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@KatyChaos Disappointed In Harrowing/Halloween Skins

Winterkill·10/12/2017, 4:21:41 AM·27 votes·10,734 views

It looks like the general consensus is that no one likes these skins . . . . and only accept the Viktor skin because it is a new skin for Viktor. It's kind of upsetting to see you guys do such a great job last year, to see you flop this year. In 2015 you did the same thing you are doing now: giving us a horrible concept that no one asked for. I don't care what anyone says, these skins are terrible. People wait an entire year for spooky, fun, and cool Halloween skins. We do not wait the entire year for another Halloween for Katarina skin, a cheap looking Zed skin that is disgusting to look at, and a poorly conceptualized Viktor skin that could have been a lot better since he didn't have a skin for the longest time.

You have yet again . . . . dropped the ball and made this more about giving specific champions a skin quota every year . . . than taking the time to give us amazing skins for champions. You couldn't even be bothered to tell us a story with these skins like you did last year and in 2015. This years skins is 10x worse than 2015 and 2015 was very bad. With such great ideas over the years you co:uld have really gone all out this year. Instead you gave us a Katarina skin with bad hair and another Halloween skin, disgusting to look at Zed skin that is very poorly done that almost every Zed main hates, and a Viktor skin that should have been 10x better than what we have on the PBE right now.

Before you downvote me to the moon, look at what we could have gotten if Riot actually listened and stopped having the popular champion quote mindset:

http://orig09.deviantart.net/d6a3/f/2013/221/0/a/sea_witch_nami_by_shockowaffel-d6hdym3.jpg

https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/006/291/246/large/vlx-bacescu-1ingame.jpg

http://st.elohell.net/public/chill/5d35c169a4a3633f22b0d32de1058443.jpg

http://u28.imgup.net/comic35cf.png

https://i.imgur.com/rfVuCJr.jpg

You couldn't even be bothered to give us a new ward skin this year. All the years you are told the same thing, stick to what the community likes and stop creating skins for the same champions just because the champion needs a new skin every year. With such great ideas I cannot fathom how you think the garbage we have right now on the PBE is better than the ideas the community has been giving you for years now.

Listen to your community. Remove that disgusting Zed and Katarina skin or really make it great. It's low budget looking right now.

39 Comments

Riotmoonstones10/12/2017, 6:52:04 PM12 votes

*KateyKhaos ;)

Harrowing/Tales From the Rift are not tied to to one particular thematic, such as traditional Halloween (pumpkins, witches). We've done several different themes this time of year. We've done traditional, haunted, zombies, slayers, as well as costumes. It isn't the same every year, and that's intentional.

You're disgusted by Zed and aren't happy with Viktor, which is your opinion and that's fine, but tell me why. We can't do much with what you're currently saying. We aren't going to remove/not ship these skins, but we are opening to hearing constructive, detailed feedback on what you like/dislike and how you'd change it/what you'd like to see changed - obviously within scope of time we have left.

I don't disagree that the art you'd posted (It'd be rad if you credited the artists!) are some awesome concepts that could work - especially something like the Halloween Bard, but they weren't fitting for the story telling/overall theme we went with this year.

There is a ward skin, Death Sworn ward - it's on PBE now, and will be shipping with these skins.

Fear the Kayn10/14/2017, 9:20:49 AM4 votes

Riot has this thing for not listening to player created skins. No idea why, but it seems like such a chore for them to actually listen and create a player-designed skin (Dragon Master Swain, for example), even though those skins would be extremely lucrative. Very strange.

Personally, I'd really like there to be a monthly contest for a player designed skin to be voted into creation.

Chembaron Yamada10/12/2017, 8:49:43 AM4 votes

  1. I actually like the Viktor skin, thinking about getting it.

  2. Keep in mind that they are aiming at skins with a shared theme. Dropping random skins here doesn't cut it, they should fit together.

  3. Sea Witch Nami and Day of the Dead Orianna are not really Halloween skins in my opinion.

I agree that Zed and Katarina were a let down, but we have to deal with it now. Viktor was highly requested to have this Halloween skin and that's a plus. If you want better skins next year, suggest a complete skin line with multiple champs for them.

HonestJohnTheCon10/12/2017, 10:31:44 AM4 votes

Eh, I realized why the Katarina and Zed skins seem bad compared to Viktor's, and that's because of Viktor's crimson cape. The other two use a bright pink that seems cheesy, so if they just replaced that with blood-red it would look a lot better.

Vanjie10/12/2017, 5:23:39 AM3 votes

Agreed.

Dreamspitter10/12/2017, 8:33:42 AM3 votes

Shut up and don't take away my ghost-Wolverine Zed!

Rambi10/14/2017, 10:43:36 PM2 votes

I want to add my two cents here, as I've been playing since beta and have seen the themes change year to year. The biggest problem with this year is, like many have already said..... there is no theme. ESPECIALLY in comparison to last year's skins that were absolutely dripping in theme, this is a massive letdown. The whole point of holiday/seasonal skins is that they fit the theme of the holiday/season. I absolutely LOATHED the 2015 Harrowing skins and was bitterly disappointed, but, and I can't believe I'm saying it, I dislike these more.

The Zombie Slayer theme was a bad theme, but at least it had a theme. This year, the theme is... blue? vaguely spooky? kinda ghastly? I don't think I've seen a post in this thread that can pinpoint succinctly what the theme is. To be fair, I think the Viktor skin is fine, but not as a Harrowing skin. Release it as part of the D&D inspired skin set where he's a warlock or something. Others have already pointed out the many many issues with Zed and Kat.

I think what gets lost sometimes is that it's forgotten what the real reason is for players loving the seasonal skins. We look forward to these every year because it's an awesome chance to have a few skins absolutely dripping with the theme of the season or the holiday. We get vaguely edgy skins all year long, so why do the Harrowing skins need to be more of the same?

I think there's a particular backlash to these skins because this year, we also got the bitter disappointment of no Pool Party skins. So Katey, it does sound like Riot listens to feedback. Hopefully next year, it's reflected on why 2015 and 2017 were so reviled, and why 2016 is universally beloved.

Nintendo 3DS10/13/2017, 6:52:33 PM2 votes

:O at this point a lot of players are expecting them to be scrapped.

Are you still looking for ideas for these skins ? i've got a lot to say :D What changes are really possible tho? idk if its too late but i'm really determined to save them if possible. Either way..well it be really sad for them. But can't like everything i suppose.

Monkeytender10/13/2017, 5:33:24 PM1 votes

Katey, I gotta ask, why the decision to make all three Halloween skins this year for mid champions? I feel like these holiday skin lines are looked forward to by the majority of the playerbase each year, so to limit all three skins to mid players feels kinda crummy.

Variks the Loyal10/13/2017, 6:32:17 PM1 votes

I love the new skins you heathen.

robotmaster10/12/2017, 6:25:36 PM1 votes

Yeah champs that haven’t gotten a skin in a year and a half or more would be been a nice opportunity.

JooshBox10/13/2017, 7:18:43 PM1 votes

Those Bard skins I would buy both instantly.

Nintendo 3DS10/12/2017, 11:45:14 AM1 votes

Feels a bit sad for Viktor. He finally has his moment to shine after waiting years for a new skin and... It happen to be on the worst skin batch released. Cmon, the robot husband deserves better. WAY BETTER. (honestly after letting him without a skin for so long i would have expected him to get a skin for himself only, not part of a line, and especially not the worst line ever, and even less legacy)

Here is a idea : just scrap these Death Sworn and make Sewn Chaos the Halloween skin of this year :^)

Zed looks painful and embarrassing to look at. And yet the shadows as ghost was a great idea. Kata is pretty but her fanservice is showing too much and she's dull as hell. Rito please don't kill off your concepts before they are even born... Viktor is... well, i'm glad he has a skin fnally. Its just not...at the good moment.

AbiwonKenabi10/12/2017, 2:36:08 PM1 votes

I actually wasn't even thinking they were Halloween skins, but yeah, I guess they are.

It's difficult to follow up last year's skins; Morgana, Tristana and Teemo all got some of their best skins period, in one fell swoop. However, I am disappointed that they weren't more creative like they were with Tristana, for example. Heck, even some of the older skins like Headless Hecarim, Haunted Maokai, Mundo Mundo, Lollipoppy, Bewitching Nidalee, that one LeBlanc skin...all of those skins are more in the Halloween spirit in some fashion and are creative and fun.

Death Sworn I guess they are going for the Shadow Isle look? Like a "what-if" skin? But even then it fails because the Zed and Katarina skins are nothing special. It has nothing to do with their popularity or frequency of skins and everything to do with skins that just aren't interesting or fun. Kitty Katarina is fun, even if it's just an outfit change and inspired by a simple name pun. Death Sworn Katarina just has nothing going for it. Like, why should Katarina get the skin, how does it suit her theme better than any others? I would have rather her gotten a Vampire hunter-themed skin or something, felt like that would have been a lot cooler and visually distinct from her other skins (I guess it doesn't fit the "theme" for this year though. Hm...a Vampire hunter line would be pretty sweet though...Katarina, Vayne, maybe someone gets a Vampire skin...See? I came up with this theme in like ten seconds and it's already more compelling than this theme they probably worked months on).

Viktor's skin is the one good thing coming out of this. The theme actually suits him for one: a man obsessed with improving his weak human body into something better, only this time its undead-ness not machinery. Visually it suits him too, as Viktor is always one for being sort of regal and superior, almost super-villain-y. I do wonder if we could have gotten a better skin for him after such a long wait, but what we got isn't bad, and distinct enough from his other skins to hopefully satisfy Viktor fans for a while.