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Riot's Diversity Efforts are Sorely Lacking

Velivolo·2/21/2018, 12:49:40 AM·5 votes·754 views

League of Legends doesn't do nearly enough to create diverse and inclusive champions, and in fact, has done worse at this in recent years. By chance, I joined League during a really amazing spate of diverse, interesting characters. Lucian was a good start. Braum had me intrigued. Kalista came out, and I was on these very forums, on several threads, shouting her praises from the highest rooftops. League's plethora of well-endowed women is immediately obvious, and I knew what I was getting into. But this.... Kalista showed me Riot cared about their female audience, and wanted to create a truly diverse and inclusive roster. I practically drooled over Rek'Sai's release. I listened to her entire leaked VO in anticipation (it's like ten minutes of screeching and it's the most amazing VO League has ever had). But I suppose I'm getting sentimental.

It's really not okay that Kai'Sa is just another generic white female character. No other void character is sexualized, whether they were born in the void or just traverse it. Why start now? There is literally no good reason. There are untold horrors in the void, and literally anything could have happened to her there that allowed her to survive it. Something, perhaps, to make her a bit more interesting and unique, and not another sex clone. I really don't think a void creature that you subjugate into protecting you would have a plunging neckline, either.

I don't even want to get into race, because I think it should be even clearer where diversity efforts have failed there. You have three champions of color in a roster of 140. That is not representative. I'm just really disappointed, because I really pay attention to League's diversity efforts, and I honestly feel that Riot has tried very hard to be more inclusive. They've made some mistakes, certainly (cough Hired Gun Lucian cough), but I still see Lucian, Ekko, and Illaoi as really diverse, amazing additions to the roster. I don't want Riot to be discouraged by some slips they may have made in representing people of color, because I think they can (and have!) learned, and being more inclusive is too important to be swept aside by a fear of making mistakes.

TL;DR Version: Riot, please don't stop making diverse champions because you put out a few good ones. Take your sex clones back to the drawing board, because you can do better, and we've seen it in all the amazing champions you've given us. :)

8 Comments

Sona Ping2/21/2018, 1:26:53 AM6 votes

{quoted}

League of Legends doesn't do nearly enough to create diverse and inclusive champions, and in fact, has done worse at this in recent years. By chance, I joined League during a really amazing spate of diverse, interesting characters. Lucian was a good start. Braum had me intrigued. Kalista came out, and I was on these very forums, on several threads, shouting her praises from the highest rooftops. League's plethora of well-endowed women is immediately obvious, and I knew what I was getting into. But this.... Kalista showed me Riot cared about their female audience, and wanted to create a truly diverse and inclusive roster. I practically drooled over Rek'Sai's release. I listened to her entire leaked VO in anticipation (it's like ten minutes of screeching and it's the most amazing VO League has ever had). But I suppose I'm getting sentimental.

It's really not okay that Kai'Sa is just another generic white female character. No other void character is sexualized, whether they were born in the void or just traverse it. Why start now? There is literally no good reason. There are untold horrors in the void, and literally anything could have happened to her there that allowed her to survive it. Something, perhaps, to make her a bit more interesting and unique, and not another sex clone. I really don't think a void creature that you subjugate into protecting you would have a plunging neckline, either.

I don't even want to get into race, because I think it should be even clearer where diversity efforts have failed there. You have three champions of color in a roster of 140. That is not representative. I'm just really disappointed, because I really pay attention to League's diversity efforts, and I honestly feel that Riot has tried very hard to be more inclusive. They've made some mistakes, certainly (cough Hired Gun Lucian cough), but I still see Lucian, Ekko, and Illaoi as really diverse, amazing additions to the roster. I don't want Riot to be discouraged by some slips they may have made in representing people of color, because I think they can (and have!) learned, and being more inclusive is too important to be swept aside by a fear of making mistakes.

TL;DR Version: Riot, please don't stop making diverse champions because you put out a few good ones. Take your sex clones back to the drawing board, because you can do better, and we've seen it in all the amazing champions you've given us. :)

The TL;DR is that it is disgusting how readily willing you people are to try to insult and dehumanize women, people, for their features or dressing in a way you don't approve of.

Ebonmaw Dragon2/21/2018, 1:25:22 AM5 votes

Friendly reminder that she is suposed to be the daughter of this guy:

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/leagueoflegends/images/4/48/Kassadin_Pre-VoidSkin_Ch.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20110321234923

So... What did you expected? Another female of "color" like Ilaoi?

Also... Pre Void Kassadin is kinda handsome, so, it makes sense for his daughter to be handsome as well.

I mean, assuming that the skin still canon and she is her daughter.

HonestJohnTheCon2/21/2018, 1:15:43 AM4 votes

OK, well, let me start off by saying that none of the champs in 2016 were traditionally attractive. For the record, it was Jhin, ASol, Taliyah, Kled, Ivern, and Camille. Jhin has his nifty walk, but that's it. Taliyah and Camille focus very little on fanservice compared to other female champs in the roster. As for the other three... do I even have to say anything?

Next comes 2017. Now, we do get two notable Mr. Fanservices in the forms of Rakan and Kayn, but both are males, and they aren't super muscular or anything. There aren't many (young) male champs like this -- Ezreal was the only one that came to mind -- so this is good diversity. Zoe's creation adds another child to the game. Ornn is irrelevant. Xayah, while pretty, doesn't emphasize anything and is pretty reasonable for a 20ish year old character.

(Before you talk about Evelynn's VGU, yes, that was a blatant example. But it's not like pre-VGU Evelynn didn't have it.)

And even now, Kai'Sa is nothing compared to MF and Ahri. Diversity includes adding the other side of the equation to the game as well -- which hasn't been present in recent years.

There's no need to shout for diversity when this the first time Riot's made a conventionally appealing female character in a while.

(Race and orientation is a whole different can of worms that I'm not gonna open right now.)

Dreamspitter2/21/2018, 1:33:07 AM3 votes

{quoted}

I don't even want to get into race, because I think it should be even clearer where diversity efforts have failed there. You have three champions of color in a roster of 140. That is not representative. I'm just really disappointed, because I really pay attention to League's diversity efforts, and I honestly feel that Riot has tried very hard to be more inclusive. They've made some mistakes, certainly (cough Hired Gun Lucian cough)

Isnt Hired Gun Lucian a Matrix Twins tribute?

Kuzja12/21/2018, 2:04:19 AM1 votes

I'm more bothered at the design of the character. The kits are fine. In fact, in my opiniong, Riot has been very good at making a variety of kits when making their champions. Personally, my only problem is the champions themselves. This character, while it is a unique character with the whole surviving the void and what not, the design just gives me a sense of deja vu. It just seems like your typical mystical humanoid champion and we already got enough mystical humanoid champions. I guess it's because she's not really my type (Although I plan to buy that other skin someday). Maybe there are some classic character types that are missing. We got Leona down for the good old fashion sword and shield champion. But me, honestly, when they first released Graves, I was excited because it was the first male character to use a gun as a primary weapon (Gankplank may have a gun too but he's primarily a melee fighter). Lucian was a good add too. The dual pistols and the demon slaying thing. The only problem with these two is that it's not the weapon I'm looking for. Jhin's awesome with his literal artistic sense of killing with a rifle. Usually an artistic serial killer uses a knife but Jhin, holy shit. The only thing is he's a Sniper, even though he's a real sniper character with the sniping moves compared to Caitlyn, speaking of which, that's who we already have.

What I want in particular is an ordinary rifleman character. Someone who uses a rifle. It can be semi-automatic or automatic or bolt-action or like those muskets. This character could be a mage gunner. We've never had mage gunners before. Since Piltover's technology focuses on utilizing the use of magic, it would make sense that a gun would use mystical ammunition yet all these gunner characters all have guns that deal mostly physical damage.

Speaking of Piltover, that's another problem and I guess this one's just a nit-pick but, Riot, over the past year of 2017, you've given us backstory on the City of Progress and not once did you ever said anything about their military. Noxus has been trying to takeover Piltover! If they know they can't just charge in and ravage the city, then it means they might have tried that tactic before and failed miserably. How would they fail? Advanced artillery, advanced weaponry, advanced combat training, just advanced military technology in general blowing their sword and shield and axe wielding brutes just charging into a No Man's Land. It can't just be the Law Enforcement preventing spies from infiltrating the entire city.

The gunner character can be a revolutionary style soldier with an advanced technological twist like the Minutemen from Fallout 4, or maybe it's a World War I or II theme'd soldier, again with the advanced technological twist. Just a thought, Mr Rito. I know you have to be rich to afford firearms but that seems more like a civilian thing. I'm talking about soldiers.

Elipo2/21/2018, 4:29:02 AM1 votes

I think you should change poc to "black peopple" in your post, I mean what about the asian inspired champions? I thought in America poc meant "everything that is not white", or am I wrong, I'm confused.

Ahri Akali Kayn Nidalee Yasuo XinZhao Karma