Explaining Riot's charity skins controversy in League of Legends
Riot Games is catching heat from fans after seemingly scrapping a planned charity skin event in League of Legends, but is this actually true?
2025 has seen Southern California rocked by wildfires. This has been a brutal hit for millions and Riot Games, which is headquartered in West Los Angeles, has been directly impacted. That made it a natural fit when Riot announced plans to support disaster relief charities through in-game fundraisers in Valorant and League of Legends.
“This crisis has deeply affected our teams, with some Rioters losing their homes and many others still evacuated…We’ve taken steps to support Rioters navigating this difficult time by providing temporary housing, emergency stipends, and access to advisory services. We’re committed to evolving this support as their needs become clearer,” Riot said in a statement.
After a string of controversies, fans of League of Legends are questioning how charitable these efforts really are, though. That’s because of indications that there was a different skin planned for this fundraiser.
What is the controversy regarding Riot Games’ League of Legends charity event?
Riot Games is being criticized by fans for allegedly canceling the planned re-release of a Jhin skin supporting the company’s charity drive.
On January 16, 2025, Riot Games announced in-game events designed to raise money for “organizations aiding natural disaster recovery in Southern California and around the world.” Donations would be made through the Riot Games Social Impact Fund, a nonprofit arm of the company that distributes money to charitable organizations.
In Valorant, the EX.O Collection was rebranded as the “Give Back Bundle” with proceeds from the bundle and its individual skins going to the Riot Games Social Impact Fund. League of Legends saw something similar, with the Firefighter Tristana skin returning to stores.
https://twitter.com/SkinSpotlights/status/1882755712180506927
However, prior to Riot’s announcement, League of Legends YouTuber SkinSpotlights stated that there were two skins meant to be a part of this; Firefighter Tristana and Mythmaker Jhin. Following the official announcement, SkinSpotlights showed what appeared to be data-mined information backing this up. This sparked controversy and backlash against Riot Games’ charity efforts in League of Legends. Fans speculated that Riot opted out of foregoing revenue for a popular character’s skin.
Did Riot Games really cancel a charity skin?
Data mines show that Riot Games canceled plans to release the Mythmaker Jhin skin for charity, though it’s unclear why.
Riot Games never publicly indicated plans to run a charity drive in League of Legends have more than one skin. All statements and press materials related to the charity drive only reference Firefighter Tristana.
Cynical fans believe Riot Games wanted to bolster its public image at a sensitive time, but made an insincere effort using an unpopular character. It’s also possible that Riot Games didn’t want to use a fire-themed skin for a charity event related to this specific disaster.
Regardless, Riot Games has not issued a statement on the matter. Regardless, Firefighter Tristana will be available in the game with proceeds benefitting charity until February 5, 2025.
Steven Rondina is a true lifelong gamer. His earliest memories are of playing video games, and he has continued playing them throughout his life with no plans to stop any time soon. Steven’s favorite franchises in gaming include Pokemon, Dark Souls, and Counter-Strike. He has previously published with Bleacher Report and other gaming outlets.
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