One of the Rioters referred to rumors about buffs aimed at increasing sales of new skins.
Skins in League of Legends are the main way the game company earns money. As you know, LoL is a free title, so the developers introduce various paid cosmetic additives. These do not affect the gameplay itself, but they are an interesting diversion and many people love to collect them, whether for their favorite hero or in general, to keep growing their skin collection.
Every year, a huge number of skins are released in the game. Old series return or completely new ones are created. In 2021 alone, over 100 additional cosmetic items were released for the game.
There is a belief that the creators increase the sales of skins by buffing the appropriate champions before releasing them. Players are interested in these heroes, which makes them more likely to buy a skin in the next update. The theory on this topic arose quite a long time ago and to this day many fans are convinced that the link between buffs and skin premieres is not accidental. What do the creators say?
Heroes buffs and skin premieres
Almost everyone has heard about the theory of skins and buffs for characters that are supposed to get them. Such beliefs appeared, for example, on Reddit many years ago. Players tried to find evidence that would clearly indicate that Riot is artificially gaining community interest.
Of course, you can find examples that can somehow confirm this, but you might as well say it was a coincidence.
What does Riot itself say? How do they comment on this matter? It turns out that, according to the creators, such theories are completely wrong.
Senior Game Designer Matt “phroxz0n” Leung-Harrison stated that all slander about it was not true and that it was just a gamer’s fantasy. The creator not only refuted the long-standing theory of the community but also revealed that the game balance team often has no idea that a specific skin is being worked on.
Rioter admitted that there is a huge gap between the balancing team and the one that designs cosmetic accessories and the premieres of specific things rarely coincide. People working on balance are often surprised when they see a specific skin being revealed.
It’s hard to say whether fans will believe these explanations. According to them, the facts are different and in the case of the recently released Dragonmancer series, as many as 3 characters received buffs (Kai’Sa, Volibear, and Karma).
The Arcane series is currently being promoted in League of Legends. Today, the third, that is, the last, act has been released. There are quests in the game that can get you free heroes and skins that correspond to the appearance of the series.