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@Riot - Quite frankly, Death Sworn Katarina is a LAZY skin.

Oleandervine·10/19/2017, 4:13:03 AM·21 votes·13,599 views

You have Deathsworn Zed and Viktor: https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FoDMaQ32pOY/WeekoTfSl9I/AAAAAAAAxpU/h_Yqumnl90Y70QciFV9g-LKbcbRIEyCEQCLcBGAs/s1600/e6b1252ce1ba7014.jpg https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AnlHM7kfaEc/Weekoa98HzI/AAAAAAAAxpM/If4oVug4TWoQLL83_f-FKuisA3HUwvrPwCLcBGAs/s1600/423e476ca3c5bb1f.jpg

They both look fantastic, and they look like unearthly phantasms from another plane of existence that are here to harvest your soul and kill everyone.

Then we have Katarina. https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ANzM7Pbg9Os/WeekoAJLsHI/AAAAAAAAxpQ/F6oC35jDQMM9QAMdlo_VJ8nqvc2N3DTDwCLcBGAs/s1600/9b09e17d4337adfb.jpg

I would first like to say that this artist did a beautiful job with this splash. But my praise ends there. Deathsworn Katarina, quite frankly, is an extremely lazy skin design. Where Zed and Viktor are both thematic through their ethereal, mostly exposed bodies with limited armor and their soulless, faceless masks, Katarina is not. She's wearing a full body leather suit, and her overall appearance just does not fit AT ALL with this theme as you've created it with Viktor and Zed. She's not wearing a mask, she shares none of the flame-like ghost qualities of the other two, and she basically looks like a transparent and "sexy spooky" version of Katarina. This skin is just sub par in design and quality when compared to the other two, and just screams at us from a level of design as this: https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB10AvyPXXXXXblXXXXq6xXFXXXK/Superman-Sexy-Costume-Women-Halloween-Costume-Superhero-Cosplay-Costume-Girls-Tight-Strapless-Skirt-With-Cape-2.jpg_640x640.jpg

It has absolutely no substance or theme to it, and it's just another extremely generic Katarina skin with a new color palette. Please send this skin back to the skins team and remake it. We don't want YET ANOTHER version of the exact same skin for Katarina as we have with all of her other skins. You guys are taking absolutely no chances with Katarina for some reason, and it has the effect of making her the Barbie of the game - she can be whatever she wants, but she still looks like Barbie in a cheap costume. This is not ok for Katarina from a design standpoint. Skins are supposed to be different fantasies for the characters. Katarina is suffering because you can't seem to deviate from the same "I'm a sex kitten" fantasy with her, and you keep making her skins the equivalent of "sexy pirate" and "sexy firefighter" Halloween costumes. You've proven times before that you can break the mold with skin design on such things as Program Lissandra, Reaper Soraka, Star Guardian Syndra, Dark Star Orianna, Pentakill Kayle, and a host of others, but when it comes to Katarina you guys seem to be at an utter loss when it comes to making her something that is serious and more than just a pretty face and skintight suit. This was an opportunity to make a TRULY badass Katarina skin, and you've COMPLETELY missed the mark. This Katarina isn't badass. It's the same trite shit she already has, but in a different color.

48 Comments

LunSeiSleidee10/19/2017, 8:48:36 AM6 votes

I know I'm always complaining, but I HAVE been telling you guys that in 2017 Riot has gone back to sexism. The two boys can look like bodyless spirits; the girl has to look human and sexy.

WitchQueen Annie10/19/2017, 2:03:12 PM6 votes

Well.. it does come across as a "cheap" Katarina skin.

The fact that there's an ass facing the audience just adds even more of a cheap, "sexy girls will sell" motif.

I agree, its mostly just normal Kat except with a color change, and a suggestive pose. It doesn't go along with the thematic of Halloween at all (just cause you carry 2 "ghost" blades doesn't make you a powerful Death Sworn on par with the glories of Viktor and Zed in the splashes). Basically just normal Kat except with a color shift and a more sexual pose.

DEFINITELY a cheap skin.

Variks the Loyal10/19/2017, 4:15:34 AM5 votes

I like it.

It's my favorite of the 3.

Valor Bot10/19/2017, 4:35:30 AM5 votes

I get your point, and I agree to an extent -- but calling it lazy makes certain leaps in logic, and implies certain assumptions (namely that Riot decided not to make her look like Zed and Viktor because they didn't want to put the necessary effort into the skin), that it's not really charitable to the artists and removes credibility from your post. It's also just plain disrespectful and rude.

From what I've read on Twitter, the decision to make Katarina a semi-living spectre unlike the other skins was a conscious and intentional one. Though I agree this makes her feel less cohesive as part of the group, I don't necessarily think she needs to be a ghost for the skin to work. Personally, I feel she could've just used more spooky armor and dark colors on her model, although I admit I would have really loved a full-on banshee Katarina. For every plus there's a minus though, and I can see how making a ghostly Kat entails certain readability issues (think of how similar she'd be to Kalista).

ModKnightsKemplar10/19/2017, 3:06:44 PM3 votes

Eh. To echo others, I think calling it "lazy" is needlessly negative on something that's a subjective opinion.

I think the Katarina skin is actually pretty awesome. I disagree that Zed and Viktor define a cohesive theme, also; all three of these skins are a slightly different take on the Deathsworn. Zed has way more flames than Viktor, and for some reason has Wolverine claws. Viktor has this weird eyestalk thingy that implies a biological slant to this theme that the others don't have at all. They're all different.

Katarina's design is one that doesn't happen to resonate with you. That's fine, and I don't take offense at that. Actually, I could level many of the same, subjective complaints about the Zed skin that you feel about the Katarina skin. I don't think it's an interesting new take on Zed at all, and that's okay. Other people like the skin. Good for them.

I think it's kind of low to attack the designers on a skin just because you don't happen to like it. Many people in the community will like it. And if they don't, the sales will reflect that. There's no need to attack the designers over preferences like this.

ThePikol10/19/2017, 7:34:55 AM3 votes

I 100% agree.

Colgate Gator10/19/2017, 6:45:42 PM2 votes

People are so whinny nowadays. Not every skin will blow your mind, you should know that by now.

I'd gladly take that skin and slot it for one of Champions I actually play instead of Katarina.

Kloqdq10/19/2017, 2:37:51 PM2 votes

Real talk, that Viktor skin is my favourite splash art in the game right now.

On the topic, I really wish they went the same route as Zed and Viktor. Kat could have had a very different skin from her others and now I just have slightly pale and blue Kat. Could have been a different take on Kat and been really cool.

Fawksea10/19/2017, 12:25:55 PM2 votes

Completely disagree, viktor's skins alright, zed's fucking sucks there's really no reason for it to even be that expensive, whilst kata's is pretty good looking, especially comparing to her other skins

MumrikensMumrik10/23/2017, 4:42:26 PM1 votes

Im a Katarina main so im happy with the new skin but i can see you point a bit but lets just be happy about the new skins summoner 14

ZER0 210/19/2017, 5:09:09 PM1 votes

SHE IS GORGEOUS AND THE SPLASH ART IS GORGEOUS. Just because she doesn't have 9000 things going on with her does NOT mean it is lazy. There is beauty in simplicity and a cluttered overloaded skin isn't for everyone. I dislike the Zed skin and the Viktor skin, but the Kat skin? Hooooo boy, insta-buy. There's nothing wrong with what she's wearing, its more simple (even though it's not simple at all tbh) because the main focal point is the NEON BLUE HAIR. You can't have a ton of focal points on one model or splash because it becomes too busy and cluttered. Hope that helps!

The Darius King10/19/2017, 5:10:10 PM1 votes

On a side note does the thing shooting the laser beam in viktors splash not look like vel'koz eye

Bladerunner777710/20/2017, 3:15:48 AM1 votes

It has absolutely no substance or theme to it, and it's just another extremely generic Katarina

Pretty much sums up Katarina players too :p

zrWQMdGHtY10/20/2017, 2:16:57 PM1 votes

Skin is bad. Splash art is cute because of reason I wont share here. But they'll make a good meme in the future.

WitchQueen Annie10/21/2017, 2:37:53 AM1 votes

It doesn't fit Halloween at all. It should either be Scary, fun (but with a, "hey its a cool Halloween costume" feel), or crazy with a gothic spin (ex Tristana's skin from last year).

Its none of those things.

DS Viktor and Zed were more like the Scary type. Ravenborn Leblanc was more of the fun Halloween costume type, while Trist and Morg from last year were the third.

Kat with ghost blades, a color change, and a thicc ass facing the players? Come now. Its just bad... In no Halloween skin should there be an ass facing the audience. It removes all credibility and just pushes the whole "sex will sell" motif.

Ayzoe10/21/2017, 2:50:24 PM1 votes

To 👊🏻𝓡𝓲𝓸𝓽 I'm Happy If u guys Rework Katarina's Death Sword skin Cuz u realise how i Luv Evry Quality of katarina skin ✦in-Game✦ Hopefully u guys make it Op aka i mean HD for her skin In game 😊😇 cuz i Luv their look💕.

𝑮𝑶𝑶𝑫𝑱𝑶𝑩!👍🏻 👊🏻𝓡𝓘𝓞𝓣 =^•^=[slayer-jinx-wink]

Biscuit Bite10/21/2017, 2:53:03 PM1 votes

So, you just want a naked Katarina. Not gonna happen.

Ayzoe10/21/2017, 2:53:45 PM1 votes

Also To Be Honest All my Friends out there & here Luv ∭Katarina∭ ✯☆Splesh Art ☆✯ ❀More❀ then other Death sworn so hopefull they look Really Kewl ^^ in Game ❤︎𝙍𝙄𝙊𝙏❤︎