean look at viktor for example who doesn't have any green(which is the most common colour associated with zaun),despite his TU

Also Lucian doesn't war any yellow or blue,which are the colours that represent demacia better than any other one.Or Renekton didn't get any gold colours(or other sand like colours) when he was updated.

So while riot does put in some thoughts about making the champs fit into their city states,they won't monotize their appearance.