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I've been on this for a while, but I just can't get excited for the new Arcade skins this year

Forhonor321·6/13/2019, 9:48:05 PM·15 votes·11,387 views

I've sat on this for the longest time, just gathering my thoughts and trying to thinking of the positives. But the more I think on it, the less I'm interested in this year's edition to Arcade. Now I'm aware there have been other posts talking about the skinline lately ( Diana Main and Terozu are a few examples) but I still want to add my two cents into the mix.

Right, so let's go over my one good notion: Caitlyn is a good choice. I think she fits in the theme fair enough, has some cool new effects that match the theme, her last skin was at least back in 2017 (Edit: as people have been bringing up, her last skin was just back in Aug 2018. Don't know how I forgot about that so with that she could of been held off for just a bit longer), she's a good choice.

Now let's go over the bad stuff that everyone has probably talked about already:

##The Candidates

Yasuo, Kai'Sa and the new champ, Qiyana. How did Riot really decide on two of these champs to be in this years lineup? Hmmm, oh wait, that's right! They're "popular" and "make money with skins"....I fucking hate it when people use those words because they're basically true. Both of these champs haven't even gone a full year since their last skins (Yas in Sept, Kai'Sa in Apr or in Nov if you don't count her IG skin) and yet Riot decides to just throw them both in because Yas has been a money maker for such a long time, dispite being one of the most annoying and to an extent hated champs in the game, and Kai'Sa is seemingly becoming a money maker for them.

Qiyana is.....meh. Honestly, I just don't like the champion. From her initial appearance to her story and right down to her VO, I just have a bias against her and don't find her a champ I like. But even if I didn't, I just don't feel like this should be her launch skin or at the very least have her be a villain. Why not have her be a kind of elitiest (or so she thinks) that's just godlike at video games and can, in story sense, speed run the whole game with no help? Wouldn't that be a bit more interesting?

It's also a shame that we could of gotten skins for champs that haven't gotten one in a while and still would of fit in. Xerath Velkoz SionRekSai are to name a few to come to mind that could have worked

##Their Appearances

Kai'Sa I...guess is fine? The concept itself fits and it does look pretty well represented, but I just don't really see anything super amazing about it to me. not much else to say.

Qiyana and Yasuo, though are not as great. They just stick out like sore thumbs from the rest of the lineup. Brand and his Pyro-robo form, Malz with his polygons, Veigar being this hooded, evil, megaboss looking dude. All of these boss skins are from champs that can be summed up as not fully human and are also changed to look more like they hopped out of a game to beat the shit out of you.

Yasuo is probably the worst offender from this group. He just looks uninspired and lazy. He almost looks like if base Soulhunter Kayn was given a sword instead and was given goth neon colors. That's honestly what Yasuo looks like to me in this skin. Why would I want to go for a skin like this when I could go for Nightbringer, PROJECT, Blood Moon, High Noon, or Odyssey? Skins that are just better looking overall from this latest one?

Qiyana for the most part, I actually do like her design here better than her base but, again, it feels out of place from the other bosses. As her other alternate skin for her currently, she just seems less and less interesting for me to become invested in her in any amount.

The Prestige Skin

People lately have only brought this up mainly due to the art and while that is an issue (one that I'll never unsee if Riot doesn't fix it), I just want to go over the fact that we're once again getting a stupid prestige skin. Why? Prestige skins are just...dumb. They can basically be summed up as over-glorified gold chromas. Yeah, they have some small tweaks to the appearance but not all the time. FUCK, look at Aatrox as an example, what's the difference there besides the color of his effects?!?! Every other skin has done fairly well looking different but is it really worth spending almost $100 dollars on chests to gain the tokens for an alternate skin, which sometimes minor appearance changes, and mostly gold effects, when you could just get the regular version for far, FAR cheaper and have more colors and just as much fun with it?

Not to mention the fact that this is all being tied to another event so it means, saving up for this skin or spending stuff on loading borders n' shit instead.

And that's my two cents. I'm really frustrated in the majority of champs chosen for this year, I'm disappointed in their appearances, I'm pissed about yet another Prestige skin and another event (especially since I'm running low on money again), it's all just a big disappointment for me this year.

Riot just seemed to play it way too safe for this but somehow is also making it half-assed.

17 Comments

Brotha6/13/2019, 11:40:49 PM4 votes

The fact there is not an Arcade Ekko skin boils my blood. Arcades were always full of children and teenagers. Many of the Arcade visuals you saw in films were set in a big city. Ekko is a teenager from the city. A boy who uses a clockhand that has become a bat, Schimitar, sword, and cricket bat in other skins. While having some of the most Arcade friendly particles of any champion. But no we have to give the Arcade skin to TWO adcs, one of which is getting her fourth skin this year.

RoakeyDoakey366/13/2019, 11:06:29 PM4 votes

If you look at r/Yasuomains, you'd see that even they don't want that skin.

although many comments are "At least Yas is getting a skin..." because anyone who has even thought about playing Yasuo is evil, and its our fault we got a garbage skin. They should fix the PROJECT skin so it doesn't feel clunky rather than make an unwanted skin.

Scryble6/14/2019, 1:15:26 PM3 votes

I feel like they don't count Kai'sa's K/DA skin towards her lineup because it was chosen by one of the artists who helped in the song. That's why Ahri got one while already having Popstar Ahri. Though I don't agree with them giving her a skin so soon, especially after giving her K/DA and IG (despite IG not counting towards the skin lineup) it makes some sort of sense if we consider that, without K/DA or IG, this would technically be Kai'sa's second skin.

(Of course, if this was already addressed by Riot, ignore me because i don't do any research before commenting lmao)

What I'm upset about is the fact that Kai'sa doesn't have a skin that changes her form when she evolves yet. Better yet, do it in the base skin? Like you should have? Riot???

4 Step Cadence6/14/2019, 11:09:38 AM2 votes

Caitlyn's last skin was Pool Party 2018. While she does fit the theme, I honestly think she could've waited another year so that a different champion who is in need of a skin could get it.

Yasuo is just a Sephiroth cosplayer that went to a rave or some shit.

Qiyana is only getting one because she's being released with the event. If it weren't for her super quick release, I'm sure someone more fitting would've gotten the second Battle Boss skin. She's also inspired by Bowsette/Mario, apparently.

Kai'Sa also fits the theme IMO, but its honestly too soon since her last skin, like Caitlyn. I think both could've waited a year to get them. That being said, though, I think her upgrade system is reminiscent of leveling up in video games and becoming more powerful by actually improving yourself(and its this that makes me sad we didn't get Battle Boss Kha'Zix or something, because he and a few other champions work the same way). Also, I think her passive is a reference to Navi or something like that, which I find kind of cute.

Super Galaxy6/14/2019, 1:45:37 PM2 votes

I don't feel excited for any of these Arcade skins. Popular champions being stuffed into a theme that doesn't fit them aside, they just... don't look good.

It used to be my favorite skin line too, oh well. What a shame.

Naalith6/14/2019, 4:38:06 AM2 votes

It's pretty disappointing. Arcade is one of the skin lines where some of the weirder characters who aren't that popular get a lot of skins. A legendary for Veigar, skins for Malzahar and Brand, etc. Even skins for champions like Ahri usually turn out great, I think Arcade Ahri is a work of art. The skins this year, in addition to being for champions who already have way better skins, are just not that good. The Caitlyn one really stretches the limit on what Arcade is, the Yasuo one just doesn't look as good as his other skins, K/DA Kai'sa seems way more complete. Qiyana's is pretty good but she also doesn't have a catalog of way better skins. Not sure what Riot was thinking on this one.

Iron Phantom6/14/2019, 10:52:55 AM2 votes

Tbh Yasuo been the battle boss this year kills it for me, the fact that they chose Yasuo over champions like Xerath Skarner Mordekaiser or Velkoz just shows they don't care about the Battle Boss theme.

It's just so dishearting to see these 4 champions not get a single skin for 3 to 5 years, while champions like Kai'sa get 4 in 1 year of her release.

Galactic Mayhem6/14/2019, 12:15:48 PM1 votes

Last Cait skin was last year though so you should have an issue with her

Flashes6/13/2019, 10:19:02 PM1 votes

I'm probably going to get the pass if one of them is available for this event. Otherwise, I'm not bothering with Caitlyn.

Why do I get passes? Well, if I like the skin that's coming out, like Arcade Caitlyn, I get more loot for my buck if I get the pass because I can grind pretty easily. In the end, for the Firecracker Vayne event, I got prestige Vayne, a bunch of orbs, and some keys to deplete my chest stack. Ngl, the base Firecracker Vayne skin looks so much better than the Prestige one, but oh well. Beggars can't be choosers.

Also I'm obviously not going to buy the Kai'sa or the Yasuo skin. Those two are sub-par compared to other options they have. If I end up really really liking Qiyana I might get her skin.