Boards›Story, Art, & Sound

Riot has lowered the standards for Legendary Skins.

ZER0 2·9/3/2019, 2:43:20 PM·108 votes·25,912 views

This isn't going to be another thread on how SG Xayah and Rakan don't have a toggle or anything like that. TL;DR at the bottom.

Riot no longer lives up to their standards for legendary skins. I first noticed this with SG Jinx. No new model or walking/auto animations.

Take a look at a champion like Ashe who got an ENTIRELY new rig for her project skin, or Ahri for her SG skin. Then came Pyke, same model, same walking animations, etc.

People noticed this right away and called Riot out for it, citing their Skin Standards which states: "A complete reimagining of the champion from the ground up, with total and complete immersion in the fantasy. Includes a new model, new texture, new splash image, new animations, new visuals, new voice over and sounds."

We are now getting even less. Star Guardian Xayah and Rakan use the same models, almost exact same walking animations (extremely noticeable on Xayah particularly) almost same auto animations, etc etc. The reason given is that they added their familiars and didn't have the budget to remake everything else.

So what about their voicelines? They have the same voicelines as their base skin in a LOT of places: -Recall -Pings -Shielding/Healing, etc. Not only this, but a LOT of their new voicelines are just their old voicelines but changing a few words to match star guardians. I liked that at first but after finding out they kept a lot of their base voicelines it just feels like they didn't want to take the time to come up with anything new.

This is not up to standard. The more they take away from these skins, the more we're paying for something not even completed, and it's concerning that we lose more and more without players even noticing.

When I tried to talk to Rioters concerning this, I was promptly ignored. Just feels shady to me.

TL;DR Riot no longer gives legendary skins new models/animations on a lot of their spells, and now their voiceovers aren't even completely redone.

81 Comments

FURRY V29/3/2019, 2:50:41 PM51 votes

So you say, you have problems with paying the same for less? You are against rito logic. HOW DEER YOU!

52 Cards9/3/2019, 5:46:20 PM27 votes

I agree. When I see a Project Pyke in game it doesn’t feel like a legendary skin. I mean he doesn’t even have a running out of base animation they could’ve made him ride a robotic snake for example like Project Vayne riding a bike

Tin Obliterates9/3/2019, 7:01:14 PM13 votes

I'm certain this will be an unpopular comment, but I'd also like to see more legendary skins in the vein of Gentleman Cho'Gath, they don't necessarily have to be silly but I want to see more legendary skins that change a champion's character almost completely like that one did (from a twisted but cunning abomination to a sophisticated gentleman).

The latest legendaries like Project Pyke and Star Guardian Xayah and Rakan are literally just the exact same characters in a different universe with small alterations to their personalities, I wanna spend my money on legendary skins that completely reimagine champions with new personalities but still have small hints of their original selves hidden here and there to keep them recognizable instead of 'Pyke who still has his memory loss problem and seeks revenge but this time he's a robot so it's different'.

EdgeLady9/3/2019, 3:44:32 PM13 votes

Part of this is because that a lot of the legendaries in the past couple of years are for newer champions, who don't need new models or even very different particle effects as much; this also coincides with the champion's popularity being a catalyst for them getting a legendary. This is why I think that legendaries should be mostly restricted to older champions, especially ones who aren't up for an update in a while. There's nothing wrong with new champions getting legendaries, but they should be the exception, not the majority like they have been this year.

Terozu9/3/2019, 3:56:23 PM12 votes

Jinx had a whole new model and new animations.

They just stayed really close to her normal shilouette.

Pxerkza9/3/2019, 2:49:08 PM9 votes

so your argument is for pyke and ahri while ezreals and zeds are completely ignored

yes yes cherry pick your arguments to prove a point

Sukishoo9/3/2019, 6:10:16 PM8 votes

Pyke, Xayah and Rakan are very underwhelming for the aspect of Animations and VO. These newer Legendaries on newer champions have really gone down hill. To me, it feels like they really only find the effort to fully reimagine the champions when it's a Legendary/Ultimate on a much older champion. When the original base doesn't offer as much as it could like Riven, Ahri, Ashe, ect those are really the only times they have truly proven they can go all out on a Legendary. Even the Legendaries for VGUs are kind of under the bar they have set since they use the same dance or other animations as the newly updated champion.

Galactic Mayhem9/3/2019, 6:28:41 PM8 votes

Not entirely correct, ez jhin and zed all got entirely new stuff

Its more so a coin flip on who gets the really high quality legendaries

Oleandervine9/3/2019, 6:33:33 PM6 votes

Riot has shit on their own pricing standards for a while now. Just look at VGUs. Ever since Galio, they had generally tried to meet skins up to their pricing tier, but Kayle/Morgana were shows of flagrant laziness in that regard. It was like pulling teeth for them to give Exiled Morgana, a 975 skin, different colored particles (when it should have brand new particles and a recall), and they STILL haven't given Transcended Kayle or Sinful Succulence Morgana their proper dues as 975 skins.

All of this when compared to other 975 skins they got overhauled - Ghost Bride Morgana and Bewitching Morgana.

So yeah, Riot's own principles about skin design are gone. They're hollow and empty now, because they can't even live up to their own expectations.

Cosmic Star9/3/2019, 6:30:34 PM5 votes

I always thought that Legendary / Ultimate skins should go for older champions. The lack of quality some of the older characters would be fixed on a new Legendary + skins tier that remade the champ as a whole.

But since Riot sells more by giving newer champs these Legendary skins that means they also don't need much work for them to look good. I don't know why Pyke needed the legendary skin since the champion already fit the character they were going for. Yes his VO is good but it didn't need to be Legendary tier. Funny I thought it was 1350 when I saw it the first time.

On a side note, I believe Dark Cosmic Jhin was AMAZING, even as a new champion that skin was remade from the ground up, with different forms, new auto atack animations, amazing VFX, great VO and a whole new pack of things that just added up to the fantasy of the Dark Cosmic.

On the other hand, Pyke doesn't have anything that stands out but for his new W animation where he slides like a snake. It was lazy and rushed. At least Xayah and Rakan SG have ''transformations'' with the Pure Forms and Dark Forms which kinda fixes the lower quality on the auto atacks, walking and abilities rigging animations.

In the end I much prefer older champs to get Legendary tier skins since it means Riot is forced to rebuild the champion from the ground up giving them a chance to stand to modern standards (Star Guardian Ahri for example).

Demonetization9/3/2019, 5:55:28 PM5 votes

I definitely agree that the standards have been lowered, and at the very least Riot could use older mechanics such as Pulsefire Ezreal's evolving model. Rakan would become more and more corrupted and Xayah would become purified. A lot of the lines and effects do feel like I'm playing on their base skins if not actually from their base skin.

Zed genius9/3/2019, 10:58:52 PM5 votes

On the other hand, the quality of basic skins has gone significantly up these past years.

ModRowanstar9/3/2019, 9:45:51 PM5 votes

Actually I realized the reason for this: Ultimate and Legendary champs who get a VU thru the skin are champions whose og models and animations are outdated. But ones like Project Pyke, where he already has modern impressive models and animations, get smaller changes. Notice that Dark Cosmic Jhin has similarities to his og skins, such as his stride, or how he twirls the cannon. So these skins are still impressive, but need less changes to make them look good.

GreenLore9/3/2019, 9:20:18 PM4 votes

"Change for the sake of change" is honestly not a good thing, if the old animation looks simply better than anything new they could come up with, then it might be better to just keep the old one. And the same goes for VO too.

So something like this happening to some degree is honestly understandable.

But I agree that its a problem when its done too much, as it simply looks cheap and unfinished. Besides why even make a legendary skin if the new theme doesn't warrant a big change in animations/VO?

dj ehsan 21059/3/2019, 8:27:19 PM4 votes

True

UltMoralCompas9/3/2019, 8:29:29 PM4 votes

You're absolutely right and it's a good thing that you made this post bringing attention to it/complaining about it because somewhere deep inside they care about complaints and even if only slightly, make changes with them in mind.

However I would suggest to you and everyone else to use the valuable resource SkinSpitlights to be thrifty with your money and be able to see its worth yourself before making the purchase. If only to prevent you from regretting a purchase.

Wild Geese9/4/2019, 4:05:10 AM4 votes

Their whole thing shifted as once they stopped making "normal" skins... The Epics slowly become normal because they were their standard starting point, while legendary slowly become epic.

Meanwhile some Budget skins last year for the remakes of Irelia, Swain, and Akali had as much functionality as Epics, with unique voicelines and spell fx... So they decided to never repeat that, (Irelia even had unique voicelines for 520rp skins). Why give us stuff? Morde, Morgana, and Pantheon get basic remakes Instead, and we more Prestige Editions.

Yeah anyway the trend is obvious. less for more.

love god9/4/2019, 3:23:16 PM3 votes

I think its understandable SPECIFICALLY for xayah and rakan with voice overs, considering just how many voice lines they have. I would've been nice to get new voice lines yes, but their voice lines would be difficult to completely redo because of their expansive nature

Beetle Blast9/4/2019, 9:13:11 AM2 votes

Seems like gaming industry standard now to release something half finished and call it a day. Potentially going even further and releasing the rest of the content and claiming it as "dlc".

What happened man?

KEEPCRYINGFORME9/3/2019, 10:12:41 PM2 votes

Yep riot is just getting more and more greedy. Trying to get us to pay more for their sub par skins and scam boxes. Unfortunate cause before they would actually put effort into creating things and new ideas no matter its price now they just pump out garbage for a higher price. Whatever makes them money I guess...

Emperor Talquin9/4/2019, 3:37:19 PM2 votes

I can agree with this post. After Dark Cosmic jhin came out (which a lot of people consider an amazing skin), the quality of skins has decreased.

Legendary skins should not have chromas. They are meant to be unique and high quality, not requiring chromas. Project pyke has chromas because the design is epic quality with some simple new animations.

3 examples are incredible legendary skins are God King Darius, Odyssey Kayn and once again Dark Cosmic Jhin. Very well designed skins with completely new animations and 0 chromas. They have much more effort put into designing them.

Agdgdgwngo9/4/2019, 4:34:33 PM2 votes

Update Brolaf please. At least new taunts, dance, recall, etc... He doesn't feel like a legendary skin.

VAfstand9/4/2019, 9:08:19 PM2 votes

Didn't even know that it was a legendary skin lmao

ZroSlash9/4/2019, 10:09:07 AM1 votes

[{quoted}](name=ZER0 2,realm=NA,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=iGNWuQyT,comment-id=,timestamp=2019-09-03T14:43:20.992+0000)

This isn't going to be another thread on how SG Xayah and Rakan don't have a toggle or anything like that. TL;DR at the bottom.

Riot no longer lives up to their standards for legendary skins. I first noticed this with SG Jinx. No new model or walking/auto animations.

Take a look at a champion like Ashe who got an ENTIRELY new rig for her project skin, or Ahri for her SG skin. Then came Pyke, same model, same walking animations, etc.

People noticed this right away and called Riot out for it, citing their Skin Standards which states: "A complete reimagining of the champion from the ground up, with total and complete immersion in the fantasy. Includes a new model, new texture, new splash image, new animations, new visuals, new voice over and sounds."

We are now getting even less. Star Guardian Xayah and Rakan use the same models, almost exact same walking animations (extremely noticeable on Xayah particularly) almost same auto animations, etc etc. The reason given is that they added their familiars and didn't have the budget to remake everything else.

So what about their voicelines? They have the same voicelines as their base skin in a LOT of places: -Recall -Pings -Shielding/Healing, etc. Not only this, but a LOT of their new voicelines are just their old voicelines but changing a few words to match star guardians. I liked that at first but after finding out they kept a lot of their base voicelines it just feels like they didn't want to take the time to come up with anything new.

This is not up to standard. The more they take away from these skins, the more we're paying for something not even completed, and it's concerning that we lose more and more without players even noticing.

When I tried to talk to Rioters concerning this, I was promptly ignored. Just feels shady to me.

TL;DR Riot no longer gives legendary skins new models/animations on a lot of their spells, and now their voiceovers aren't even completely redone.

I hate when people try to hard blame someone for something they can't completely control. The reason they don't do half the things they "used to do" is because they really just can't afford it for instance the new voice lines have to be done by the same person and if you haven't noticed when champs like pantheon got reworked they needed to change the voice actor as well. Why you ask? Cause this is life and in life people either die are too busy or just don't wanna do the same thing over and over again. (also probably got harder to contact) Anyways point is for the new animations they "promised" it is a lot harder to do what they do then people think. You don't just walk into an office get a new skin with animations that give different model design new walking voice actor new lines AND sound designs all in one day. It takes time and especially with riot losing complete control over their own game it's harder to work on something extremely well just to hope it doesn't fail and people hate it. Point is until you have a game of your own made by you from scratch then I wouldn't complain about riot failing to give your one trick the dream skin you've waited so long for

PS. I know someone is gonna reply BUT WHY DO THEY JUST SPAM NEW SKINS IF THEY DON'T HAVE TIME AND CAN'T AFFORD IT? My response is I agree they shouldn't make it blatantly obvious that they are wanting money but it's the only thing they can do cause as I stated they've lost all control over their own game

Wonderloss9/4/2019, 8:14:12 AM1 votes

Ok but with a lot of the newer champions they have went all out with the models and animations so sometimes they cant top that. Like I would find it hard for making a legendary Zoe skin that tops the base with how insane it is already.

ThatGuysV229/4/2019, 10:47:23 PM1 votes

Id pay alot to have famous voice actors to voice these character