Are League of Legends skins getting worse? Signs say yes

A growing chorus of League of Legends enthusiasts has raised alarms about deteriorating cosmetic skin quality in the legendary MOBA title. Mounting evidence suggests this isn’t mere perception but reflects genuine production issues affecting player experience.

Riot Games openly acknowledges that cosmetic skins drive substantial revenue for League of Legends. With numerous new designs launching annually, players traditionally embraced purchasing skins for their preferred champions when pricing remained reasonable. However, 2024 marked a turning point as Riot implemented dramatically increased costs for select premium offerings.

The community debate ignited in May 2024 when players encountered the staggering $434.95 price tag for Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok’s exclusive signature skin bundle. Company representatives defended the premium pricing as essential for maintaining financial viability within their esports operations division.

As we progress through 2025, community members increasingly report observable quality reductions in LoL skins. This occurs despite Riot’s assertions that these premium purchases ensure the game’s ongoing stability across professional and casual gameplay environments.

Evidence of Declining Skin Quality

Numerous players have identified noticeable reductions in polish and craftsmanship within recent League of Legends cosmetic offerings.While aesthetic preferences remain inherently subjective, many community members have documented objective quality decreases compared to Riot’s earlier skin releases. During February 2025, social media platforms featured extensive comparisons between Alistar’s base appearance and a new battle pass skin variant.

Community criticism focused on Alistar maintaining his complete original silhouette in the new skin. Consequently, players labeled the Alistar offering as essentially a “chroma”—industry terminology for basic color palette modifications rather than genuinely unique character models. Widespread agreement emerged that current skins no longer justify the premium values Riot assigns them.

Despite being freely accessible, this Alistar skin represents a marked quality regression compared to Unchained Alistar. The limited edition 2011 skin was obtainable simply by subscribing to League’s official YouTube channel and featured comprehensive model alterations, texture enhancements, and horn redesigns for distinctive visual impact.

The Impact of Riot’s 2024 Artist Layoffs

Riot eliminated hundreds of staff positions throughout 2024, including substantial numbers of artistic professionals.In January 2024, CEO Dylan Jadeja released an official statement confirming termination of 530 roles worldwide. Beyond these mass reductions, multiple artists publicly announced their Riot departures during 2024.

Among those affected was character designer Ben Rosado, credited with creating the controversial Faker skin. Many players expressed surprise at these departures given documentation indicating substantial revenue generation from these premium cosmetics. When Faker promoted the skin on Chinese platforms, reports indicated approximately $2.3 million generated within sixty minutes.

Beyond the Alistar example, additional incidents have heightened player apprehension regarding Riot’s declining artistic standards. A Samira emote introduced in December 2024 displayed conspicuous technical issues including duplicated fingers, incomplete facial features, and unusual shading effects. These visual anomalies prompted community speculation about potential AI-generated content within League of Legends.

Riot issued statements denying artificial intelligence usage for emote creation, attributing the flaws to simple production errors. However, without comprehensive explanations from Riot, many players remain concerned about the future direction of skin development.

Considering cosmetics’ crucial role in League’s revenue ecosystem, these quality concerns potentially indicate significant challenges for the game’s overall health and longevity. The combination of premium pricing strategies with observable quality reductions creates potential sustainability issues that could affect player retention and spending patterns long-term.

For players navigating these changes, understanding skin value becomes increasingly important. Similar to evaluating weapon choices in our BF6 Weapons Unlock Guide, assessing cosmetic purchases requires careful evaluation of quality versus cost. This parallels the strategic decision-making needed when selecting character roles, much like the considerations outlined in our comprehensive BF6 Class Selection Guide, where functionality and aesthetics must balance appropriately.

No reproduction without permission：Games Guides Website » Are League of Legends skins getting worse? Signs say yes Analyzing the decline in League of Legends skin quality and its connection to Riot's 2024 layoffs