The "Sameface" argument is why we have Michael Bay's T.M.N.T.

Existing characters are substantially modified into a new vision, with fan outcry resulting in minor tweaks, but the overall abrasive design remaining intact. Sound familiar? These changes were made to make each Turtle have a more unique personality and be far more identifiable, but ended up making them more generic and cluttered thematically. Such is the danger in taking too many liberties with an established work while underestimating the power of iconography.

http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq15/ravencroft64/Not%20the%20Same_zps0h2cyu6n.png

If you think each of these have the same face, then I am sorry but you are mistaken. Yes, they have similar elements respectively, but each efficiently portrays the champion while still conveying their underlying character, having a unique flare, with various subtleties. What were these replaced with you might ask? Well, overly stylized pieces that distract from the champion and confuse the concept behind each:

"Fluffy face"

"Anorexia Dyslexia"

"I stare into the Void and the Void stares back"

Now, this is not to simply bash these artists or Riot, as there are some positives in these, but they swing the pendulum too far the other way. While Ahri's Splash Art has a definite Cheshire Cat feel to it, many of the elements that identify her are lost throughout the piece. With Katarina, it is understandable to make her more in line with the popular and successful cinematic, but the Splash Art given to her is so stylized and "dynamically posed" that it distracts from it's purpose and cries more of "look at me I am a talented artist" than anything else. I have spoken about Janna's Splash Art in length in other discussions, but I will say this: If they were going for more identifiable design, giving her glowing blue eyes is not wise as it is far over represented in the game. What it comes down to is that these works may have higher resolution, more detail, and be technically intricate, but that does not make them better designed. One can use many words, eloquent phrases, and colorful vocabulary, but if they do not get their message across, then they have not communicated well.

So, why do these changes exist then? Why can Graves not have his cigar? Why do female character's have upshot body poses? Well, the answers are numerous, but can be reduced until twofold. For the first part of this, take a look at the following video(relevant information starts at 2:41-4:07).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wXxB5NYUIE

At 4:00, Gbay99 brings up a very good point. I completely agree with him in that just because Riot is financed by a corporation does not mean they are beholden to rigorous, greed filled "business models" that dictate their every move, and to think otherwise is baseless nonsense. However, there is something, very solid, very practical here that goes overlooked. They do in fact have foreign backers, which is not a bad thing, but should be mentioned. Why? Because their cultural sensibilities differ compared to a majority of the player base and possibly even the staff at Riot. When you consider this, the changes Riot has made to its art assets are geared towards a Chinese audience, it starts to make sense. No more regional Splash Arts, modesty adjustments that seem patchwork at best, and various other moral changes that seem out of place. This does not account for all the changes, though, right? That is where the second part of this comes into play.

Though speculative, there seems to be a singular, relentless philosophy that has permeated the art direction of Riot, even reaching the player base, to divide the community like East and West Germany. This is a forced and abrasive stylizing of the iconic characters in League of Legends. Though done with good intentions, they desire to make League into what they want it to be, instead of embracing what it is. Much like the fallout between George Lucas and Gary Kurtz with Star Wars, those working on the art direction at Riot will never be truly satisfied with the end result, as they are seeking an ideal, which can never be reached. The game has long since past their original ideas and established itself. If they do not recognize this, they will only continue to work against it.

I know this is a futile. Man is prone to atrophy, and there is really no saying how long League of Legends may last. I am just one voice in the crowd, and what, besides little effort, could I put forth? Nonetheless, if Riot recognizes what makes this game great, distills it down, and continues to provide that, then this game could have many more years ahead of it. Do not settle for mediocrity because it is safe. League of Legends defined and broke the mold of the MOBA genre, being the first to not feel like a single unit RTS, having a brilliant and quirky lore, with awesome and beautiful characters you actually want to play, all leading to an immersive experience unlike any other. That is what makes it so great. That is what people want to play. Could there be more added to it? Sure, but that should always come secondary to maintaining the core fun and iconography of this game. So, inclosing:

"Art Department...TEAR DOWN THIS WALL!"