Latest $250 League Skin – Worse Than A Free Champion?

by

It’s been revealed that Spirit Blossom Morgana will be the upcoming Exalted skin. Could it be that Riot Games is heeding lessons from past blunders?

The Criticism Doesn’t Stop

For quite some time now, Riot Games has been facing criticism over its new skin pricing strategy. The issue lies in the perceived drop in quality of legendary skins, the expensive $250 exalted skins that don’t seem to deliver promised features, and the high-end $500 Hall of Legends cosmetics. A YouTuber named exoLL often compares skins based on their value and even basic skins, making it evident that the quality is indeed deteriorating. This is puzzling since the skins are becoming increasingly expensive, exclusive, and gacha elements have been integrated into the free-to-play MOBA. So, how can Riot Games rectify this situation?

Gacha Skins And A Thousand Different Currencies

Explaining to someone how to obtain different skins can be quite challenging, but it was incredibly straightforward back then: All you needed to do was purchase Riot Points from the store and pick out a skin that appealed to you.

Today, obtaining prestige skins has become more of a process. Previously, they were special cases, additional versions of existing skins. Now, they serve as the ultimate rewards in a Battle Pass, falling under the “Mythic” category. You can swap these for Mythic Essences in the Mythic Shop, with the selection rotating regularly.

Moreover, there are exclusive skins and chromas available, which can only be obtained through a gacha system using a unique currency called “Ancient Sparks”. You can acquire these Ancient Sparks either by purchasing them or earning them in the Battle Pass. With so many ways to get these items, it can be quite confusing to keep track of them all.

Presenting the latest Skin Level: Exalted | #LeagueOfLegends
> These skins are for players seeking highly exclusive designs.
> The inaugural skin in this tier is Arcane Fractured Jinx.
> You can acquire these skins via a new system, the Sanctum, by purchasing and opening Ancient Sparks (400 RP each), followed by…

— League of Legends Leaks & News (@LeagueOfLeaks) October 16, 2024

Higher Prices, Less Quality

After the popularity of Netflix’s show Arcane, Riot Games took advantage by introducing the initial Exalted Skin, which was exclusively offered through a new lottery-like system. (Arcane Fractured Jinx)

For approximately $250, you will receive this skin, but it doesn’t seem to provide any additional benefits compared to the Ultimate Skins from 2016. Players pointed out the flaw, while veterans were more severe in their critique. They even compared certain Legendary skins with the new Jinx cosmetic and found that some aspects didn’t align well: The newly released skins are missing animations for status effects, don’t flow smoothly from one animation to the next, and in certain instances, they lack components that the initial standard models had.

Despite the series’ triumph bringing in fresh gamers and enthusiasts of the champion, it became clear that the popular skin would continue to appear frequently in matches – evidence suggesting that this frenzy was far from over, but rather growing more intense.

Nevertheless, the veterans became incredibly upset when Riot Games unveiled the Exalted skin called “Sahn-Uzal Mordekaiser.”

Yet, it was the revealing of the Exalted skin “Sahn-Uzal Mordekaiser” by Riot Games that sparked extreme discontent among the veterans.

Or even more casually: But things really heated up for the veterans when they heard about the Exalted skin, “Sahn-Uzal Mordekaiser”, from Riot Games.

Despite the champion not being particularly well-known, he enjoys a dedicated fanbase. However, it was a significant disappointment to fans that the skin, which plays a key role in the character’s narrative, fell short on quality and carried a potential price tag of $250. Riot Games decided to pull the skin for revisions, but even with the current version, players remain disgruntled.

It’s Only Going Downhill

The upcoming Spirit Blossom skins are expected to debut with the new patch, but testing in the public beta environment has exposed an unfortunate truth: the quality is inconsistent across all skins. In a comparison with existing ones, the results leave much to be desired. While the new Morgana skin is commended for its stunning design as a cosmetic, questions arise regarding whether the absence of basic animations justifies its cost. The most significant complaint about this skin is that it lacks facial animations.

1. It’s remarkable how expressive Morgana is in the game, and it’s hard to ignore her detail when you look closely. However, it’s puzzling that some animations seem to have been borrowed from other skins or her base model with minor adjustments to give the impression of something new.

2. Compared to others, Morgana’s original design is exceptionally expressive within the game. It’s almost surprising when you notice that certain animations appear to have been lifted from other skins or her basic form and slightly tweaked to seem fresh.

3. Upon closer inspection, you can see how expressive Morgana is in the game, but it’s baffling that some animations look like they’ve been borrowed from other skins or her base model with only minor modifications to make them appear new.

4. It’s astounding how much expression Morgana has in the game, and it’s hard to overlook these details when you take a closer look. Yet, it seems that some animations have been borrowed from other skins or her base model and slightly altered to seem like new creations.

5. In the game, Morgana is one of the most expressive champions, and it’s hard to miss these details when you take a closer look. However, it’s confusing that some animations appear to have been taken from other skins or her base model and merely tweaked to make them seem new.

6. The level of detail in Morgana’s design is noticeable only upon closer inspection in the game, but it’s hard to ignore her expressiveness. It feels almost disrespectful when you realize that some animations have been borrowed from other skins or her base model and only slightly modified to give the impression of being new.

7. In the game, Morgana is one of the most expressive champions, and it’s hard not to notice these details when you look closely. Yet, it seems that some animations have been borrowed from other skins or her base model and only slightly altered to give the impression of being new creations.

8. In the game, Morgana’s design is incredibly expressive, but it’s hard not to notice these details when you take a closer look. However, it seems that some animations appear to have been borrowed from other skins or her base model and only slightly modified to seem like fresh creations.

9. In the game, Morgana is one of the most expressive champions, but it’s hard not to notice these details when you take a closer look. Yet, it feels almost disrespectful when you realize that some animations have been borrowed from other skins or her base model and only slightly altered to seem like new creations.

10. In the game, Morgana is one of the most expressive champions, but it’s hard not to notice these details when you look closely. However, it seems that some animations have been borrowed from other skins or her base model and only slightly altered to give the impression of being new creations.

Fans? Who Needs Em

It remains uncertain if Riot Games can recover the situation, as players were enraged when Riot suggested taking away Hextech Chests from the game. Thankfully, they did not follow through due to strong fan backlash, but the opportunity for players to acquire these items has become very limited now.

It’s increasingly apparent that Riot Games struggles with their monetization strategies, and they seem to be growing increasingly disconnected from the fanbase who played a significant role in making the game popular.

Read More

2025-06-26 17:10