This Varus thing makes riot seem super scary. . ..

WarWork·Dec 1, 2017·156 votes·4,753 views

Basically shows they can change something that a lot of people love for a weak reason knowing all the while and admitting that people won't like it and basically just say "Sorry but, so what?" From the leaked short bio to now riot had made it clear they were aware of how polarising this change would be. But yet still go through with it anyway is just so jarring it feels like the big guy throwing their weight around. And it feels like a change for the sake of change.

They said they changed Varus to make him more up to-date with the current league, but they could have done that with just the Darkin change tbh. On many comments by rioters when ask how this updated him the main points basically are a. Darkin and b. Not motivated by vengeance. But he still is motivated by vengeance, the Darkin (named Varus) main goal is still revenge and now against a larger group of people, being all people.

Also when I saw that a music video for varus' lore update came out, I just laughed. I laughed because I knew that meant unless their was a unanimous hate, it mattered not what is said or how we feel, this change is permanent. That feels reaaally sneaky.

And I think a really dirty thing was Val and Kai being gay angle. I don't think, hope they didn't do it for this reason, but then being gay basically meant no matter the backlash of killing old Varus, that a lot of people would be congratulating riot on just simply making a gay character. I really wonder what the reaction would have been if they changed everything they did and left his/their sexuality ambiguous. It just feels like no matter how unnecessary, unwanted or even bad the change they would still get compliments.

EDIT; sorry if this is cancerous to read, wrote this like 4:30 am while extremely tired, might make changes later

101 Comments

Chembaron YamadaDec 1, 201737 votes

I discussed this in an own thread: letting Varus lore as was and just adding that the pit inhabited a Darkin wouldn't separate him from the other Darkin.

The current version has a new dynamic which the other Darkin don't have. Let's assume that Varus lost wife and child and goes into the pit.

There are 2 possible outcomes: Varus gets overwhelmed by the Darkin or he is strong enough to fight him on his own.

These 2 dynamics exist already. First case is the same like Aatrox, the second one is exactly like Kayn.

The current version has a new dynamic: 2 individuals, who are too weak to fight the Darkin on their own, are able to resist him together.

Big Black CrocDec 1, 201731 votes

Shoulve been a new champion

x Royal Solo xDec 1, 201713 votes

Its really that simple.

CetriDec 1, 20177 votes

Not only that, but they also have a good chance of influencing the darkin from within, rather than vice-versa.

Yets4240Dec 1, 201721 votes

Great, so it should have been a new champion as that has fuck all to do with Varus.

x Royal Solo xDec 1, 20177 votes

agreed

JacctheInsomniacDec 1, 201723 votes

[deleted]

RebonackDec 1, 201731 votes

{quoted}

The hints about Pallace's moral ambiguity within his judgement, if expanded on, could have provided that different dynamic.

It could have been a lens through which to humanize and empathize with the Darkin, especially if you factor in the parallels to Varus's own motivation.

Who's to say that Pallas wanted to consume Varus. What if it's genuinely a creature you come to empathize with, in spite of the evil you know it's capable of.

To imply that Varus's story could have only gone one way is a gross simplification of the plot threads that were established, and then abandoned by the update.

That's one thing that really irked me about this change.

The thing in the pit was sympathetic. It was dangerous, yes. And wholly alien. But something that you could relate to. It had fears and desires and it was trying to be nice to Varus, understanding what he had sacrificed to free it.

The new Varus (Vaarus?) has no motivations beyond DESTROY ALL HUMANS. And the reason why it hates humans? Because humans defended themselves from extinction at the hands of a Darken invasion. That isn't a sympathetic creature at all. The exact opposite, in fact. It's a bloodthirsty hypocritical monster that got off on torturing people. And unlike someone like Tahm or Eve, who can't NOT be demons, the Darken probably have a choice in the matter. They could choose NOT to be jerks, but they don't.

WarWorkDec 2, 20174 votes

[sg-kiko] YESSSSS this this and so much this. Exactly how I feel about the new lore. I think a lot of new champs have been feeling very unrelatable lorewise. But yes this just make the Darkin seem like simple malevolent petty creatures. Like lil kids that complain when they are punished for doing something right. I love demons though as the acts they commit is the only way they feel, they are the side effects of others actions rather than crying cuz they messed up.

AbiwonKenabiDec 1, 20177 votes

I really like this take, it feels distinct from the dynamics of the other Darkin. We don't have a Darkin+Host dynamic that is truly friendly. Kayn has some kind of playful banter with Rhaast, but that's about as far as it goes, it's still a fight. Empathizing with a Darkin is a conflict that isn't in League yet. Unlike Val and Kai vs Varus, which at times feels like Rhaast vs less edgy Kayn and his plus one.

WarWorkDec 1, 201711 votes

I don't mind the idea of his new lore. My problem is the level of change means his is essentially a new character. And as for you darkin point, he still could have been different from the others. Aatrox has already completely taken over his host body, and more to him is coming in his update. And Rhaast is in the process of trying to take over his host body and might fail.

I saw months ago on a speculation comment about darkin, soon after Kayn's release two possible ideas; 1, where the Darkin instead of trying to take over Varus, instead choosing to live in harmony with him to help him achieve his goal and 2, where Varus won the struggle of power over the Darkin.

And the second one isn't exactly like Kayn, the main focus of his character, is that his journey is not over either he or Rhaast can win.

I don't mind the story if riot had put it on a new character, I bet no one would be this angry and not that many people either. You might have thought his story was generic but many people were attached to his old lore and it was just deleted, the champion (lorewise) that they love is now essentially dead.

RavoreDec 1, 20172 votes

{quoted}

I discussed this in an own thread: letting Varus lore as was and just adding that the pit inhabited a Darkin wouldn't separate him from the other Darkin.

The current version has a new dynamic which the other Darkin don't have. Let's assume that Varus lost wife and child and goes into the pit.

There are 2 possible outcomes: Varus gets overwhelmed by the Darkin or he is strong enough to fight him on his own.

These 2 dynamics exist already. First case is the same like Aatrox, the second one is exactly like Kayn.

The current version has a new dynamic: 2 individuals, who are too weak to fight the Darkin on their own, are able to resist him together.

But Varus's entire thing was that he was a man on a timer. He knew he was going to get eaten by the darkin and he was going to do as much as he can before he goes which is why it's consumed so much of him. I liked that kind of "Man on a mission with nothing to lose" kind of style

JoeMGDec 1, 20172 votes

I liked the theory that came out after Kayn was released that Varus was a human in the process of being corrupted, but resisting. So somewhere between Aatrox and Kayn. I felt like that theory worked with his old lore too. It could have just been updated to him guarding the Darkin instead of a pool of stuff.

Granted, I don't think the new lore is terrible, just think the old one made more sense thematically.

XIII VanitasDec 2, 20173 votes

It's not a new dynamic. It's just Rhaast + double Kayn, with the only difference being that the two Kayns combined have less willpower than the actual Kayn.

SangreDeNocheDec 2, 20172 votes

{quoted}

I discussed this in an own thread: letting Varus lore as was and just adding that the pit inhabited a Darkin wouldn't separate him from the other Darkin.

The current version has a new dynamic which the other Darkin don't have. Let's assume that Varus lost wife and child and goes into the pit.

There are 2 possible outcomes: Varus gets overwhelmed by the Darkin or he is strong enough to fight him on his own.

These 2 dynamics exist already. First case is the same like Aatrox, the second one is exactly like Kayn.

The current version has a new dynamic: 2 individuals, who are too weak to fight the Darkin on their own, are able to resist him together.

You're missing a big important part about this argument... Kayn's lore came later. Kayn needed the new dynamic, not Varus. It was obvious Varus's weapon was a Darkin so you can't say this had to be retroactively changed either. Kayn is the problem by this logic, not Varus.

Sraeg2013Dec 6, 20171 votes

There is no third dynamic.

The Darkin is suffering from, basically, dementia after millenniums of imprisonment. THE ONLY reason the other two have any kind of control is because the Darkin is too weak to kill them off completely RIGHT NOW.

So there are still only two outcomes, they either get eventually absorbed (Pull off an Aatrox) or they somehow (third party involvement completely mandatory) manage to weaken/expel Darkin and regain full control (Pull off a Kayn).

0racle0912Dec 1, 201714 votes

Reading this gave me a stroke, but ye I agree with you. His old lore was a lot more meaningful, now it just seems like a joke to me.

A LiberalDec 1, 201715 votes

His old lore was the most generic revenge story ever tbh. It had been done a thousand times, at least this has only been done like... ten times.

Galactic MayhemDec 1, 20179 votes

[{quoted}](name=A Liberal,realm=NA,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=Q0hN6NhG,comment-id=00010000,timestamp=2017-12-01T13:50:50.021+0000)

His old lore was the most generic revenge story ever tbh. It had been done a thousand times, at least this has only been done like... ten times.

To be fair I dont recall another story of an entity made out of an evil being and 2 gay man whose love keeps said evil being at bay from controlling the host body

A LiberalDec 1, 20179 votes

Sounds like the plot of a strange sitcom when you say it like that

0racle0912Dec 1, 201722 votes

[{quoted}](name=A Liberal,realm=NA,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=Q0hN6NhG,comment-id=00010000,timestamp=2017-12-01T13:50:50.021+0000)

His old lore was the most generic revenge story ever tbh. It had been done a thousand times, at least this has only been done like... ten times.

I don't really care if it's generic - it suited him and I liked it, and judging by the amount of posts against this change, I don't think I'm the only one. Just because this story is new doesn't mean it is good. It's just stupid imo and most of it isn't needed. As said in the OP, I think the only necessary change was the darkin bit to spice things up - not 2 gay people and taking away a lot of the tragedy that made him what I enjoyed.

OleandervineDec 1, 20176 votes

You may not care that it was generic, but a ton of others do. Generic stories don't fly these days, because those stories are trite, overused to bits, and are boring. You only like it because it's familiar to you and you don't have to process plot, dynamic characters, or other compelling story elements that make for exciting and entertaining stories.

Generic stories also do not connect people to the characters in them. They become barely more than tall tales. No one really connects with Ulysses or Santa Clause in all these legends you see about them because everyone knows them and dismisses them. But then something unique like Harry Potter rolls around, and an entire generation of kids is captivated by his tragic past, his compelling villain, and his loving friends and teachers. That's entertaining, and people crave it. People want to love characters, and a rich, unique story will create so much love for a character.

0racle0912Dec 1, 20179 votes

{quoted}

You may not care that it was generic, but a ton of others do. Generic stories don't fly these days, because those stories are trite, overused to bits, and are boring. You only like it because it's familiar to you and you don't have to process plot, dynamic characters, or other compelling story elements that make for exciting and entertaining stories.

Generic stories also do not connect people to the characters in them. They become barely more than tall tales. No one really connects with Ulysses or Santa Clause in all these legends you see about them because everyone knows them and dismisses them. But then something unique like Harry Potter rolls around, and an entire generation of kids is captivated by his tragic past, his compelling villain, and his loving friends and teachers. That's entertaining, and people crave it. People want to love characters, and a rich, unique story will create so much love for a character.

As I said, I'm ok with it being updated, but I was ok with it before too. I just don't like the changes tbh and find a lot of it is pointless and makes his character not as enjoyable as before / he seems like a joke. Idk what's wrong with saying that

OleandervineDec 1, 20176 votes

You can not like the changes, and not enjoy his character anymore, that's fine and that is your opinion.

However, calling it pointless isn't fair, because giving a character a real story that's actually compelling is a very valid reason to replace a bland, generic story. Calling it a joke is also not cool, because I don't think it's a joke, and for the many people who actually like the changes, it's a good story.

0racle0912Dec 1, 20174 votes

{quoted}

You can not like the changes, and not enjoy his character anymore, that's fine and that is your opinion.

However, calling it pointless isn't fair, because giving a character a real story that's actually compelling is a very valid reason to replace a bland, generic story. Calling it a joke is also not cool, because I don't think it's a joke, and for the many people who actually like the changes, it's a good story.

What I said is basically all opinionated, and there are many posts around the boards along the same lines. If it was a new champ - maybe it would be ok, but I just don't like this change on varus. Once more though, I don't see why a champ should have it's sexuality expressed in a game when it's literally a game and I don't see it necessary

OleandervineDec 1, 20174 votes

I would like to call Lucian to the stand, as well as Xayah, Rakan, Taliyah, Illaoi, Garen, Katarina, and Zoe. ALL of these champions have their sexuality expressed in the game - heterosexuality is still sexuality. Heterosexuality is the most represented sexuality, to the extent that people forget it is an expressed sexuality, as you have obviously demonstrated.

Other sexualities, such as homosexuality, are vastly, vastly, vastly under-represented and under-expressed in almost all forms of major media, and video games are the worst culprits for this lack of representation. Because of this, this is why homosexuality needs expression and representation. Gay people exist in this world and are more prevalent than most would believe. They need to have icons and characters in major media to represent them, so people engaging in that media have someone they can personally connect to on a much deeper level about those parts of themselves. This is why representation is necessary. If someone, like a young gay man, is grappling with the negative stigma of his homosexuality in a society that often condemns it, he may turn to despair and depression. But if he sees that a major, pivotal, well beloved character, such as Albus Dumbledore, is gay, it would change his world view entirely. This young man would realize that life can be better, that being gay in and of itself is not a damning thing, and that being gay doesn't stop you from greatness. This is EXACTLY why representation is extremely important in societies that suppress and persecute those who are not in the majority. This is exactly why someone being expressed as gay in a video game is important, because it will reach people in a medium that has characteristically low numbers of representatives, and give them solace in knowing that they are acknowledged as regular, normal people just like everyone else.

0racle0912Dec 1, 20178 votes

{quoted}

I would like to call Lucian to the stand, as well as Xayah, Rakan, Taliyah, Illaoi, Garen, Katarina, and Zoe. ALL of these champions have their sexuality expressed in the game - heterosexuality is still sexuality. Heterosexuality is the most represented sexuality, to the extent that people forget it is an expressed sexuality, as you have obviously demonstrated.

Other sexualities, such as homosexuality, are vastly, vastly, vastly under-represented and under-expressed in almost all forms of major media, and video games are the worst culprits for this lack of representation. Because of this, this is why homosexuality needs expression and representation. Gay people exist in this world and are more prevalent than most would believe. They need to have icons and characters in major media to represent them, so people engaging in that media have someone they can personally connect to on a much deeper level about those parts of themselves. This is why representation is necessary. If someone, like a young gay man, is grappling with the negative stigma of his homosexuality in a society that often condemns it, he may turn to despair and depression. But if he sees that a major, pivotal, well beloved character, such as Albus Dumbledore is gay, it would change his world view entirely. This young man would realize that life can be better, that being gay in and of itself is not a damning thing, and that being gay doesn't stop you from greatness. This is EXACTLY why representation is extremely important in societies that suppress and persecute those who are not in the majority. This is exactly why someone being expressed as gay in a video game is important, because it will reach people in a medium that has characteristically low representatives, and give them solace in knowing that they are acknowledged as regular, normal people just like everyone else.

You can see on other posts I've made I don't care about whether he's gay or not. I've clearly said that I don't see why sexuality of any sort should belong in a game like this, as it is irrelevant to the gameplay. I have said this several times lol.

They don't need to have icons - no one does. It's irrelevant. Who cares what they prefer, just live your life and keep to yourself, it legit doesn't matter. In no way am I hating those people, and I don't believe I'm coming across that way - sorry if it seems so. What I don't like, though, is all of the controversy/drama about it and the people saying "we need to be represented". I don't believe a video game is the place for all of this. My original post here was agreeing with the OP, that is all. Support is everywhere for people who choose to live their life like this, but I don't think it needs to be brought into so many things. To put it simply, sexuality isn't relevant in games, I don't see why it needed to be added in the first place for any sexual preference type. I don't think it's fair to make it seem like I'm hating on gay people when my initial comment just said I preferred the old lore, and I don't see their sexuality being a place in league.

PoppystarDec 1, 20171 votes

{quoted}

I would like to call Lucian to the stand, as well as Xayah, Rakan, Taliyah, Illaoi, Garen, Katarina, and Zoe. ALL of these champions have their sexuality expressed in the game - heterosexuality is still sexuality. Heterosexuality is the most represented sexuality, to the extent that people forget it is an expressed sexuality, as you have obviously demonstrated.

Other sexualities, such as homosexuality, are vastly, vastly, vastly under-represented and under-expressed in almost all forms of major media, and video games are the worst culprits for this lack of representation. Because of this, this is why homosexuality needs expression and representation. Gay people exist in this world and are more prevalent than most would believe. They need to have icons and characters in major media to represent them, so people engaging in that media have someone they can personally connect to on a much deeper level about those parts of themselves. This is why representation is necessary. If someone, like a young gay man, is grappling with the negative stigma of his homosexuality in a society that often condemns it, he may turn to despair and depression. But if he sees that a major, pivotal, well beloved character, such as Albus Dumbledore, is gay, it would change his world view entirely. This young man would realize that life can be better, that being gay in and of itself is not a damning thing, and that being gay doesn't stop you from greatness. This is EXACTLY why representation is extremely important in societies that suppress and persecute those who are not in the majority. This is exactly why someone being expressed as gay in a video game is important, because it will reach people in a medium that has characteristically low numbers of representatives, and give them solace in knowing that they are acknowledged as regular, normal people just like everyone else.

I 100% agree with you. Representation matters. The only people who say it doesnt matter is those that are represented. Having a character that resonates with you, having a character with a similar look, personality, etc., that is exciting. Any comment that comes on this thread that makes any point that disagrees with those saying it doesnt matter will get downvoted by the same 3 people lol. I love having girly characters because I'm girly and I resonate with them. Manly dudes love their buff characters like tryndamere and braum. Edgy dudes love yasuo and kayn and such. Video games representing characters with different identities (yes being LGBT is part of someone's identity whether these people on this thread think so or not) makes it interesting. If league made 160 champions with no diversity the game would be fucking boring because their skills and voice lines and lore, everything that makes them who they are would be completely bland and lackluster and ultimately the same. Jinx being crazy is part of her identity, Lucian losing his wife is part of his identity, etc. Cosplayers play this game, cosplayers want to cosplay characters they identify with. Artists play this game, they love to draw the characters they identify with and like. Video games are a huge media platform and diversifying them to make more feel welcomed and attract more players and get more people to enjoy more characters that is SUCCESS. Who doesn't want a character that they can love and relate to and enjoy?

BoxedBadgerDec 2, 20173 votes

All of that is perfectly fine but why not make new content to represent people? Why change old one that already had it's fans into new, completely different one? How does that make any sort of sense in the grand scheme of things...

Make all of the different identitites of characters that you want so people can identify with them, I might not, but who cares, I already have my characters, whatever I get new ones now or a bit later, fair gain, but chaning an old one so drasticly... why tho? I'm sorry but that is utterly senseless...

Yes, I've waited for around 5 years to expand the lore of Varus that I liked and they went and changed it needlessly, you might think I'm taking this a bit too deep (kek), but it mattered to me... and this change was just.... plain stupid.

SanKakUDec 1, 201711 votes

It is a joke! That's your own words, "giving a character a real story that's actually compelling is a very valid reason to replace a bland, generic story." But obviously this new story is not a real story nor is it compelling.

Just because the story got 'modernized' doesn't make it real all of a sudden. I personally don't care much about the lore replacement but acting like the new stuff is real or done well is just disrespectful to the original writers.

QuephaDec 1, 201711 votes

{quoted}

You may not care that it was generic, but a ton of others do.

Then they can go enjoy the lore of someone else. There's over 130 champions in the game and Riot releases more every few months, there's no reason to barge in on something that someone likes and erase it because of your personal preferences.

Galactic MayhemDec 1, 201710 votes

I cant really see what people liked about his old lore,it was so generic

SEKAIDec 1, 201710 votes

[{quoted}](name=Gét Jinxed,realm=EUW,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=Q0hN6NhG,comment-id=0002,timestamp=2017-12-01T13:46:24.248+0000)

I cant really see what people liked about his old lore,it was so generic

Because it was literally the making of a radical extremist suicide bomber where we look from and take sides with the perspective of the said radical extremist suicide bomber, like no joke, that's literally the story, almost literally anyway. It was written before all the current political rage, you know, it's possible not another champ is gonna come out with a story like that these days, at least not in the US where RIot is.

Galactic MayhemDec 1, 20176 votes

{quoted}

Because it was literally the making of a radical extremist suicide bomber, like no joke, that's literally the story, almost literally anyway. It was written before all the current political rage, you know, it's highly unlikely another champ is gonna come out with a story like that these days.

...You are reaching quite a bit there

Yets4240Dec 1, 201713 votes

Eh. . . not really. that's how extremest are born. "War + everyone Varus know dying = he wants to kill the people who are responsible, even breaking his own moral code to do so, getting some awesome weapon, and then slaughtering people en masse with it 'for vengeance'" --that's Varus lore in a stripped down sense. Replace that weapon with a bomb belt, and set it in modern times. . .

Galactic MayhemDec 1, 20171 votes

{quoted}

Eh. . . not really. that's how extremest are born. "War + everyone Varus know dying = he wants to kill the people who are responsible, even breaking his own moral code to do so, getting some awesome weapon, and then slaughtering people en masse with it 'for vengeance'" --that's Varus lore in a stripped down sense. Replace that weapon with a bomb belt, and set it in modern times. . .

Why a bomb belt? and not a normal weapon? Also you just described 99% of revenge stories

SEKAIDec 1, 201711 votes

[{quoted}](name=Gét Jinxed,realm=EUW,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=Q0hN6NhG,comment-id=00020000000000010000,timestamp=2017-12-01T15:10:07.187+0000)

Why a bomb belt? and not a normal weapon? Also you just described 99% of revenge stories

The bomb belt analogy is applicable imo, because Varus' bow was killing himself just as much as he was killing others, given the corruption and stuff; and he knew that completely, he wasn't unaware of the consequences, just that he simply no longer cared. He took up the bow with the sole intention to go out with a bang and drag the "responsible" down there with him while he's at it, you see.

It's a revenge story, yes, but it's also an extremist suicide bomber story in the case of Varus. While he may not be literally going out with a bang, context wise that's still very much the story.

But hey, I guess you can still just say it's like any other tragic revenge story where the protagonist dies in the end after completing their goal. Who knows.

MuffledGarbageDec 1, 20179 votes

It seems generic if you only know the old lore by surface level.

Varus old lore painted him as the attempted hero who tried but FAILED in his DUTY.

After his FAILURE he risks possibly everybody who is left alive's life for the sake of revenge.

He's a "Ghost rider" effectively.

Diving into his Lore shows how riot made a good spin(that was original) of the "started a hero but lived long enough to see himself become the villain" character

Galactic MayhemDec 1, 20173 votes

{quoted}

It seems generic if you only know the old lore by surface level.

Varus old lore painted him as the attempted hero who tried but FAILED in his DUTY.

After his FAILURE he risks possibly everybody who is left alive's life for the sake of revenge.

He's a "Ghost rider" effectively.

Diving into his Lore shows how riot made a good spin(that was original) of the "started a hero but lived long enough to see himself become the villain" character

Hum,in varus old lore there was no one left,also hero corrupted hero stories are a dime a dozen

MuffledGarbageDec 1, 201710 votes

The Corrupted hero cliche involves a hero who doesn't KNOW what they are doing is wrong because it's been "right" and is that heroes "version of justice" even if that ideal version of justice is shooting before asking questions.

But a hero who CHOSE corruption for the sake of revenge?

That's a unique twist on the archetype and brings new depths to Varus's thinking and makes him interesting.

That's why old lore Varus fans liked him.

That was changed entirely into an admittedly good two main characters at the cost of a Dearly loved character.

That's the main gripe that people have with the new lore change, that it was unnecessary

WarWorkDec 2, 20174 votes

I really agree with you, I think a good number of people who called his old lore generic, didn't actually read it and instead only know some key points of the story.

ChompyWulfDec 2, 20174 votes

Actually, part of what made Varus so tragic was that he didn't fail his duty.

Old Varus was an exceptionally skilled Archer who won the honor of guarding a temple, and when Noxus invaded had to choose between his duty to guard the temple OR protect and save his family and the village. Varus slew countless Noxians and saved the temple, but the village was destroyed. Part of his rage and torment is knowing he could have saved them all, though the temple would have been lost. Accepting the corruption to wreck terrible vengeance is an expression of that rage and self loathing.

Instead we have a couple gays who can't even successfully keep each other safe in a fight and don't have a clue about the temple. How this isn't a stupid downgrade I don't know.

GhaelWindsDec 1, 20176 votes

I think you touched on one of the problems I've had with this whole thing. By changing Varus' complete character (an already controversial idea) And combining that with LGBTQ (an also controversial idea) now a lot of the feedback about it just gets confused for each other. Adding in the gay aspect to this already issue just seemed like Riot was sweeping it under the rug and not giving BOTH issues the attention they need.

ModCaptainMårvelousDec 2, 20172 votes

I think one thing you're not touching on is that part of the reason they can't outright cancel it is due to a lot of the work Riot puts into their music videos, art, animation, lore etc.

The basic jist is that for all these teams to come together and make something like Varus is both a huge time and monetary investment. I'm not saying you can't be mad but to demand Riot throw away everything they've made using an amount of money I doubt any of us will personally have in our lifetime is kind of...well, it probably isn't something they want to do. I do agree, however, that Riot's lore team can be a bit too self-congratulatory for their work.

ChompyWulfDec 2, 20173 votes

Creating a music video for a lore release is just a stupid waste for no reason. A music video for a new champ, or a music album makes sense.

It's on Riot if they won't spend resources more smartly, like on better playtesters, balance teams, actually share profit with Esports teams, etc...

Wasting their money on a big lore change just because they can makes the lazy writing and paltry SJW appeasement even more despicable.

This company is doing a great job of alienating more and more old fans while being demeaning toward new ones. Riot is slowly killing their ~~flagship~~ only game.

ModCaptainMårvelousDec 2, 20171 votes

Not at all. And who is to say that this song/music can't go into another album like Curse of the Sad Mummy? It's all advertising, however you slice it. Also: You're implying that this music video is taking away from other aspects, which isn't true. Riot doesn't have one single, massive swimming pool filled with cash that says "ALL OF RIOT'S MONEY". Each team has resources allocated to it, all of which can spend the budget how they choose. The lore/cinematic team decided to do a music video.

Also, we've said it before, but you need to divide politics from your personal feelings about the lore.

ChompyWulfDec 2, 20174 votes

First, the politics. Riot does a disservice to everyone involved making Varus the first canon queer. They stripped away a tragic hero who really is the first to have any kind of deep and meaningful relationship in his lore. They stripped away his skill, which saved a temple from conquest, and replaced it with "oh noes, one if them died" because clearly two weren't as good as old one. They imply the gay pair is inferior to the old hetero. All around, they did an awful job of trying to represent a minority for the first time, not even bringing personal feelings into the mix.

Second, money. As much as you distract from it, Riot DOES have a singular company budget. If they did use a large amount of resources for a music video for something like a lore rewrite, that is money that should be stripped from a consistently worse and worse project team and given over to other company aspects that will do a lot more to improve the game. The lore department has just been worse and worse and needs wholesale gutted.

ModCaptainMårvelousDec 2, 20171 votes

Ok but the political/being gay thing has no actual sway/is so minor compared to the main issue people have. If it was a man and a woman, you'd have the same result. The issue isn't Varus's canon sexuality (or Val or whatever you want to call the fusion of three people), but that the story got changed. Which is totally fine. That's the issue here that people are having. I doubt anyone cares as much about Varus being gay as much as they do about the changes from his old story. New Varus didn't really "lose" anything in the story. His family is ok, the two lovers are technically together, etc. The core point is that the story people are criticizing is not "Gay vs. straight" but "Old lore vs. new lore", which is the one that holds merit. Bringing the gay thing into the argument is a disservice and only reinforces the narrative of this being about sexuality and not people who like/dislike the lore based on the story told.

And again, while Riot does have a singular company budget, it's split into several pools and fields. You're also denying/overlooking how much these aspects of Riot bring in from the music and lore department. For example: Pentakill's new music video is at ten million views over the span of 4 months. Get Jinxed is at 64 million views over the four year time span. And As we fall is at two million in just two days. That's a lot of advertising for the investment and more than Riot would make stripping the lore budget/music video budget and giving it to the advertising team. You're doing way too much to overlook just how valuable these teams and things are in putting League in the public eye.

ChompyWulfDec 3, 20172 votes

The fact Riot stepped into what inevitably is a political event makes it relevant. They introduced their first legit canon gay champ/couple. That may not have been a big deal SO much if it weren't for the fact they did so rewriting a character whom was beloved by some for the tragedy of his biography and one of the few who was a husband and father. That their first LBGT(QRS+whatever else...can we agree the acronym growing is getting a bit silly?) homo is in lore far weaker than the hetero original is just a bad slap to those who may have rejoiced for a homo champ.

And yeah....Riot doesn't need advertising. Guarantee the vast majority of video views are either already LoL players or other gamers who have likely heard of the game already. That money is still a waste which could be used far better. Your linking of the vids reeks of sellout who won't listen anyway and just defend your overlord Rito.