I know that I’m probably about to step into a furnace here, so let me preface this by saying this is only my opinion.
While I definitely like the presented modified versions of the skin, I do not feel that they represent an adequate alternative to the current tweaks to the skins on the PBE, and I will explain why.
To begin, as I think was mentioned in a separate thread on the same topic, the modified skin is way too ostentatious, even in comparison with the current iteration of the skin. The excessive number of flairs and wings on the skin are more reminiscent of a Demacian warrior and less of an Frostborne blade dancer.
Also, it’s important to keep in mind that while the chatacter’s base lore changing to now specifically fighting with her pisonic blades and what technically constitutes “dance”, it’s not unreasonable to assume that certain flairs on certain skins might change also. I happen to really enjoy the old Frostblade Irelia, but their character archetypes are different. Old Irelia was just a warrior that swung her swords with her mind, and nothing more. New Irelia’s personal story is all the more richer, and new skins should somewhat reflect that.
My last main point to bring out is connected with the first. Frostblade Irelia had a definite high-tech feel to it with the lights on her combat suit. This skin doesn’t really bring any of that into the equation. It is also entirely possible (conjecture here) that Riot may have intended for this skin to more closely reflect the original but felt that Infiltrator and Nightblade(?) too closely overlapped that “high-tech” skin concept.
A slight sidepoint is that the blades took up a lot of design capital in the old skin, while Irelia’s suit itself was fairly simple. The new design doesn’t have that, which means that more capital has to be spent on the suit itself, which may have caused all of this to begin with.
Make of it what you will. Not trying to trash anyone, just putting my thought out there.
