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@Riot. Skinline Transparency with The Evolution.

ZedUsanGovos·2/14/2018, 2:51:13 PM·1 votes·12,775 views

While in a discussion with another person over The Evolution skinline (Mecha, BCast, PROJECT, Program, and now Resistance) and whether it's one complete skinline, the issue of Rioters actually confirming anything came up. Obviously, we see a Vel'Koz shaped entity in PROJECT: Katarina's splash art, but Riot hasn't said anything confirming it (as far as either of us found) to be either THE Battlecast Vel'Koz, or another version of BCast, as obviously Viktor would make more versions of each "soldier" in his army, each version similar in design, but superior to the previous iteration. So we've been given all these hints that the complete timeline of each skinline matches up, with each skinline having SOME role in the overall story of this AU, yet nothing has been confirmed. Here's the basic timeline.

BCast is created by Viktor.

Mecha is supposedly created by Jayce to counteract them.

Full-Metal might be a part of the skinline, as exosuits for Jayce and his team, but I'm not sure if it's confirmed.

Sion is hacked by Viktor.

Viktor wins, and establishes his regime (Neo-Ionia from the Overdrive cinematic, among other cities).

Program fits into the timeline as an AI which creates the PROJECT Corp, either as its own entity or an AI made by Viktor which went rogue (ironic). Camille helps the fight against G/NETIC, and hunts down rogue augments (PROJECTS) which can't be reprogrammed. iBlitzcrank is big Roomba w/ hand-hook which remains with its current code until the new command line is given to kill aLL HUMANS. Liss is the Big Mama of the AI, and Soraka is the medic, who doesn't let augments die, but rather, saves them to be reprogrammed.

PROJECT is... PROJECT. Different factions and characters, like the G/NETIC Resistance Force, PROJECT's Command Line Counter-Espionage Squad, the law enforcement (Vi), black market hackers (Ekko and Jhin-- the former of whom joined G/NETIC, and the latter of whom became a merc), and lone wolves like Vayne, who worked in Command Line, but was betrayed by PROJECT. She now works alone to take down her former employers.

Resistance is, well, a resistance against Viktor and/or the PROJECT Corp. Illaoi breaks free from becoming BCast'ed and joins Cait.

This is more or less the basic connection between all five skinlines, given by clues from teasers (Sion's), splash arts (PROJECT: Kat), login screens, (Sion's) have given us to connect each skinline and fill in the blanks, and yet the only Rioter confirmed thing (aside from PROJECT and Program being connected) is of Resistance being connected to BCast. Nobody else in the Mecha universe has been hinted at being able to hack Sion, and there's been no given reason for the Mechas to be built in the first place OTHER than to counter act the BCasts, which have been confirmed to be fairly large in the AU lore. Most of them bigger than their lore counterparts.

Unlike Dark Star and Star Guardian, Riot has yet to confirm most of this as being truly connected in one overall AU, or being separate.

However, ALSO unlike DStar and SGuard, The Evolution's AU has stems to connect the skinlines. BCast Vel'Koz in PROJECT: Kat's splash art, Creator Viktor hacking Mecha Xer0 Zero Sion, something that looks similar to Vel'Koz (albeit with more tentacles, and without a red eye/flashlight) in Program Cam's splash, etc.

The only thing the DStar/SGuard had going for it is the word "Star" in both, despite the fact that Dark Star is to Cosmic what Marauder is to Warden. They're rival skins. Like Mecha and Battlecast, or Zombie and Slayer, or Lunar Wraith and Radiant.

So, my question to any Rioter who can answer it and confirm it is:

#Are Battlecast, Mecha, PROJECT, Program, and now Resistance all a part of the same skinline, or have the teasers and splash art references just all had random things which just so happen to coincide with the other skinlines?

53 Comments

RiotKindlejack2/15/2018, 8:04:04 AM12 votes

I love all the speculation, it’s always fun to imagine various characters crossing paths and I wouldn’t want to limit anyone’s imagination. However this post cslls for transparency so I’ll let you know where we are are at.

Program is finally officially part of the PROJECT universe. It was always my intention so much love to the current team keeping that dream alive. I actually pitched that Pulsefire was also part of the ‘P-theme’ which would explain why Vi is solo, but it was decided to be it’s own thing as intrepid timetravellers are more fun and could show up in any skin theme’s timeline.

Battlecast finally has Resistance, originally riffing off the idea of using the old Caitlyn skin as a launching point for a cadre of skins to fight against Vik’s Robotnik-esque machines. A silhouette that looks like Velkoz was only ever in Kat’s splash because of a cheeky outsourcer, but I can’t blame him, easter eggs are cool even if they inadvertently drive players mad. We tried to course correct in Camille’s splash by showing that it is not in fact Velkoz.

Lastly Mecha still stands alone, built by Yordles for some great purpose, I believe that one day we will see them protect Runeterra. But will it be from Angels, or Giant Enemy Crabgot?

As a side note there is now little snippets of flavour text accompanying skins, an addition I’ve hoped for for years! AU Lore enthusiasts rejoice :P

GreenLore2/14/2018, 4:43:54 PM2 votes

I did some digging and at least last year they actually confirmed that none of these skinlines were connected. https://boards.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/c/story-art/Ef60a2HF-what-is-the-story-of-the-program-skins?show=nested&comment=00010000 (said post also makes it clear that star guardian and dark star are not in the same universe)

Now Kindlejack did later say that at least Program and Project were connected(though he never said if this was just their personal headcanon or official),so it is possible that they changed their minds about that(or back then they simply didn't want to make these connections official) https://www.reddit.com/r/leagueoflegends/comments/6rw755/what_do_you_think_of_the_programproject_universe/dl96260/

It is also noteworthy that despite this,none of the project bios mention the program skinline https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fuZpHLNeH9yHSnLm34EKLvQRJ4hrGG98KZNAyvLf_f0/edit So it is possible that Kindlejacks ideas about Project and Program aren't the official canon.

Oleandervine2/14/2018, 3:00:40 PM1 votes

It's been pretty much well known for years now that Battlecast, Mecha, and PROJECT existed in the same skinverse. Program Camille last year confirmed that the Programs also existed in that universe. And quite obviously, they flat out told us Resistance exists in the same skinverse with the Illaoi articles.

WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOO2/14/2018, 4:24:08 PM1 votes

I was under the impression that Program/Project are together while the others are so far unconnected.

HalfTangible2/14/2018, 4:32:23 PM1 votes

PROJECT's skinline has the GNETIC and PROJECT factions in conflict. It's been implied through PROJECT Vayne that the Programs are part of that skinverse as well.

However, I cannot for the life of me conceive how you got the idea that Battlecast takes place in the same universe when you know full well that Viktor rules the Battlecast Universe because he forced his Evolution on the populace. The PROJECT-verse given no indication that Viktor exists, let alone that he runs PROJECT, and if GNETIC is resisting them, then Viktor could not possibly have crushed Jayce's resistance (as would have to be the case for the world to get EVEN MORE cyberpunk than Battlecast already was), because Viktor would devote himself to making sure that such a rebellion never happened again.

If it's meant to be the same universe but far into the future, then PROJECT has had multiple chances to show Viktor as some deific messiah-figure or something. Instead it went out of its way to show that the desire for upgrades is not universal (see PROJECT Vi).