ANNIE

Johnny El Rojo·Feb 1, 2018·66 votes·16,422 views

It's as sad as we imagined.

209 Comments

RiotDyQuillFeb 1, 201827 votes

Sup Boards - we'll be hanging around in the comments for an impromptu quasi-sorta-AMA!

GreenLoreFeb 1, 201810 votes

First of all I really liked the video,great job there.

Now there are a few things that I'd wonder about: -Will Annie get a new skin to reflect her look in the cinematic or is her current look something that she adopted after her parents death?

-Its kinda weird how the death of Annies father isn't really mentioned in her written lore,it really sounds like she killed him too when she was enraged,even though the video shows us that this wasn't the case

-Was Annies father a mage too?It mentions that the ones with magic powers left the capital,but it never says if gregori was a mage as well or not

Xodiathe4bdn1Feb 1, 201815 votes

Will there be any other content released for Annie? Voice over? Splash update? Short story? Skins?

KillaburnFeb 1, 20189 votes

most importantly, VU to match her new visuals.

Xodiathe4bdn1Feb 1, 201810 votes

If only they didn’t discontinue VUs*[sg-janna]* So Many champions would benefit from VUs

RiotDyQuillFeb 1, 201822 votes

{quoted}

Will there be any other content released for Annie? Voice over? Splash update? Short story? Skins?

There's a new bio on Universe, but no color story (we figure this animation works as that).

Not planning any in-game updates because we feel her splash is high quality and well-liked, her gameplay is pretty solid, and she is still a very popular champion (especially for new players) so we didn't see a lot of value in changing any of that.

Her current VO was actually a contributing factor to this origin story: the team asked what Annie would have had to go through to find burning other people fun and playful, and decided there was probably some real trauma there. Which means that ANNIE: Origins really is just that - the first spark that leads Annie to develop the personality we see and know in-game.

Jeddy017Feb 1, 20183 votes

No splash art update, so I assume no model/small visual update or some change to her design to match the cinematic.

I'm fine with that. Her design in the cinematic does lack key parts of Annie's design that are pretty iconic with her character such as the cat ears, backpack & red/red-ish pink hair. And I don't think anyone would be happy to lose those.

Chromatic EagleFeb 1, 201812 votes

Having cat ears and a bookbag feels weird for a little girl that's supposed to be out in the woods set in medieval times.

Electro522Feb 1, 20183 votes

Mind if I ask how old Annie is now? The Annie we have in game is still 4 years old, and has a Voice Over to act the part. The Annie we have in the video is more around 7 or 8 years old, and even looks the part.

If there is anything I hope you guys would change about her one day, it is her VO. Make it match her age, you know?

Chromatic EagleFeb 1, 201810 votes

There's a new bio on Universe, but no color story (we figure this animation works as that).

I feel like the video is another form of her bio, so that's disappointing. More so when you compare what she has to Varus.

Not planning any in-game updates because we feel her splash is high quality and well-liked, her gameplay is pretty solid, and she is still a very popular champion (especially for new players) so we didn't see a lot of value in changing any of that.

Her outfit doesn't feel like something you'd see in Runeterra (a backpack for example), I'm not an Annie player (or skilled player in general), but having her kit revolve around flash doesn't seem that solid.

Her current VO was actually a contributing factor to this origin story: the team asked what Annie would have had to go through to find burning other people fun and playful, and decided there was probably some real trauma there. Which means that ANNIE: Origins really is just that - the first spark that leads Annie to develop the personality we see and know in-game.

Her in game personality is very bland compared to what we see here. Her lore doesn't even make her seem evil, but naive. At least MF I can say her voice reflects the facade she puts up.

SociopathFriendFeb 1, 201815 votes

Her outfit doesn't feel like something you'd see in Runeterra (a backpack for example), I'm not an Annie player (or skilled player in general), but having her kit revolve around flash doesn't seem that solid.

This is a world where time-travel, guns, swords, magic, and star-making dragons all run around- a backpack is not that strange. It's a pack that goes on your back.

Chromatic EagleFeb 1, 20183 votes

There are a lot of modern day inventions that I wouldn't expect in that time period.

RalanrFeb 1, 20184 votes

That’s fantasy for ya.

rtbf225618241Feb 1, 20184 votes

I don't see how her VO could ever be anything she could become from the looks of this video. If anything, she'd be so traumatized after this, she would be afraid of fire not use it to burn people alive.

RyusaetherFeb 1, 20182 votes

In the lore it says she views all people as her stepmother, plus she only burns whoever is a treat to her Tibbers, so it's not that illogical.

rtbf225618241Feb 1, 20185 votes

Yeah but she did that in pure anger and desperation and grief. She didn't go "HEHE XD!" when she did it.

TerraRisingFeb 1, 20185 votes

{quoted}

Sup Boards - we'll be hanging around in the comments, but we're also gonna be doing an AMA on the League subreddit if you're interested! (We'd do one on Boards but #thetechnologyisntthereyet)

Nice video, but why do so many people at Riot hate fathers?

First, Varus is changed from despondent father and husband to this "Heartsworn" thing...

(Side note: When's that "holistic Narrative process" thing coming? Does it really take two months to write an article like that?)

Then, Kassadin goes from arrogant adventurer to generic "I must rescue my daughter before I die" character.

Now, we have Gregori, who is killed by Annie (accidentally) in order to advance her character.

What's with Rito and this thing against fathers?

ModThe DjinnFeb 1, 20186 votes

{quoted} We'd do one on Boards but #thetechnologyisntthereyet

Out of curiosity (since the volunteer team has been working on rolling out some cosmetic changes and minor features like the new vote highlighting), what would you need to do an AMA on the boards? Not too familiar with the format, but I'm interested in seeing what features you'd say you need to see if we could accommodate you somehow.

About the only things I can see off the top of my head is that AMAs often have downvotes disabled, and require a question in an initial post. Is that really it?

RiotDyQuillFeb 1, 20188 votes

Bad joke, because I'm dumb. I just now realized there's a "discussion view"....

Basically just the ability to view most upvoted questions - i've always found it difficult to track replies, answer top questions, etc. in the chronological view. But now that we've established I'm just a bonobo, I take it back - we can totally do an AMA on the Boards.

I guess we can consider this post an impromptu one? I'll let the team know to check here in addition to the subreddit.

AuraCreedFeb 2, 20182 votes

By any chance will the music used in the animation ever be released separately? The one when Annie's father is trying to get her out of the house is my absolute favorite and I'd love to have it as a single piece.

RiotDyQuillFeb 2, 20184 votes

You can find all the music here: https://soundcloud.com/leagueoflegends

DianaIsMyWifeFeb 2, 20181 votes

{quoted}

Sup Boards - we'll be hanging around in the comments for an impromptu quasi-sorta-AMA!

Hey Riot Quick Question Are you going to make anything Like Diana and Leona?

RiotDyQuillFeb 2, 20183 votes

I pray to the sun every day and the moon every night that we will

Xenos von FaneliFeb 3, 20182 votes

{quoted}

I pray to the sun every day and the moon every night that we will

Praise the Sun

Malicious MetalFeb 1, 201818 votes

I'm going to be honest. This is a story we've seen before and I really don't get Riot's reasoning for making every single character grimdark and have some sort of tragic backstory. Just like they just killed off Zac's parents.

WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOFeb 1, 201821 votes

You’re right it definitely doesn’t fit Annie, the Dark Child

Chromatic EagleFeb 1, 201832 votes

Annie was always dark. Now she’s more relatable. Zac isn’t a dark character, he just had a tragedy. People keep seeing him as Batman, but I see him as Spider-Man.

RiotDyQuillFeb 1, 201816 votes

Dude you just made me see Zac in a whole new light and I love it

CasterGilgameshFeb 1, 20183 votes

characters need hardships to shape them into what we see

HellioningFeb 1, 20187 votes

No they don't? People (and characters) are shaped by their experiences, but not all of them need to be hardships.

WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOFeb 1, 201810 votes

You don’t become a psycho pyromancer without trauma.

IdresslikeabatFeb 1, 201814 votes

Question for Annie's dad: What was the point of all them push ups if you can't even lift a bloody log?

RiotDyQuillFeb 1, 20187 votes

https://i.imgur.com/vncZ8J3.gif

KillaburnFeb 1, 201813 votes

That was magnificent! Kudos to the lore team that made this cinematic or the whole annie relaunch possible.

The only thing that needs to be updated is annie's visuals, model, voice overs and her classic splash. I think her ingame skins needs some love too but skin splashes might take a while but its fine as long as riot updates all the things that i've listed to make the dark child updated.

PS:We all know that annie is from noxus but why does the universe page says excludes her being one. Ye, we all know that she is not partaking in the noxus agenda but her place is still noxus.

EDIT: If her classic look is so iconic, why not make it a traditional skin( even though you discontinued it, why not make annie the last one or an exception) or make the classic skin an academy annie skin cause she looks like she's going to school.

Hovering HentaiFeb 1, 201811 votes

Dammit lore team I'm not used to feeling emotions!

Pale MaskFeb 1, 201810 votes

Also, new lore:

https://universe.leagueoflegends.com/en_US/story/champion/annie/

GreenLoreFeb 1, 201812 votes

A bit weird that this lore piece doesn't mention her father dying while trying to protect annie from the flames. It kinda makes it sound like Annie murdered her father in her rage,when it was actually because she accidently set the house on fire.

Also I think it is interesting how Annies real mother just disappeared one day,I hope that they'll focus on that eventually as well.

Chromatic EagleFeb 1, 20182 votes

I think it was implied that Annie killed her mother by accident.

FutureCreatorFeb 1, 20183 votes

Nah, she died when she went to the river at night to get some cold water, most likely killed by some wild animals from what I understood

GreenLoreFeb 1, 20185 votes

I think it is more likely that her disappearance is supposed to be essentially a sequel hook.

I mean Annies father didn't find any traces of his wife,so unless annie turned her into ash,it is highly unlikely that Annie killed her.

ToppienFeb 1, 20189 votes

item 3070 [sg-janna]

on the other hand, good riddance to the stepmother

[sg-shisa]

Ebonmaw DragonFeb 1, 20187 votes

RIP Gregori Hastur, the Gray.... not Warlock... At least his name still canon.

AbiwonKenabiFeb 1, 20181 votes

Amoline the Witch is still canon, too. RIP to both of them.

Ebonmaw DragonFeb 1, 20186 votes

{quoted}

Amoline the Witch is still canon, too. RIP to both of them.

Well, the lore technically does not say that she died... sure, its assumed and i doubt that she would be alive after all, but who knows?

Also shadow bears are still cannon as well.

BeatzBoyFTWFeb 1, 20186 votes

http://i0.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/mobile/000/012/073/7686178464_fdc8ea66c7.jpg

WhiteAcresFeb 1, 20185 votes

So if she's a brunette, how does she eventually get her red / pink hair that we see in game?

Electro522Feb 1, 20184 votes

God damn..........so....i'm curious.......is Tibbers now the source of her power? Because they made it seem like all of the fire was radiating out of him.

Also, I do hope that she is one of the champs to get a new Voice Over. The Annie we have in game is 4 years old, the Annie in this clip is around.....I'd say 7 years old.....maybe 8. They also kind of look the part.....who knows, maybe an Annie VU is on the way.

Lajinn5Feb 1, 201819 votes

Tibbers probably works more akin to a focus than anything. The magic is inside Annie, but its projected through Tibbers. Probably due to its importance to her as one of her few prized possessions

RiotDyQuillFeb 1, 20189 votes

^ team tells me this is about right

RiotRiotPastaBombFeb 1, 201813 votes

Yes.

Imagine a little girl who spent most of her life by herself. She has a wicked imagination as kids do and was often left to her own devices. Naturally she's created her own imaginary friend to keep her company, Tibbers. Who she views as her "safe place".

So when Annie is pushed into a corner, or is having to deal with uncomfortable emotions, she naturally looks to Tibbers as a form on comfort like muscle memory. she's funnels magic into Tibbers, unintentionally at first but becomes her voice of magic use.