Two new skins are headed to the League of Legends PBE (Public Beta Environment), featuring Jarvan IV and Ivern. Jarvan will soon become the 7th champion to receive a Hextech variant. Ivern, on a more surprising note, joins Darius as the game’s only other Dunkmaster.
The king’s new skin
Although Jarvan already has nine skins, Hextech Jarvan will most likely be harder to obtain. Most other Hextech options, such as Annie’s or Poppy’s, require 10 rare gemstones to craft. The unique visual effects seen in the teaser video suggest that will be the case here as well.
PBE Preview
Hextech Jarvan pic.twitter.com/fQ229vwITp— League of Legends (@LeagueOfLegends) March 19, 2019
Players have already begun complaining that this new look for Jarvan resembles the existing Dark Star Jarvan skin. While there are similarities, the added animations associated with the exclusive line should set it apart from others in his set.
News of this release may have been more warmly received if it weren’t for another skin revealed at the same time. You see, Jarvan’s skill kit involves a lot of long-range jumps. That ability would have made him a prime candidate of a Dunkmaster skin.
Speaking of Dunkmaster…
Nobody could have predicted that Ivern would be League of Legends’ next Dunkmaster. Other champions seem to be better fitted for the role. It’s easy to picture Ziggs shooting three-pointers or even Jarvan himself dunking on opponents with his ultimate ability. When the Ivern teaser dropped, fans were widely disappointed by the news on the League of Legends subreddit.
PBE Preview
Dunkmaster Ivern pic.twitter.com/io0niQjCVT— League of Legends (@LeagueOfLegends) March 19, 2019
Ivern and his companion, Daisy, look more like members of the Looney Toons’ Space Jam cast than members of Darius’ league. While Ivern does show off some dunking skill in his recall animation, it isn’t clear how the theme will be incorporated into his other abilities. Players are already hoping to see the Dunkmaster skin line expanded further with better options. Maybe Riot should just turn to fan votes, as they did with Tristana’s newest skin, to determine the next Dunkmaster?
What do you think of these newest skins? Which champion do you think deserves the next Dunkmaster skin? We’d love to hear your ideas in the comments!
