The League of Legends Community is in a Heated Debate
In the history of League of Legends, every mechanism has its own certain significance, and depending on the era, these mechanisms are adjusted, added, or even removed to suit players. Among these, the Emote mechanism is one of the most utilized features by gamers, even though they do not affect the outcome of matches. Specifically, these Emotes are often used in special situations (pentakills, finishing a match…) or simply to taunt opponents. However, Riot has appropriately invested in this Emote system with a variety of emotes, from character actions in-game to common actions seen in real life.
Akali’s New Emote is the Talk of the League of Legends Community
Recently, however, an emote from Riot for one League of Legends champion has sparked intense controversy. Specifically, it is Akali’s emote featuring an extremely sensitive gesture. For those who may not know, this gesture previously caused trouble for a female designer from South Korea when she designed a poster for the famous GS25 convenience store brand. The poster ignited outrage from Korean men, and the designer, despite her explanations, was disciplined by GS25.
According to netizens in South Korea, since Riot is a foreign company and the designer has no ties to the Land of the Morning Calm, this emote is generally considered controversial but does not lead to more severe consequences. In fact, many LCK viewers even admitted that if these emotes of Akali with this gesture were designed by a Korean, regardless of whether they were male or female, that person and Riot might face a lot of backlash, especially since most players are male.
– “This hand gesture is quite suspicious”
– “Since it’s a foreign game company, I guess they don’t have any hidden intentions”
– “But it might be created by a Korean”
As of now, Riot has not yet commented on this emote. However, since even LCK viewers accept it, perhaps this emote, despite its sensitivity, will still be used. In reality, emotes, if used, only appear briefly, and sometimes players may not even notice before the gestures vanish.