In 2017, the Samsung Galaxy (SSG) team won the World Championships in League of Legends. Now the winners received skins for their favorite champs in LoL, as per tradition.
The winning team SSG showcased the skins in a video: The guys revealed for the first time how the skins will look in the game, animated. This presentation was full of body language and is at least as nerdy as it is charming.
The players themselves demonstrate the “Recall” animation of the skins: The SSG players here imitate the animation of the skins, with which the champs teleport back to the base. This all happens against a desolate, gray background. Instead of a sword, a parasol is wielded. The world champions don’t take themselves too seriously here and are on the verge of laughter from time to time.
World Champions Traditionally Receive Skins in League of Legends
Since forever, world champions in League of Legends receive their own skin collection in the game, allowing them to immortalize their team and victory there. The Korean team SSG managed to beat SKT in the finals in 2017 and secured the trophy. Concepts of the SSG skins were already presented in March. However, they were first seen in motion in the video above.
Winners choose the champs for the skins themselves: The players work together with the skin designers and can express their wishes. Thus, the players also choose the champs they represent in the game. Usually, these are the champions they played a lot in the World Championship.
Which champ belongs to which player?
- Gnar: CuVee
- Ezreal: Haru
- Jarvan IV: Ambition
- Taliyah: Crown
- Xayah: Ruler
- Rakan: CoreJJ
Each Skin Represents a Piece of Korean Culture
Players expressed the wish that the skins should represent Korea: The winning team comes from Korea and the players wanted to see a piece of their home in the skins. The skin designer Riot Stellari explained what piece of Korea is represented in each skin.
Xayah & Rakan: The couple leans on a Korean crow, the Magpie. Xayah’s flower is the national flower, and Rakan’s hat features a traditional hat that one receives for passing a government test.
Ezreal: This skin is inspired by the Korean Hwarang (Flower Warriors). These ancient elite warriors are often depicted with long hair.
Jarvan IV: This skin has a lot of the player Ambition in it. However, the beard and the ultimate ability of the skin also reference the famous Admiral Yi Sun Shin.
Taliyah: This skin is based on the Korean novel Hong Gildong jeon. The novel can be compared to Robin Hood. Taliyah is a stone bender and uses a type of marble with this skin that is often found in ancient Korean sites.
Gnar: This monstrous champ has been realized as a white tiger, which holds significant meaning in Korean culture.
The skins will be priced at 1350 RP, which is just under 10 Euros. They are currently on the test server. Once the skins are available in League of Legends, they will also only stay in the game for a limited time.
What do you think about the skins and the performance of the world champions?
