A letdown of a skin – and a player base losing patience.
Ivern is getting a new skin – for the first time in years.
It’s free, part of the 2025 Spirit Blossom Beyond event, and was meant to be a small reward for loyal players. But what many saw as a gift now feels, in practice, more like a step backward.
It May Look Like A Full Event, But It Plays Like A Half-Measure
For many fans, Spirit Blossom isn't just about vibrant colors – it's a feeling.
The original line was known for its quality, atmosphere, and creative detail. That’s exactly why the disappointment now runs so deep.
Instead of fresh ideas, Ivern gets a skin that feels more like a renamed chroma.
Particle effects are barely changed, the recall animation is generic, and even his loyal companion Daisy looks stripped down.
Many are asking: Why is Riot going minimalist with such a major event?
Some details even seem unfinished – like Ivern’s passive ability, whose visual indicator is incorrectly placed. A bug, it seems, that has gone unfixed for several patches now.
Déjà Vu: Is Riot Repeating The Alistar Mistake?
The situation feels very similar to the Alistar Battle Pass skin that stirred up controversy just a few months ago.
Back then, the criticism was the same: not enough effort, not enough difference.
Riot ended up pulling the skin after fan backlash.
And now? With Ivern, it seems history is repeating itself — except this time, the skin stays.
"funny how they scrapped alistar but then they release this? btw they said pass skins starting with this season would be epic tier, is this a joke?" – as one of the top-voted Reddit comments puts it.
The disappointment runs deep — especially since Ivern is already one of the game’s most overlooked champions.
Those who play him do so out of genuine love for the character — and now feel let down by a design that seems like an afterthought.
This Goes Deeper Than Aesthetics
Sure – it’s a free Battle Pass skin. But that’s exactly why it matters. Even free content sends a message. And in this case, for many, that message is: “Good enough.”
That’s what makes the whole discussion so emotional.
It’s not that the skin is terrible — it’s that it feels forgettable. And that’s especially frustrating coming from a skin line that once stood for creativity and care.
To many, Spirit Blossom represents quality, atmosphere, and artistic intent. So if even that now comes down to a recolor and a splash art, the question becomes: How seriously does Riot still take its own skin design?
Not A Disaster — But Definitely A Warning Sign
The Spirit Blossom Ivern skin isn’t a total failure. But it is a symbol of a growing gap between what Riot promises and what players actually get.
A gap between brand and substance. Between expectation and execution.
What’s left isn’t a scandal, but a trust issue. One that can’t be fixed with visuals alone — only with visible care.
And you? Do you expect more from free skins — or is this exactly the point where quality should matter again?