League of Legends: Riot celebrates e-athlete with €500 skin
Faker is the most famous "LoL" player. Although he doesn't use skins himself, the publisher celebrates him with the most expensive skin.
This skin for the "League of Legends" champion Ahri costs several hundred euros.
(Image: Riot Games)
Riot is launching a Hall of Legends. According to the publisher and game developer, the aim is to honor the most famous players of the MOBA "League of Legends". However, some people came to the realization this week that it is primarily about raking in money with skins and events.
With the first hall member, South Korean Lee Sang-hyeok aka Faker, Riot is releasing an event pass and three "Legends Collections". The latter essentially contain champion skins and freebies such as account images and (virtual) stickers.
Riot: 521.94 euros please
The main focus is on a new skin for the character Ahri, one of Faker's favorite champions. The crux of the matter: If you want the full skin with all its new animations and an additional finisher move, you have to buy the "Signature" version.
The in-game currency Riot Points (RP) is intended to disguise how expensive this skin is: the Signature collection costs 59,260 RP. For this, you have to buy RP worth 521.94 euros and then have 890 points left over for a "normal" skin on offer. Faker and his team T1 will receive a share of the revenue.
(Image: Riot Games)
More expensive skins, more loot boxes
"League of Legends" is a free-to-play game that is mainly financed by skins. They change the appearance and occasionally the animations, but do not contain any playable advantages. Over the years, Riot has introduced new skin classes for higher prices, and additionally available chromas change the color scheme.
Until the Signature Ahri, the most expensive skins of the "Ultimate" level usually cost 3250 RP. You have to spend 35 euros for this and then have 775 points left over for other goodies. The only exception so far was a "mythical" skin variation for the character Jhin, which could cost up to 200 euros within a gacha system.
In gacha systems, you buy loot boxes and have a 100 percent chance of receiving a certain product after a set number. This is intended to entice people to buy even more loot boxes. In League of Legends, you get a few of these loot boxes for free just by playing without spending any money.
Faker doesn't use skins himself
Faker, meanwhile, is known for playing exclusively with the standard skins – even in the LCK League and at World Championships, where all additional content is unlocked for all players. The fact that the most expensive "LoL" skin by far is dedicated to him is not without a certain irony.
Faker has been playing professionally since 2013, always with SKT Telecom T1 and its successor organization T1. In the South Korean LCK league, he and his teams have won 10 of 27 so-called splits; he has won the annual world championship four times.
Faker has celebrity status in South Korea, even outside the "LoL" scene. Millions of LoL players around the world are likely to know him.
(mma)