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Skin Team Hard at Work

Ravenhale··10 votes·5,404 views

After noting a remark from someone protesting the lack of a new skin for Viktor, I decided to sit down and take a look at what all has been released in the past year.

If we include Legacy Skins from Harrowing/Snowdown/Worlds since September 1st, 2014... 108 of 128 champions have had a new skin. Personally, I don't like to include Legacy Skins because they are limited availability and essentially useless to anyone that starts up the game and takes a liking to a character. But even if we disregard Legacy skins, we still have 93 of 128 champions with new skins in the past sixteen months. That's a noteworthy accomplishment for Riot, even if some of the skins fell short of the expectations of those that main those champions.

It would be my guess that some of these long waiting champions will soon get a skin. Presenting the remaining 35 in the order in which they haven't had a non legacy skin we have: {Indicates order if including Legacy}

  1. Leblanc - Wicked November 2010 - Legacy Mistletoe December 2011 - Legacy Ravenborn October 2014 - I'm a bit surprised she hasn't had any love for what I thought was the poster child of Assassin Mages. It might be a short wait as there are others that don't even have Legacy skins in their recent history.

  2. [1] Yorick - Pentakill June 2011 - I guess this guy is pending rework, so he might not see any skins in the near future.

  3. [2] Sion - Warmonger July 2011 - Rework has been over for a long time. I would think he would be a "large" candidate for the skin creation team.

  4. [3] Taric - Bloodstone August 2011 - Another champion on the rework block.

  5. Nunu - Demolisher August 2011 - Zombie November 2015 - I'm sure those that did play Nunu appreciated the new skin, even if it was Legacy. If Leblanc is any indication, it may be a solid year before he sees a regular skin in his closet.

  6. Karthus - Pentakill August 2011 - Fnatic September 2014 - I don't believe this guy is on the table for rework, so possibly soon? Better get those community ideas out there for this guy.

  7. Malzahar - Overlord September 2011 - Snowday December 2014 - In the same boat as Leblanc.

  8. [4] Kennen - Arctic Ops December 2011 - Shocking to see him in the top ten.

  9. Wukong - Jade Dragon January 2012 - Underworld October 2014 - Another passenger on the S.S.Legacy.

  10. Talon - Dragonblade January 2012 - SSW May 2015 - Not really expecting to see this one soon with the somewhat recent Legacy skin release.

  11. [5] Poppy - Scarlet Hammer February 2012 - Fresh off rework so it might be a little while before we see something new on her.

  12. Orianna - Bladecraft February 2012 - TPA May 2013 - Winter Wonder December 2014 - I wonder if she qualifies as a passenger or cargo.

  13. [6] Urgot - Battlecast March 2012 - For some reason, Gentleman Urgot sounds like a hilarious idea.

  14. [11] Shen - Warlord April 2012 - TPA May 2013 - I guess this guy is going to be reworked after Taric. It could be a bit longer.

  15. [7] Swain - Tyrant May 2012 - I'm surprised this guy hasn't been given any recent skins.

  16. Singed - Augmented July 2012 - Snow Day December 2013 - SSW May 2015 - Probably won't be any time soon with the recent Legacy addition.

  17. [8] Nocturne - Eternum December 2012 - This has to be on the drawing board.

  18. [9] Kayle - Aether Wing January 2013 - With her sister also in this list, perhaps we will see a theme that features them both in the next month or so.

  19. [10] Cassiopeia - Jade Fang February 2013 - I wonder how they will appease this dedicated fan base.

  20. Jarvan IV - Warring Kingdoms February 2013 - Fnatic September 2014 - Even his legacy barely made the cutoff for what I'd label recent.

  21. Corki - Dragonwing February 2013 - Fnatic September 2014 - Identical resume to Jarvan.

  22. Shyvana - Ice Drake April 2013 - Championship October 2014 - Barely more recent than Jarvan.

  23. [12] Morgana - Ghostbride June 2013 - Victorious November 2014 - You can't even buy Victorious skins, so I'm hoping this is on the horizon.

  24. Sejuani - Bear Cavalry August 2013 - Poro Rider December 2014 - Probably has a longer wait than any of the others with 2014 Legacy skins.

  25. Janna - Forecast September 2013 - Fnatic September 2014 - Apparently missed her September 2015 release.

  26. [13] Viktor - Creator October 2013 - I feel for that man. Several that made the list before Viktor technically had more recent Legacy skins, but even removing those... Viktor still didn't make the top ten.

  27. [16] Zyra - Haunted October 2013 - SKT May 2014 - Thankfully Harrowing wasn't Legacy that year or we would only have original release skins on her (see Yorick).

  28. [14] Diana - Lunar Goddess January 2014 - I'm sure this will be soon.

  29. [15] Rumble - Super Galaxy April 2014 - With roughly 6 skins a month being released, we might see something by March or April next year.

  30. [17] Lissandra - Blade Queen May 2014 - Possibly on the heels of Rumble, depending on what themes will be coming out.

  31. Rengar - Night Hunter May 2014 - SSW May 2015 - Can we expect a non Legacy May 2016 release?

  32. Pantheon - Dragon Slayer May 2014 - Slayer November 2015 - Doubt we will see another skin from this guy any time soon but hopefully it won't be another "Slayer".

  33. [18] Maokai - Goalkeeper June 2014 - See Rumble/Lissandra.

  34. [19] Heimerdinger - Hazmat July 2014 - Ditto.

  35. [20] Veigar - Final Boss August 2014 - It will be hard to top this, but it might be some time before they get to his next skin.

It's worth noting that Veigar barely makes the list with a late August release. Also I can't reasonably include the Victorious Morgana as a recent Skin since it was a Season Reward, hence her high {} ranking.

If I were a betting man, I would say we might have a Nefarious Themed 750 Skin Line that would include Swain/Urgot/Nocturne/LeBlanc/Zyra in our near future. Who knows?

Edit: This topic was moved from another part of the board.

37 Comments

RiotKindlejack13 votes

Thanks for making this post! The whole team really took on a huge challenge this year to ramp up the quantity AND quality of skins produced and it's been awesome to see the response.

The list was interesting to read. Of course we do track when skins are released so we are aware how long it's been since a champ received a new skin, but it was a good chance for me to read your thoughts and compare it to what's happened over the last year. Sometimes skins, for a number of reasons, take a fairly long amount of time to be completed. Sometimes ideas come up that we really love that we think would work well at a certain time of the year. Sometimes champions are being reworked (Currently Shen and Taric) or planned for rework close enough that we can't develop skins until they are completed. And sometimes ideas in development don't work out and we go back to the drawing board. Such is the nature of development!

D2Vincent1 votes

Pssst...anything for Karthus by chance that you could give some sort of hint on?

Ravenhale1 votes

Thanks for the response. Nobody could argue missing only 20 out of 128 champions in sixteen months as being negligent. And I'm intrigued with the hints of a Beast Hunter Line that will include Sejuani, since she was mentioned in the list.

When I made this list, it was with anticipation. When I see Ryze and Tristana both get skins this month (last for both of them was back in October 2012), I felt it was fairly obvious that the skin team was whittling through this list and would get to these champions eventually. Sure, some of them might take a little longer than others because not every theme fits every champion or the idea on the board is unique like Cosmic Reaver or Gravelord. But I can tell these are coming.

RiotKindlejack3 votes

{quoted}

Thanks for the response. Nobody could argue missing only 20 out of 128 champions in sixteen months as being negligent. And I'm intrigued with the hints of a Beast Hunter Line that will include Sejuani, since she was mentioned in the list.

When I made this list, it was with anticipation. When I see Ryze and Tristana both get skins this month (last for both of them was back in October 2012), I felt it was fairly obvious that the skin team was whittling through this list and would get to these champions eventually. Sure, some of them might take a little longer than others because not every theme fits every champion or the idea on the board is unique like Cosmic Reaver or Gravelord. But I can tell these are coming.

It's honestly hard too, knowing that we had a Kassadin and Azir skin in development but not being able to let players know we hadn't forgotten about them. You are definitely right in thinking that we are trying to make sure no champions are left behind when it comes to getting new skins, although like I said sometimes there are unforseen issues that come up which cause projects to be put on hold or cancelled (which is exactly why we can't talk about skins until they hit PBE).

Nefas1 votes

I will most certainly argue the skin team is being negligent as long as any champ that isn't slated for a rework has gone 3+ years without any skins whatsoever like Swain and Kennen.

Ravenhale1 votes

To be fair, there isn't a large list of champions that received multiple skins in this sixteen month time frame. Counting Legacy and Victorious, I believe it was only sixteen. Most of them came in these past three months (all three Snow Days, Championship Kalista, Victorious Sivir, Gravelord Azir, Caskbearer Gragas [see Fnatic], Braum Lionheart, Varus Swiftbolt and Slayer Jinx). The other six were Ekko, Rek'Sai, Lulu, Skarner, Soraka and Thresh.

There really hasn't been blatant favoritism when it comes to quantity.

SuperLuigiLXIV1 votes

If there are champions waiting years for skins, and champions getting two skins in the same year, there is absolutely favoritism.

Ravenhale1 votes

And yet two skins upon release was a standard there for quite some time (ended in May 2012). A good portion of these "culprits" are champions released this year or in 2014 [Kalista/Azir/Gnar/Bard/Rek'Sai/Ekko/Braum] and most of the others involve a Legacy/Victorious skin. Skarner and Varus are the only two exceptions.

It's still a bit early to say the skin team has abandoned certain champions. Maybe in two or three months we will have a better idea of where they are going (cycling champions not on this list). But I wouldn't be terribly surprised if something like Heartseeker Kindred came out before some of these simply because she is a new champion that was released with one alternative skin.

SuperLuigiLXIV1 votes

Nidalee.

Ravenhale1 votes

And Challenger skins are also Legacy, as indicated by Challenger Ahri. Which prompts me to recognize that it was actually 18, since Ahri and Twitch both had Legacy and normal release skins in those sixteen months. It does not invalidate my statement that there are only two exceptions.

Though I will agree that Nidalee did not seem a good choice for the Challenger Line. Nidalee was in a pretty good position when it came to skins, even if Warring Kingdoms was nearly a year ago. Don't think the community by large would have complained if she had gone another six to eight months without a new one. That said, don't know who I would have rather seen in the Challenger Line. I don't personally like the look of Challenger Ahri and this new Nidalee skin isn't one I would get (and I have 5 of her skins). It just isn't a series I find visually appealing, like the Marauders and Wardens. It's like asking me which champion I would have preferred to take the Challenger bullet.

SuperLuigiLXIV1 votes

Sorry, but even a Legacy skin is a skin that older champions who need them more didn't get. I can't just agree with you saying they don't count because they're limited time only, when the time used to make them could still just as easily gone towards a skin for someone who needs it more.

Nefas1 votes

And several of those champions didn't even exist when Swain last got a skin. That is favoritism. Straight up.

Kallista, Azir, Ekko, Braum, Jinx, Thresh, Rek'Sai were all released after well after Swain's last skin.

Raid Boss Morde2 votes

Do any Rioters ever look at how long it has been since Yorick has had a skin and slowly shed a tear? 1600+ days and counting!

(Obviously joking, I know he's not getting a skin til his rework)

RiotKindlejack4 votes

[{quoted}](name=Raid Boss Morde,realm=NA,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=gW9Bk64n,comment-id=00020002,timestamp=2015-12-10T15:27:56.661+0000)

Do any Rioters ever look at how long it has been since Yorick has had a skin and slowly shed a tear? 1600+ days and counting!

(Obviously joking, I know he's not getting a skin til his rework)

We do though! We totally do. There are so many awesome concepts for Yorick skins and he'd be a blast to work on. item 3070 item 3070 item 3070 No one is more excited for reworks than the Skins team >xD

TerraRising2 votes

For the record, it's 1,634 days. as of December 11, 2015, or four and a half years since launch...

{quoted}

We do though! We totally do. There are so many awesome concepts for Yorick skins and he'd be a blast to work on. item 3070 item 3070 item 3070 No one is more excited for reworks than the Skins team >xD

Given how long it's taken the Skins team to make a new post rework Sion skin (I don't count the reworks as "new skins"), I really have a hard time believing that anyone from the Skins team is excited to work on Yorick when he gets reworked in 2017. Hell, your team managed to adapt the Project Fiora skin to her rework in less than two weeks, but it takes 15 months and counting to get a Sion skin released?

Frankly, Riot does not have an impressive track record in showing any love to the champ or desire to do anything positive for Yorick fans since his launch:

  • Riot employees continually badmouth him and his fans on Reddit, on Twitter, on these boards and even on LCS broadcasts and to my face...
  • No free week rotation.
  • No new skins in 4.5 years.
  • No merch plans (confirmed multiple times).
  • The artwork on Pentakill Yorick's champion page obscures him behind his icon on purpose.
  • Yorick was barely featured in the Pentakill event last year
  • Yorick's rework constantly skipped for other, easier to fix champs, and so on).

Also, I keep hearing from the Skins team that Yorick is on a level of technical difficulty that surpasses champs like Elise, Zac and Zyra, making new skins for Yorick too much of a challenge to have bothered with (at least in the year and a half before reworks became a thing), much less in the future.

Maybe things have changed, but I'll need to be shown that before any minds will be changed. Unfortunately, we're going to have to wait a full year, minimum, for Yorick's rework to get done and no guarantee that anything will remain of the the hulking green ghoul we love will remain.

There's not much to respond to, I'll admit, but that's where I am with the Skins team (and to a greater extent the entirety of Riot Games) and their treatment of Yorick's fans.

C9 Scott Free 1 votes

{quoted}

Thanks for making this post! The whole team really took on a huge challenge this year to ramp up the quantity AND quality of skins produced and it's been awesome to see the response.

The list was interesting to read. Of course we do track when skins are released so we are aware how long it's been since a champ received a new skin, but it was a good chance for me to read your thoughts and compare it to what's happened over the last year. Sometimes skins, for a number of reasons, take a fairly long amount of time to be completed. Sometimes ideas come up that we really love that we think would work well at a certain time of the year. Sometimes champions are being reworked (Currently Shen and Taric) or planned for rework close enough that we can't develop skins until they are completed. And sometimes ideas in development don't work out and we go back to the drawing board. Such is the nature of development!

But what's up with me having to hope people dont vote Teemo or Naut for me to get a Diana skin/

RiotKindlejack1 votes

{quoted}

But what's up with me having to hope people dont vote Teemo or Naut for me to get a Diana skin/

http://www.twitch.tv/riotgames/v/29285832?t=65m53s

Even if Diana didn't win, it doesn't mean we wouldn't produce a skin for her at some point. It'd just be a different skin! Same goes for Nautilus and Teemo, they won't be left out in the cold. Although they both got skins more recently.

TotalJerk1 votes

The only reason I even voted for Diana was because she had the fewest skins among all of the candidates. It kinda sucks that Teemo was even on the ballot because he has a billion skins already and that spot could've went to a champion the needs a skin more.

GhastlyGhoulMan1 votes

{quoted}

http://www.twitch.tv/riotgames/v/29285832?t=65m53s

Even if Diana didn't win, it doesn't mean we wouldn't produce a skin for her at some point. It'd just be a different skin! Same goes for Nautilus and Teemo, they won't be left out in the cold. Although they both got skins more recently.

Actually, if Team Ice wins, and either Nautilus or Teemo are voted for, they'll be left in the cold for the perfect amount of time. ... ;)

Lord Azır1 votes

{quoted}

http://www.twitch.tv/riotgames/v/29285832?t=65m53s

Even if Diana didn't win, it doesn't mean we wouldn't produce a skin for her at some point. It'd just be a different skin! Same goes for Nautilus and Teemo, they won't be left out in the cold. Although they both got skins more recently.

Well luckily us Diana fans wanted a skin bad enough that we beat out the mass amount of fans of both Teemo and Nautilus

C9 Scott Free 1 votes

{quoted}

http://www.twitch.tv/riotgames/v/29285832?t=65m53s

Even if Diana didn't win, it doesn't mean we wouldn't produce a skin for her at some point. It'd just be a different skin! Same goes for Nautilus and Teemo, they won't be left out in the cold. Although they both got skins more recently.

But I mean, Diana has been in the cold for 2 years and Teemo got a legendary within past year. I'm just saying it seems lame that when there are finally whispers of a Diana skin it is in a contest but other champs are just getting them. Same for Khazix. Not to mention you guys gave Gnar 2 skins in 4 months. Can you kind of see why it comes off as leaving her in the cold with that in mind?

Brockinroll4 votes

Whats sad, I play most of these guys... A lot of them

Lord Azır1 votes

{quoted}

Whats sad, I play most of these guys... A lot of them

I feel that. My 4 most played champs are Azir Cassiopeia Diana Urgot, have between 70k and 150k mastery points on each. Was glad to see an Azir skin and Diana winning the Fire / Ice skin vote.

Brockinroll1 votes

{quoted}

I feel that. My 4 most played champs are Azir Cassiopeia Diana Urgot, have between 70k and 150k mastery points on each. Was glad to see an Azir skin and Diana winning the Fire / Ice skin vote.

yeah, I was hoping nautilus would win though :P

Rivaillean3 votes

Kennen.....item 3073 item 3073

SlyTactician 1 votes

I definitely appreciate the skin's team work - they've definitely brought out a lot of awesome skin ideas this year as well!

Though definitely would love to see a new Kennen skin sometime. He's my favourite champion! ^^ Kennen

Rivaillean1 votes

Yea . I mostly score the highest everytime I pick Kennen.

Sukishoo2 votes
  1. Sejuani - Bear Cavalry August 2013 - Poro Rider December 2014 - Probably has a longer wait than any of the others with 2014 Legacy skins.

The PBE recently had a leak on it of a Beast Hunter skin for her, Draven and Tryndamere, so there is something in the works for her.

Xilixer1 votes

one of my mains is malz. so you know how i feel about this.

GreenLore1 votes

I think Urgot is in the same boat as Yorick,when it comes to skins. It is even possible that urgot will get his rework before yorick.

Not Katarina1 votes

Pretty sure files for a new skin set was added to PBE - Sejuani was a part of them, so was Draven and one other, but they were removed recently. :(

Strings referencing upcoming Beast Hunter Draven, Beast Hunter Sejuani, and Beast Hunter Tryndamere have all been removed. (S@20)

BurningRice1 votes

Hoping for a Nocturne skin soon! fingers crossed With all of the amazing skins being released lately I'm sure it will be a good one!

Nefas1 votes

A 750 swain skin would be a slap in the face after 3+ years of absolutely nothing.

Ravenhale1 votes

Regard it as a slap if you want, but it's not exactly unreasonable. Marauder Olaf (750) was Olaf's first skin in 3 years. Order of the Lotus Irelia (750) was her first skin in 3+ years. Ryze Whitebeard (750) was his first skin in 3+ years. King of Clubs Mordekaiser (750) was his first skin in 4 years.

Some of the 750 skins are nice.

Nefas1 votes

Just because they did it before doesn't mean it was reasonable treatment then either.

TerraRising1 votes

{quoted}

A 750 swain skin would be a slap in the face after 3+ years of absolutely nothing.

Blood Moon Zilean was a bigger slap in the face. 4 year wait for a really ugly skin that they pushed only because of the long wait.

LoL Ergo Urgot1 votes

I really hope there will never be a gentleman urgot.

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