Why was Shyvana retconned?

HalfTangible·3/5/2019, 9:03:11 PM·100 votes·19,079 views

"We don't like change for the sake of change", huh?! Shyvana's lore was fine. Great, even. She's one of my favorite characters in League. Now her mother has no clear motive for trying to kill her, her father doesn't exist, the mage who stole her does nothing but name her after her mother for no reason and then just dies... This is about as much of a straight downgrade as I could possibly imagine.

Sona still needs her lore updated to fit with the original retcon to the Institute of War; so does Twitch, and probably a few others. The Yordles as a whole still need their entire cosmology updated. And THIS is what we focus on?

I don't get this. WHY?!

78 Comments

YuMing53/6/2019, 12:37:35 AM27 votes

such a huge downgrade, her new lore is emotionless compared to her old lore and it doesn't even make sense lmfao

her mom goes after the egg, leaves, then tries to find her AGAIN once all her other children are grown up in order to bring her back, and eventually they just end up fighting to the death and Shyvana kills her mom???? it literally goes against what Yvva was trying to do the entire time

there's no backstory to the mage who stole Shyvana away so nobody really cares about him, and they completely removed Shyvana's dad, who EVERYONE LOVED

it's like they took all the good parts out of the lore and left it as an empty frame kek

Camille Ferrøs3/5/2019, 9:36:13 PM26 votes

"Chance for the sake of change"

AbiwonKenabi3/6/2019, 1:12:40 AM18 votes

Its such a shame. Every time I think they get it and understand that changing things intelligently is the way to go they come out with a pointless change like this. Like what does this really add to Shyvana? If anything it takes away things she already had.

At least this isn't as bad as the Varus stuff. That had several comics and a fancy music video that basically cemented those changes in place. This will just take some text editing. If they wanted to change it, it would be easy.

GreenKnight3/5/2019, 9:42:00 PM18 votes

Psh, nothing surprising. Another stupid change to old and established lore. Just like with Varus and many other champs.

CytheGuy3/6/2019, 2:37:33 AM18 votes

eVErYtHIng mUsT Be in A GraY ArEA, we don't liKE the BlAck AnD whItE Of goOD And eVil

Daedric Etwahl3/6/2019, 3:53:13 AM12 votes

At this point I'm starting to wonder if I even want them to update Sona because I'm sure they'll find some stupid way to fuck her over.

Rebonack3/6/2019, 6:25:05 AM9 votes

I've said it before I'll say it again.

Riot should build on stories rather than rebooting things constantly. It's hard to get invested in a story if it is going to get tossed on the scrap heap next week to make way for the shiny new thing.

GreenLore3/5/2019, 9:24:35 PM8 votes

Riot mentioned having a non-humanoid champion in production and this new version of Shyvanas lore mentions that she actually has a sibling(as it said that Yvva waited for her other offspring to leave the nest until she began hunting Shyvana).

Coincidence?I think not!

Granted this does not justify the removal of dragon dad.

GenoXx3/5/2019, 10:56:14 PM7 votes

Heh. Funny how the lore has fallen.

General Matty3/6/2019, 3:09:22 PM3 votes

Wow they basically just shit on Shyvs lore and took all good parts out of it like wtf lol

Quepha3/6/2019, 8:01:58 PM3 votes

Because Riot doesn't care about their fans. This isn't the first time they've done this, it won't be the last. They might apologize and say they'll do better, and they might even do better... for a while. Then they'll forget. Then they'll destroy something else. Then we get to do this all again.

Ionian Vulpix3/6/2019, 12:43:49 AM2 votes

Twitch is just a territorial mutant rat. Interesting concept, but not much room for development

Jerry SeinfeId3/6/2019, 4:48:53 PM2 votes

First of all i disagree with the twitch thing, his current lore still fits, but i'd love some new story for him either way as he was overlooked during the zaun update. Especially because Zac also makes the sewer system his home now and they are "related champs".

I have to agree on the Shyvanna change tho. First i was confused about the removal of a dragon dad, as i had somehow gotten the impression that her dad was a human warrior protecting her. But then i read the actual previous lores (all 4) and while she's done some switching around the father figure wether human or dragon was important to her and took care of her. Now they're just there as an excuse for her humanoid form and then ditched to skip right to the j4 shipping which is the only part that's barely changed it seems. And idk why she's so willing to kill her mother and vice versa, neither seems to have a reason. The mother is wreaking havoc because her child was taken and should thus calm down as soon as shyvana shows up and is like "oi mum, chill".

It does indeed feel like a change just to change something to make it "new". I think riot can and should make it clear that certain champs' old lore still stands as it really wouldn't have made a difference to keep her previous one.

6FlagsFunnelCake3/6/2019, 10:09:36 PM2 votes

https://boards.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/c/story-art/NN16QyIy-shyvanas-new-bio-is-not-only-a-downgrade-of-a-decent-piece-of-lore-but-its-literally-a-mistake

Makarakarn3/6/2019, 4:01:46 AM2 votes

I mean the lore isn't REALLY that different..before Yyva hunted Shyv down because she was stolen, same now. Before she was stolen by her father after hatching because she was messed with by a mage, which now instead of being taken by her father after hatching she was taken by a mage before hatching. I mean it's really not that big of a change. You quoted "We don't like change for the sake of change", correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you like complaining for the sake of complaining.