Splashgate

I have heard a lot of negative feed back about the new splash arts, and I want to go into detail with my thoughts on them, which I will do later in the post. First, however, I wanted to touch on something I have not seen anyone bring up: the over use of blur effects in the new splash arts.

One of the most prevalent comments I have read about the splash arts is there seems to be something off about them. One theory I have for this is the staggering amount of blur in these pictures. Some of these images will actually make me physically nauseous if I look at them too long, but I have a sensitivity to motion blur. Some blur is used tastefully, like with Lee Sin's splash art. Others, like Gragas's, overtly distracts from the picture itself. I do believe this is one of the main issues people have with the new splash arts. However, I do not think its why people find them off, but I will come back to that theory later.

Another issue seems to be the stances the characters take. I really do agree that there should be diversity in character stances, but not to the point of grossly contorting the champions into unrealistic or super-stylize poses. Singed, for example, was in great need of an update to his splash art, but the new image has an angle that is borderline absurd and practically comical. Champions should be presented, not fixed into some contrived action pose.

In addition, one of the problems that has recurring comments deals with color, lighting, and overall feel of characters. Some champions are not even recognizable from their splash arts at first glance. Cho'Gath is a more notable example, given his more uniformed color that is not reflective of his character model or how he has been represented(like in Cho'Gath Eats the World). Others still retain their physical appearance for the most part, but just seem off, which brings me back to my theory.

For those of you who know about this, I believe a majority of these splash arts fall into the uncanny valley. Despite none of the characters being real humans, they all have established personalities, history, and identity. They are people to us, and so when their image is distorted, it becomes unsettling.

I really want to see League of Legends continue to do well. Thats why I bring these issues up, not just to criticize, but in some hope that Riot will understand. The following are the two splash arts that were most troubling to me.

Kayle

Kayle should not be sexualized. She had a very Samus-esque nature about her. She is very beautiful, without having to be sexual, which very much fits her and is a nice distinction between her and other female champions, especially her sister Morgana.

Janna

I remember the night my friend invited me over to play this new game. We waited a couple hours for it to download, and with no real explanation, we were thrown into a game with his friends. The first character I played was Ashe, who was not bad, but really did not sell me on the game. I was looking through the champions, seeing who I would play next and Janna was on the free rotation that week. I instantly knew this was the character I wanted to play. I stayed up, long after my friends had gone to bed and well into morning, just to get the IP to unlock her. Her lore, design, and abilities all resonated with my play style. Janna sold me on League of Legends. She was a champion I could have fun with, even when I knew nothing about the game, and I have main-ed her ever since.

Janna's splash art and nerf was a real double blow. She is such an iconic character, formerly featured prominently where the service messages use to be(with other champions respectively). Her lore mentions often being the center of attention at gatherings and surviving by her wits, and her old splash art shown her as being charismatic and sharp. Janna, by essence, is the poster girl for League of Legends. Coming from nothing and thriving, making it all the way to the top. A Cinderella success. Her new splash art does not do her any justice, not because of the reduction or less prominence in her chest size, as some might assume. Its that she utterly lacks any personality in it.

Ezreal, Blitzcrank, and Shyvana are other notable mentions, straying far from their concepts. Once again, I do not say this to simply slander. I just want to bring light to these issues in hope this troubling trend will not continue. I really do want to see the game look sharper in all aspects, and look forward to visual updates. What I do not want to see if a forced, contrived, and heavy handed push forward, that ultimately cheapens and makes generic what was suppose to be diverse.