After much criticism of League of Legends' new "Exalted Skins", the next one is now available.
Spirit Blossom Morgana was announced as the next Exalted Skin. Has Riot Games learned from its mistakes?
The Criticism Doesn't Stop
Riot Games has been under fire for some time now due to its new skin pricing policy. Whether it's the declining quality of legendary skins, $250 exalted skins that are supposed to come with all kinds of features, or the $500 Hall of Legends cosmetics. A YouTuber named exoLL regularly compares skins of different values and also basic skins. It becomes clear that the quality of the skins is measurably declining. This is absurd, because skins are becoming more expensive, more exclusive, and gacha elements have permanently found their way into the free-to-play MOBA. How can Riot save itself now?
Gacha Skins And A Thousand Different Currencies
It's hard enough to explain to someone how to get various skins. Back then, it couldn't have been easier: buy Riot Points in the shop and choose a skin that you like.
Today, there are far more steps you have to take: Prestige skins, which used to be available under special circumstances as additional variants of existing skins, are now simply the final milestones of a Battle Pass. These fall under the "Mythic" category and can be exchanged for Mythic Essences in the Mythic Shop from a rotating selection.
In addition, there are Exalted skins and chromas that can only be "won" as part of a gacha system, using a separate currency called "Ancient Sparks", which you can either purchase or obtain in the Battle Pass. ...Who can actually keep track of all this?
Introducing a new skin tier: Exalted | #LeagueOfLegends > Skins are for players who want hyper-exclusive skins.> The first skin in this tier will be Arcane Fractured Jinx.> They will be obtained through a new system called Sanctum, by opening Ancient Sparks (400 RP each), with... pic.twitter.com/r3LifZRfBC
— League of Legends Leaks & News (@LeagueOfLeaks) October 16, 2024
Higher Prices, Less Quality
Following the success of the Netflix series Arcane, Riot Games seized the opportunity to sell the first Exalted Skin: Arcane Fractured Jinx was only available as part of the new gambling system.
However, for around $250, you are guaranteed to get the skin. Players quickly noticed that the skin doesn't really offer anything more than the Ultimate Skins from 2016. But veterans were even more critical, comparing certain Legendarys with the new Jinx cosmetic and finding that some things didn't quite fit: All of the new skins lack animations for status effects, don't transition smoothly from one animation to the next, and in some cases even lack certain elements that the standard models initially included.
Nevertheless, the success of the series not only brought in new players, but also new fans of the champion, and so the skin was seen again and again in matches – a sign that this madness would not stop, but would only get worse.
However, the veterans' anger reached a peak when Riot Games announced the Exalted skin "Sahn-Uzal Mordekaiser".
Although the champion is not one of the most popular, he has a very loyal fan base. So it was a real blow to the gut that the skin, which is very relevant to the character's story, not only left a lot to be desired in terms of quality, but also came with a price tag of potentially $250. Riot Games withdrew the skin for changes, but even with the current version, players are simply dissatisfied.
It's Only Going Downhill
The new patch will introduce the Spirit Blossom skins. However, tests on the public beta environment reveal what comes as no surprise to anyone: the quality is so inconsistent that one can only shake one's head. exoLL compares the various skins with existing ones, and the end result is disappointing. The new Morgana skin is praised for being a really beautifully designed cosmetic. But does the lack of basic animations justify the price? The most glaring issue: the skin is said to have no facial animations.
These are only noticeable in the game upon closer inspection, but it's simply astonishing to leave them out, as Morgana's base model is one of the most expressive champions in the game. And it's almost insulting to see that some animations have been taken from other skins or her base model and only slightly modified to make them appear new. Morgana isn't even the worst of the bunch; the legendary Karma skin, which costs only $15, offers less than a $10 skin from several years ago.
Fans? Who Needs Em
Can Riot Games still turn things around? It's hard to say, because players recently lost their last chance to get something for free: players were furious when Riot threatened to remove Hextech Chests from the game. Although this didn't happen in the end due to fan outcry, the chances of getting them have decreased significantly.
It's becoming very clear that Riot Games not only has a problem with its monetization, but is also distancing itself further and further from the fans who made the game so big.