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With the announcement of the latest battle pass theme in League of Legends, fans have begun to delve into the details of the new Alistar skin, questioning its originality in relation to his base design.
The latest skins were showcased on League‘s official X account, featuring a theme based on the combat arenas of Noxus. Each champion represents a distinct metallic fighting style; however, observers quickly noticed that Alistar’s skin appeared to be less innovative than expected. A user on Reddit highlighted this issue, illustrating that the supposedly new battle pass skin is essentially a high-definition recolor of Alistar’s original appearance.
As one of the veteran champions in League, Alistar’s character has become iconic. While a visual update to a character like Alistar could yield exciting possibilities, it seems that the design team opted for a straightforward recoloring instead. The new skin merely alters his base model by adding red hair, a purple tank top, and a deeper muscle tone.
Community reactions to the comparison were immediate and critical. Many players were quick to voice their disappointment, with one noted comment remarking that the last time a simple base skin retexture was released as a new skin was with Enchanted Galio back in August 2010. The expectation in the League community has been for skins to include unique elements that differentiate them from the original models, and the lack of such innovation in this case has raised concerns.
Historically, Alistar’s skins have included various alterations, such as changes to his horns or other aesthetic modifications. For instance, the free Unchained Alistar skin offered notable differences with enlarged horns and distinctive gauntlets. Following the visual comparison and discussion about the current skin quality, one user pointed out the noticeable impact of past artist layoffs at Riot Games, positing that these staffing changes could explain the unimaginative design choices.
While the extent of the layoffs at Riot Games’ art and cosmetic departments remains uncertain, it’s been reported that these areas faced cuts last year. Fans are now speculating that the recent releases of such minimalistic skins may be directly tied to the loss of talent and resources.
Moreover, Alistar is among several champions in League who infrequently receive new skins. The pattern is evident as some champions gain multiple skins annually while others, like Alistar, see years pass between their new looks. This recent recolor is likely to count as a skin, suggesting that it might further delay the release of any substantive improvements to Alistar’s design.
In light of the perceived lack of effort behind these new skins, conversations in the community have turned toward potential boycotts as players express their desire to see a change. One comment in the thread encapsulated this sentiment, urging users to make their concerns known through their spending choices.
The controversy surrounding the quality of skins coincides with a difficult period for Riot Games, as the company has experienced additional backlash following the removal of Hextech chests from the game. As community frustration continues to build, it is evident that Riot will need to address these concerns promptly as they prepare for the rollout of the upcoming battle pass.
Source
dotesports.com