Riot Games Alter 100 Thieves' Akali Emote

Riot Games Alter 100 Thieves' Akali Emote

Adi

16 Jul, 2024, 06:03

|

Last updated: 9 Apr, 2025, 16:18

The world of League of Legends esports has been abuzz with controversy following Riot's unveiling of unique emotes created by elite teams. From altered designs to resurrecting past controversies, the release has sparked heated discussions among players. In this article, we'll delve into the details surrounding the emote rollout, dissecting the community's reactions and shedding light on the ongoing debate.

Riot unveiled the unique emotes created by elite teams competing in the top League of Legends esports competitions on August 12. The designs combine smart emotes from teams simply having fun with the memes with artwork advertising the esports team itself.

100 Thieves made the decision to design an emote that showed Akali performing a gesture that players would do to "trash talk" their opponents. Riot changed the emote to what some could consider a less aggressive motion in its PBE release; therefore, that design is not included in the game. SkinSpotlights noticed the difference and made an X (Twitter) post about it

The emote before and after the change
Akali Emote: After (Left) and Before (Right). Credit: SkinSpotlights

Here, you can see the emote before and after the supposed change:

Riot Folded?

League players are furious because they think Riot has tainted what they thought was a fantastic emoticon. Some have even referred to Riot as "Cowards." However, it is still being determined whether the design was altered from its first release or whether it was just an earlier iteration. This is not the only controversy associated with this emote rollout.

Riot is bringing back the controversial bait ping as an emote thanks to Team BDS and its cosmetic design, which prominently features the ping's hook shape. A similar emote of just the hook was previously removed from LoL after the developer found players were using it in an "unacceptable" manner.

Riot's release of unique emotes has undoubtedly made waves within the League of Legends community. The controversy surrounding altered designs and the resurrection of past controversies has sparked passionate discussions among players.

As the situation continues to unfold, it's clear that the impact of these emotes extends beyond mere in-game cosmetics, touching on competitive spirit, player expression, and developer-player relations. It will be interesting to see how Riot navigates these issues and addresses the feedback from the community moving forward.

 

For the latest League of Legends news, follow Strafe Esports. Also follow the Strafe YouTube channel for exclusive interviews with players and coaches.

Credit: SkinSpotlights & Riot Games


Read More:

LCS Championship 2024: Playoffs Round 1 Matchups and Preview

Riot Games Unveils Major Structural Changes to Enhance Player Experiences

Latest news

Former LEC and LTA South Champion Coach SeeEl Announces Retirement From League of Legends

Former LEC and LTA South Champion Coach SeeEl Announces Retirement From League of Legends

An LEC champion with Rogue and LTA South champion with Vivo Keyd Stars, SeeEl has decided against returning to coaching and revealed an opportunity involving AI and robotics for senior care.
7h
Bruno Rodrigues

Coinbase Hosts Mundo Dodgeball Tournament ft. Tyler1, Pobelter, Alois, and More

Crypto marketplace Coinbase has announced a 1v1 Mundo Dodgeball tournament. League of Legends players in Europe and North America will get to compete in one of the most popular mini-games for a chance to attend the Worlds 2026 finals live in New York, as well as a staggering top prize.
23 Sep
Martin Arévalo-Östberg

These Could Be the Next Champions Coming to League Classic

A PBE leak points to Aatrox, Irelia, Karma, Caitlyn and Quinn as the next wave of League Classic champions, potentially arriving with Patch 26.20.
22 Sep
Bruno Rodrigues

LoL Patch 26.19 Brings Teleport Buff, New Coven Skins, and More

League of Legends Patch 26.19 buffs ten champions, nerfs six, adjusts Lucian, reduces Teleport cooldowns, and introduces new Coven and Old God skins.
22 Sep
Bruno Rodrigues

"I thought about my former (T1) teammates" Gumayusi After Winning MSI with Hanwha Life Esports

Gumayusi told Kookmin Ilbo that he thought of his former T1 teammates after winning his first MSI title with Hanwha Life Esports.
22 Sep
Bruno Rodrigues

Riot Delays the Launch of League of Legends Team Voice Feature

League of Legends Team Voice will no longer launch in Patch 26.20, and Riot has yet to set a new release window for the feature.
22 Sep
Bruno Rodrigues

HEARTSTEEL Live My Life Skins are Coming with League of Legends Patch 26.20

Discover all the new HEARTSTEEL Live My Life skins coming to League of Legends in Patch 26.20.
22 Sep
Sofia Guimarães

Comments (0)

Log in to comment on this match