Alien Invader Heimerdinger is back thanks to Area 51 gathering

Gamers hoping to invade Area 51 just got some extra help. 

Riot Games announced that Heimerdinger’s Alien Invader skin is available to purchase once again.

The decision seemingly stems from the buzz surrounding Area 51, with Riot associate program manager Mel Capperino-Garcia tweeting: “When the Area 51 raid has been successful, and you get to bring home your own alien invader.” 

Heimerdinger’s Alien Invader skin is back

A few days ago, League of Legends players were surprised to see Heimerdinger’s Alien Invader skin back in the store. Per Mobafire, the skin was added to the game in July 2010 and was the first one available for the champion. The skin was eventually vaulted, making it significantly more difficult to get.

In 2017, the cosmetic was available for a limited time during the Order vs. Chaos event. By collecting 140 shards, players could buy an Orb of Chaos or an Orb of Order, which would guarantee a Legacy Skin Shard. The shard could be used towards any skin in the vault which was no longer available for purchase, including Heimerdinger’s Alien Invader skin. 

Throughout the years, it has also popped up around the holidays, when Riot Games opens the Legacy Skin vault. 

Now, Heimerdinger’s Alien Invader skin is back in stores for 1,820 RP, thanks to the social media buzz over Area 51. 

Area 51 takes over the internet

While there was no actual raid, over 3,000 people showed up outside Area 51 on September 20. Wearing tin foil hats and holding up humorous signs, the peaceful meme chasers simply filmed the gathering instead of rushing down the armed guards at the gates. 

Many tourists had fun with the event, but Lincoln County officials were not pleased about the gathering. The small district is home to only 5,000 people and is ill-equipped to handle such an enormous crowd. The gathering, called Alienstock, had residents on edge according to TIME. That said, some of the more comical protesting did entertain the guards. 

Alienstock’s founder, Matty Roberts, did not attend the event due to safety concerns. 

Roberts started the meme as a Facebook event called “Storm Area 51, They Can’t Stop All of Us.” The event was inspired by long-standing conspiracy theories that state the military compound houses alien technology. 

Within days, millions of Facebook users signed up. 

Roberts tried to convert that social media buzz into a real-life EDM music festival called Alienstock. Response to the idea was mixed however, as some Facebook users felt becoming a regular event was the opposite of what “invading Area 51” was all about. 

Upon hearing about Alienstock, the local sheriff’s department was also displeased. Lincoln County started looking into spending around $300,000 on security in preparation for the possible invasion. 

Despite the controversy, Roberts has reportedly halted his studying to focus on the future of Alienstock.