Riot, is there a reason why the new Swain, Warwick, and Irelia splashes haven't been implemented?

Brutusness·Mar 2, 2016·75 votes·4,777 views

Over a year ago, new base splashes of high quality were shown for Irelia, Warwick, and Anivia, but since then, only Anivia has received hers. Neither Irelia nor Warwick are officially scheduled for a visual rework this year, so why are their new splashes still on hold?

The same goes for Swain, who's new splash has been teased several times but is also on hold, despite the claim that he won't be getting a VU until at least next year. These champions have some of the oldest base splashes in the game, Warwick especially, so out of curiosity, what's keeping them from getting a splash upgrade if the art already exists?

A response from someone on the art team would be very much appreciated.

40 Comments

PeachsPropertyMar 2, 20168 votes

IT is RITO...Irelia cant get anything but nerfs ;D

joking aside... riot what gives?

ÑapoleoniMar 3, 20166 votes

Irelia hasn't even been nerfed a lot, I have no idea why this joke even started.

KANYE OBAMA GODMar 3, 20169 votes

because when Irelia was being made, Morello nerfed her because "she is annoying"

ArakadiaMar 6, 20161 votes

Did he actually say that??.

PeachsPropertyMar 3, 20161 votes

IIRC was either 1 or 2 days or hours before her release she got a nerf. and yeah she hasnt gotten many nerfs, but the one they did was huge. (cut her dmg and healing in half)

SpecterVonBarenMar 3, 20161 votes

Its because she was the first, or at, least most infamous example of a champion getting nerfed from seemingly nowhere despite players having issues with champs considered much stronger.

Raj Te Lag CompMar 2, 20166 votes

Can you link me to any of the teased visual updates?

Forbidden SirenMar 2, 201618 votes

Irelia (spotted in one of many LCS matches): https://pp.vk.me/c624030/v624030814/19144/ypooXlqEujI.jpg http://i.imgur.com/Gu5mJhD.png

Warwick (spotted in one of the final tournament matches): http://i.imgur.com/rmZqA2w.png

Swain (spotted in PBE): https://i.ytimg.com/vi/3bFIAIXIi7I/maxresdefault.jpg

Note: They teased Gragas, Graves and Anivia's new splash art the same time as Warwick but for some reason, they kept holding onto Warwick. It took them ages to finally release Anivia too. Irelia's new splash kept popping up multiple times as well but was never fully released.

YCitizenSnipsYMar 2, 20167 votes

Warwick splash is from Worlds season 4, at this point they should just go ahead and release it then rework him. Irelia is also outdated and may be receiving the splash when she gets a new model. Swain may be in the same boat as well.

Also it should be noted that the LCS splashes are handled very oddly. I remember for the longest time that they would use the original Ahri splash that was taken down on the pbe, and not her current one.

Forbidden SirenMar 2, 20163 votes

Yeah, they should just go ahead and release Warwick's new splash. If you think about it, he's just a generic werewolf with some armor... visually.

KnalxzMar 3, 20161 votes

To be fair in season 4 there was alot of talk of Warwick's rework but it clearly got sidelined.

My Waifu VanillaMar 3, 20161 votes

Iirc it was around the time they were also talking about the Yorick Rework that WAS in the works but also got ice boxed. This is also the time Riot liked to release things hella early (Ao Shin as well) and bit off way more than they could chew. There is no reason to release a WW splash UNTIL his rework because no matter how much make-up you put on a pile of shit (metaphorically gameplay wise since his is VERY binary and boring) it will ALWAYS be a pile of shit. If Warwick was a top tier pick and had a high pick rate and was a well designed champion with his current splash, yeah I would update it, but he is not.

VanjieMar 3, 20166 votes

Because they are incompetent and spending seven months on Soraka instead of updating champion they know need love and attention.

Fire the entire update and balance team . . . . replace them with developers that give a crap about this game.

La BarbotteMar 3, 20162 votes

balancing soraka is easy, give her the dominion treatment, i know she takes lots of rescource riot , just DO IT

ShonjlMar 3, 20162 votes

Or get good. I still find it funny crap players think Raka is OP lol.

She either goes full AP and dies if anything breaths on her, or Warmogs Raka which takes a while on her and even at full build her heals are so weak since she barely has any AP that you can outdamage her infinite heals.

Supreme Senpai69Mar 3, 20161 votes

Not OP just annoying because it turns into a farm lane that, if the enemy knows how to play, can make unpunishable mistakes so long as Soraka stays behind. It's not really healthy for the game, regardless of balance and win rate.

La BarbotteMar 3, 20161 votes

Soraka item 3174 item 3116 item 3083 item 3504 item 3026 item 3158

she has 40% cdr, warmogs so she can only stay super far and regen back her heals and if you dive that deep you're dead from her teamates because shes fat enough to stall with EQR then you die, get only the GA, you need to all five dive her but while you do that one of your guys will die from one of their dps so you have to trade one for soraka or she will make one of them invinscible, fair and balanced healthy game play, she does the exact same thing in the lcs so its not because low elo people dont focus her, its because its not that simple

ShonjlMar 4, 20161 votes

You do realize that build for her makes her heals do LITERALLY nothing right?

Who cares if she can heal infinitely when she has no AP and they only do maybe 300 max. By lategame when you are full build, everyone is hitting 500-1.5k in hits, she can spam that 300 heal every 2 seconds all she wants, it isn't saving anyone if you all in them.

When Raka goes that build, she only is good against the enemy poking her team, if they all in, she does nothing lol. Ive seen that alot myself and i laugh when she is only good for healing and she can't even outheal what i am doing.

It is strong right now since people are scared to all in as easily due to death timers but all in is her weakness. If you all in, she can't do shit other than throw very weak Qs and E which is easy to get out of unless you were CCed already. But as soon as you all in, you can very easily see how Raka has no power at all as she tries in vain to stop your damage, at least AP raka hit hard and could do it, but she blew up easily.

La BarbotteMar 4, 20161 votes

exept she heals more based on missing health and her teamates get spirits visage so she still heals for tons of hp

MarbelaraMar 2, 20163 votes

Swain's splash is possible to come out with the shop update, as it was seen as his deafault splash during the new shop sneak peek. Even if they'll revert it they are obviously gearing up for it.

Maybe they're waiting for the splash art update team to finish skin splashes to go along with the mains????? Anyone knows?

Bladerunner7777Mar 2, 20163 votes

Simple.

Irelia's crap splash matches her crap in-game model (default skin at least). They will probably release an updated splash if her in-game model is updated.

Chase Me DaddyMar 3, 20163 votes

All these 3 champs need full VGU's or Relaunches. Swains kit doesn't match his theme and he also has kinda outdated visuals, Irelia is just onhit effects with a pretty dumb ultimate and is also visually outdated, Warwick doesn't have a theme or kit (yes in my opinion Warwick doesn't have a kit, the only mentionable thing is his ultimate). He is just a werewolf, thats all Warwick has. Also here again, visuals older than the second world war.

I think they will save these splashes until the day comes were these 3 champions get their love. And there again, the problem is that there Nunu are Urgot many Olaf champions Galio that Mordekaiser also Pantheon need Evelynn big Chogath overhauls DrMundo (only to name a few).

ShonjlMar 3, 20161 votes

Morde has to wait, he already recently got one and even if it sucked, he should be forced to wait til everyone else is done. Also Eve is in such a crap spot since they don' t know how to balance stealth that she will never be a thing as long as Riot has say in it.

ArakadiaMar 6, 20161 votes

I agree 100%, but I actually like Swain atm. He needs an update for though. Change his Q, but keep the Beatrice interaction, give him a new passive or another passive, and a little more interesting and uniqueness to his kit overall.

darkdillMar 3, 20162 votes

Here's another question: If the answer to this is "the arts aren't good enough yet", why does Riot not say so?

Variks the LoyalMar 3, 20161 votes

They're probably holding off for either:

A: A Vu of some sort, even if it's just the level of Maokai and Alistair.

B: A related event, like saving the Swain art for a Noxus event.

EvewynnMar 3, 20161 votes

Riot hates champs with high sustain, just look at aatrox. Kappa.

Blue Moon WolfMar 3, 20161 votes

I can sort of understand Swain since Riot said that they wish to give him a full relaunch to the level of Poppy and Taric (soon tm). That said, his update wouldn't be for another 2 years at best while they updated Tristana splash almost a month before her VU that gave her a 2nd new splash, so it's still not an excuse for riot not to update his splash.

La BarbotteMar 3, 20161 votes

i think its becasue they will do skins too so it takes longer + they mentionned that the old reworked champions will have their splashes updated + taric will probably too, poppy just did and shen, so i simply think they did others before

AugustNightmaresMar 3, 20161 votes

I'd like to know this too. The new Swain splash is badass.

Lost HpMar 3, 20161 votes

Swain is listed for a vgu update and the whant to change Irelia to.

No new infos about warwick beside that other champion have a higher priority

ArakadiaMar 6, 20161 votes

I'm hoping they don't change Swain too much, I consider myself a Swain Main. They did a good job imo with Shen who I like too.

Silents429Mar 3, 20161 votes

When did Riot ever really state those "Teased" splasharts were going to ever really happen?

rtbf225618241Mar 3, 20161 votes

Maybe the Warwick rework is going to change him so heavily that the Splash Art is not going to be accurate enough?

My Waifu VanillaMar 3, 20161 votes

Probably just to come out with their potential reworks. They said Swain is getting something major soon.tm which is why he is not with the immobile mage update and they also tried reworking Warwick a year and a half ago or so but that fell through so I believe he is ice boxed. It doesn't make much sense for them to update splashes for someone like Warwick who is just not fun to see around in a game. If they update his splash people are going to be like, yeah, let me pick this guy up that I forgot about.....and then quickly drop him again because he is not fun to play so in the end you won't see the new splash ANYWAY since his pick rate is so abysmal.

dalphy08Mar 3, 20161 votes

Because that isn't a wolf, or a person. Same with Irelia too

General Esdeath Mar 3, 20161 votes

I think the Swain one will come with his update

ModKnightsKemplarMar 3, 20161 votes

This is a great point. I can understand that work takes a long time, but these splashes appear to be done. Ain't no reason, from a player perspective, to keep nice things from us that are already finished.