Riot says Faker skin price was to “cover the costs of esports”

Riot finally has a response to the wildly expensive Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok Ahri skin in League of Legends, and fans do not like it.

League of Legends may be a free-to-play game, but there’s a reason it still generates so much revenue. It all comes down to cosmetics. As a free game, it’s difficult to strike a balance between microtransactions that don’t affect the game, but are enticing enough for fans to spend money on. For the most part, Riot has done well with cosmetic pricing  given the sheer popularity of some. However, Riot may have overplayed its hand after the reveal of the highly-anticipated Ahri skin to commemorate Faker’s Hall of Fame induction. The nearly $450 price tag for the signature immortalized legend collection sparked outrage amongst fans.

Riot’s response did not do much to quell these reactions.

Riot claims Faker skin price is necessary to make esports “financially sustainable”

Head of League Studio Andrei “Meddler” van Roon responded to fan concerns over the Faker skin price by calling .

A Redditor commented under a developer update video for Riot, sharing concerns over the Immortalized Legend Ahri skin. The comment was neutral, not accusatory of Riot, and simply inquired for the team’s reasons.

In response, u/RiotMeddler shared a long comment claiming the revenue from the top Faker skin package is helping finance Riot’s esports division. The different pricing tiers offered alternative versions of the skin in an attempt to keep the designs accessible to all players. The statement also revealed Riot expected “frustration” from people who aren’t interested in the higher prices.

The community did not like this response. Some pointed out other ways to help cover esports costs, such as team skins, banners, and pro player signature emotes. Others focused on Riot’s apparent greed and claimed what should have been a celebration of the sport became yet another way for Riot to squeeze money out of its fans.

As of now, Riot has not walked back its pricing on the Faker skin bundle. Since it is a purely optional cosmetic that does not affect gameplay, Riot will likely stick to the pricing regardless of criticism. Some fans speculate that the next Hall of Fame skin will be much cheaper and that Riot will frame it as “listening to the community.” Time will tell if these predictions come true.