Riot Underwhelms with New Illaoi Skin Concepts

im4smoore·Oct 30, 2017·5 votes·2,180 views

Riot just announced that after nearly two years since Illaoi's initial release she will finally be getting a new skin. This is great right? I sure thought so! I'm a 200k mastery Illaoi main! This champion is my pride and joy! I just about peed myself when I saw that not only was she in the process of receiving a skin, but Riot is actually reaching out to the community to get their opinions on what skin concept of three they have narrowed it down to for Illaoi should receive! Holy hell! I couldn't believe it!

Then I saw the skin concepts and I was, um, disappointed to say the least. When I brag about League and their amazing design teams that create some of the most incredible content and visuals I've ever seen, I think of and reference many of the more recently released skins (like Dark Star Orianna, Arclight Yorick, Arcade Malzahar, SKT Ekko, Pulsefire Caitlyn, Cosmic Blade Master Yi, PROJECT Ashe, etc). I look at these newly proposed skin concepts for Illaoi, I don't get that same level of OH MY GOD THAT WOULD BE SUCH A COOL SKIN OH AND THAT ONE TOO OMG I JUST CAN'T DECIDE WHICH ONE I LIKE BEST. I more feel like I was picking which one I thought had the most potential to be kinda cool, but I'm far from head over heels from seeing these skins.

Let me clarify that this underwhelmed reaction is highly unusual from me personally. I am so easy to please. The littlest thing and I'm over the moon, but I'm really just not feeling the fantasy on any of these skin concepts.

I, personally, put my vote towards Deep Space Illaoi, which I was originally reluctant to do since we've already touched the spacey thematic with Void Bringer a little bit (and we all have seen how well that resonated with the player base). However, I feel like the whole infected, dark sludge-like thematic deters enough from the more colorful and highly saturated Void theme to really hold its own. Deep Space is also my least favorite from an overall silhouette standpoint, since the already large model just gets bulkier and the tentacles shown really aren't that much of a departure from her original tentacles, but I feel it has the most potential for compelling VFX which typically are my favorite part of the skins.

My hope is if one of these skins truly are the direction Riot decides to go, that they really push the envelope with the unique visuals, compelling thematic, and mesmerizing VFX. (Using Deep Space as an example, I'd personally love to see the gooey yucky sludge pushed to the max and to see Illaoi essentially spreading her darkness like an infection. I think that would be pretty cool)

In closing, I hate to be the bitter Betty here but I know I'm not the only one that feels that this way and, as someone who is very passionate about and attached to Illaoi as a character, I'd just love to see a little more ummph in these designs. But honestly, I'm just happy she's getting any attention at all since she's really been on the backburner for some time now.

Much love, Riot. I kiss the ground you grace Summoner's Rift with so these comments don't come lightly.

P.S. I've attached a link (click here) to various pieces of skin concept art for Illaoi I've seen pop up on the internet over the last two years. I'm fully aware that Riot can't do it all, but I get that OH MY GOD THAT WOULD BE SO COOL that is lacking in the officially proposed skin concepts from several of skin concepts I've attached.

21 Comments

GreenLoreOct 30, 20177 votes

I think these skins simply didn't fit your personal tastes. After all we have 2 space-themed skins and one that has more of an indiana jones feel to it,than classic fantasy or mythology.

Especially the Battlecast skin actually struck me as looking pretty unique,I mean Illaoi ripped off the head of a battlecast-monster and uses it as a weapon?Thats actually pretty clever.Not to mention that Illaoi fits pretty well into the battlecast universe as someone who actually fights against the machines,since she is serving a life goddess,so having her face off against Creator Viktor,who wants to turn everyone into a machine,does make a lot of sense.

im4smooreOct 30, 20172 votes

You do make some really good points on the Battlecast skin, and (correct me if I'm if I'm wrong) she would essentially be the first skin of her kind as well since the rest of the Battlecast line in full machinery it would be cool to have a vigilante of sorts fighting back. (Although it definitely does give me some PROJECT skin them vibes, just with different color palettes. Although there might be a key detail I'm missing in the respective story arcs, it does seem like both the skin lines embody the whole 'human turned weapon' vibe.

GreenLoreOct 30, 20171 votes

The difference between Project and Battlecast is simply style.

Battlecast is crude,dark and almost lifeless. They are essentially futuristic war machines.

Project on the other hand is about high-tech-cyborgs,who seem to use some sort of "hard light" as their weapons(as multiple weapons/abilities of Project have holograms for their skills). Their designs are much more smooth and colorful.

SancreOct 30, 20173 votes

I really like the adventurer one, but the deep space one, being a PREY reference its just too good to ignore

Stars ShaperOct 30, 20171 votes

It might be that the exposed thematics aren't in your cords. From your examples of what a cool concept is I can see you really like the epicness at the base of the concept (star consuming beings, holy warriors of the light and generally what the best of the best would look like). I didn't find either a concept that makes me want to really see it live but I opted for deep space because I think it is more in Illaoi's theme.

I don't think that Void = space things. The Void is just a monster-industry complex with purple as main color palette.

im4smooreOct 30, 20172 votes

I’d agree with your point on Void versus Space. Often times when you think of creatures from another dimension it’s with this assumption of space but it could just as easily come from somewhere/something else entirely.

Stars ShaperOct 30, 20172 votes

That's because the Void surely takes inspiration from the Alien and Starcraft Zergs models and thematics.

Call Me NanaOct 30, 20171 votes

the skins are absolute garbage compared to the fan made ones.

AevioxOct 30, 20171 votes

I agree - Something I would love to see is a more creative twist to Illaoi's theme. A concept I've heard mentioned over and over again is Pool Parry Illaoi, with pool noodles slapping down everywhere and a beach ball or whatever an an idol. That, even though it doesn't have the whole "epic fighter" thing, has so much potential for fun visuals that play on her original theme. A massive cannonball into a pool of water make so much sense based on her ultimate, and pool noddles for tentacles have that extra bit of silly humor that Illaoi would definitely thrive with. I, too, was underwhelmed by her proposed skins and you have spoken my concerns perfectly :)

KazekibaOct 30, 20171 votes

Just your opinion man, I love all of the skins except the presented lore behind the Battlecast one. There's like 5 robot skin lines, and PROJECT is all about rebellion. The Illaoi skin shows human flesh and says she's rebelling against Viktor, which goes against the entire theme of the skin line. It doesn't have PROJECT aesthetics, but it fits a PROJECT storyline as presented, and the giant robot arms are super cool. Adventurer, I feel falls too close to her base skin but it's otherwise really, really super cool. Chrome or even Pulsefire I think would be a better name.

Can you tell which skin I voted for? Can you tell how much I love robots?

im4smooreOct 30, 20171 votes

Yeah, the Program, PROJECT, and Battlecast skin lines don't seem to have well defined storyline identifiers. Visually, they're all very unique. You can visually see each of the individual styles in a heartbeat, but the stories definitely overlap. The whole vigilante fighting back against the mechanized overlord(s) just reads PROJECT to me. Particularly Program and Battlecast (aside from visual polish) I wouldn't be able to tell you why they're separate. (Although there is a loose gender discernment between the two, but I saw loose because they're robots)

HalcyonDwellerOct 30, 20171 votes

Project would be extremely cool, she could even use some sort of digital portal for the tentacles to come out of. Waaay better than a Battlecast Skin.

But I have other issues with the battlecast skin concept for her anyways. The tentacle arm looks really bad. It doesn't make any conceptual sense. How tf do they spawn? They would have to burrow through the ground, right? This would be so much better if they were wyrms.

GreenLoreOct 30, 20171 votes

But Project isn't part of the same universe as Battlecast and Illaoi being a rebel in that skin has more to do with the fact that rebelling against Viktors evolution makes a lot of sense(as nagakaborous is a goddess of life,so it would make sense that she'd oppose someone who wants to turn everyone into lifeless machines),not that they wanted to make her a cyborg rebel.

And just because 2 skins share the same name(and thus the same universe) doesn't mean they are equal in that universe. The best example would likely be arclight Vel'koz. Most arclight champs have been granted the powers of light,while arclight Vel'koz is the one who grants others the power of light.

HalcyonDwellerOct 30, 20171 votes

First, I expect that the art shown for the skins to vote between is just concept art. I certainly hope that Riot will put more work into making them look a lot better.

Second, I agree as they are they look very lackluster. Community concepts have been much better so far. Here's hoping Riot steps up their game.

im4smooreOct 30, 20171 votes

Concept art is (by definition) just supposed to give you an idea as to the general theme and "look" of whatever it's presenting. The concept art for the SKT Skins (as shown in the Making of the SKT Skins official video) were all amazing! I saw those and was immediately blown away. These Illaoi skin concepts, for me personally, do not have nearly the same effect.

HalcyonDwellerOct 30, 20173 votes

That's fair, I had a similar sense of disappointment when looking at the 3 skin concepts.

I really really hope they don't use a robot arm if they go with the battlecast skin. it makes no thematic sense, mechanical arms have no way of coming up through the ground that makes sense unless they burrow somehow, at which point you're better off using a robotic wyrm instead of an arm.

YvaelleOct 30, 20171 votes

I feel like they are just trying to check a box to say, "Illaoi got another skin after 2 years" - but didn't take any of the community proposals into consideration (did no research), and just scribbled up the first 3 ideas that popped into their heads and asked us to vote.

Where is Pool Party Illaoi? Dunkmistress Illaoi? Program Illaoi? I would have voted for any of those over the 3 options presented.

69469238DEL1Oct 30, 20171 votes

Voted Astto because the other two were so lame, where is Dunkmaster?

ModKnightsKemplarOct 30, 20171 votes

This is why Riot isn't in the habit of unveiling skins at this stage. I wouldn't expect for any of my favorite skins to wow me at this stage in development. It takes awhile for a concept to grow into something awesome, and it takes a lot of work from many talented individuals.

On the one hand, I'm sorry you don't love them.

On the other hand, show some patience! Any one of those is going to look much cooler before release! Those are literally just mock-ups to show the direction!