The oldest champions of League of Legends are usually the ones that have or cause the most problems. Many of them were created too quickly — some would say in a rush — so their design is more generic, and their animation skills less flashy.
Indeed, when launching the game, Riot Games tried to honor its commitment by releasing a champion every two weeks — for the first two years. This trend continued until the third season, when the studio saw how suboptimal the practice was and decided to slow down production.
And in all this history, it was undoubtedly Yorick who made them realize that it was time to slow down.
Created in three days
In the early days of League, and its design, Riot Games was not the juggernaut we know today, both in its organization and in its infrastructure – and this era certainly gave rise to some anecdotes that the developers tell today today with a sometimes yellow laugh. Among them, there is an almost urban legend, which many have finally forgotten: un champion conceptualized and then designed in just three days — Yorick, the Shepherd of Souls.
Having a skill set frankly only at the time, the gravedigger was never really popular, to the point where Riot Games decided to give it a rework in 2016 (Season 6) — a rework that didn’t changed a lot since then.
Elder Yorick had the power to summon spirits — a theme that Riot has sought to keep in its current kit, but has been slightly twisted. In fact, his old skills were just far too similar to the point where it sometimes felt like pressing the same key four times. Admittedly, the ghosts he invoked then had different characteristics, but his kit was still extremely redundant. A ghost that inflicts damage, another that slows down, and a last one that steals life – you have to admit that old Yorick was monotonous as can be.
On the other hand, he had a particularly innovative ultimate skill, since he could target a teammate in order to summon a spectral copy of them. And, if he died, he could take control of the ghost for 10 seconds, in order to continue the fight. Although today this ultimate seems almost obsolete, at the time it represented a real leap forward – especially in order to offer an absolutely unique peel option.
The electroshock Riot needed
In all honesty, considering the time taken to create it, Yorick was not a bad champion… but it was still far from being a success. And it was undoubtedly this small failure that made Riot Games realize that it was time to change their production cycle. Back then, it took very little time to bring forth a new champion — whereas now the process takes months, or even an entire year.
A duration now required to introduce a new champion in their optimal state, whether it’s to ensure its in-game charisma and its pixel gameplay, or to give the pros time to discover its full potential. What’s more, at a time when crunch is unleashing the gaming world, Riot teams are no longer under the pressure of having to release a champion every two weeks – which gives them infinitely more time to ensure that the next champions will emerge without haste…
Original content by MGG Spain
Champions in League of Legends sometimes get a little facelift, both in terms of their appearance and their spell kit. This operation is often more complex than it seems.