Riot sees Faker’s expensive Ahri skin as opportunity for LoL fans to ‘help cover the costs of esports’

The League of Legends community stood divided while debating the announcement of the game’s most expensive skin bundle, and Riot Games has finally responded to the community’s backlash.

“There’s a good opportunity to both celebrate iconic pro players and help cover the costs of esports,” Head of League Studio Andrei “Meddler” van Roon said on Reddit, emphasizing the fact that Faker’s cosmetic sales would contribute profoundly toward the sustainability of the esports ecosystem.

According to Riot, esports mainly drives its funds from a “mixture of sponsorships and in-game cosmetic sales,” and this event, Hall of Legends, was a “good opportunity” to experiment with the dedicated event of Hall of Legends. This “tailored content” was an excellent way to do that.

Meddler also said that Riot Games should offer content at a wide range of different prices as the event’s pass, which sells for 1,950 RP, already provides a great deal for most. However, the company tried to cater to players who would want “dedicated skins for the event, with a combination of new features and exclusivity or both.”

“This is a time where we believe we should also offer really expensive versions, akin to Collectors editions/collectibles in other contexts,” Meddler continued. “Those are created for a very small part of the audience that wants that sort of price point in exchange for a lot more exclusivity,” he added, reflecting on the target audience for the skin, players who want extra flair out of their cosmetics.

According to the company, these purchases of expensive skins fuel the growth of Riot’s long-term vision of making esports financially sustainable as part of their commitment and serve as an investment in the LoL esports scene.

With League Patch 14.12 rolling out on the official servers, players and skin enthusiasts will have their hands on the most expensive cosmetic bundle, Hall of Legends, with Faker leading the charge for the first esports personality cosmetic, a matter of pride for the entire gaming ecosystem. However, with the highly prized and priced skins, the community felt alienated as most people couldn’t afford to get their hands on the cosmetics to celebrate their favorite esports icon.