The developers are withdrawing the newest Ekko skin from the game. Why was this decision made?
Firelight Ekko, the version of the character from the animated series from the League of Legends universe – Arcane – was a skin that many players were waiting for. Before anyone even confirmed that such a skin would be available, fans were asking Riot to introduce some cosmetic add-on for Ekko, as he only got an icon while other characters received skins, icons, and emotes (Vi and Jinx).
The hero’s fan dream finally came true, and Ekko from the Fireflies gang finally showed up on the PBE. However, not for long, as he was removed from the test server. What happened?
Firelight Ekko problems
The new hero skin from the series was eagerly awaited as it had a lot of potential. It quickly turned out that, unlike other Arcane skins, it was priced at 1350 RP (Jayce, Vi, Jinx, and Caitlyn cost 975 RP). This price suggested that the skin would be more extensive. Unfortunately, this was not the case and the players did not hide their indignation. Already on the day of the skin’s premiere on PBE, many fans began to write critical comments, claiming that Riot was exaggerating with the price of the skin, which should not be more expensive than 975 RP. The most criticized was the lack of new sound effects, which for many fans are an essential part of cosmetic accessories.
Fortunately, Riot did not sweep the matter under the rug and decided to respond to numerous complaints from the community. RiotKatana spoke in the case, who stated that the lack of additional sound effects in Firelight Ekko was the result of a misunderstanding in the team.
Hey all, I wanted to say that we really appreciate the discussion around Firelight Ekko’s lack of SFX. We completely agree that SFX are a standard and expected part of an Epic (1350) skin, and leaving them out was an unfortunate mistake on our part due to a miscommunication internally. While we do everything we can to avoid delaying content, we’re going to hold off from shipping this skin for a few patches to work on adding new SFX. This also means the skin will come off of PBE for now.
Rioter also spoke on a slightly different topic that many people have asked about. It is about a unique homeguard animation in epic skins. RiotKatana has confirmed that the additional animation is coming in a limited number of skins from this price range. While at the normal release date, it probably would not be added to the new Ekko skin, the postponement of the release gives a bit more possibilities.
Given that the SFX addition will give us more time than a normal PBE cycle and because we agree with your feedback that adding this animation strongly contributes to Firelight Ekko’s story and the celebration of Arcane, we will be including a hoverboard Homeguard animation to go live with the new SFX. Since many players have voiced they’d like to see Ekko with his mask on more, we’ll make sure to include it in the homeguard animation as well. We’ll also be taking a look at his VFX to make some small adjustments there.
I know many of you are waiting patiently for this skin, and hope the final results will be worth the extra wait. Thanks!