One of the hottest topics right now is definitely the T1 players continuously “turning back” during the skin selection for the Worlds 2023. Yesterday, Faker surprised everyone when he confirmed he would choose Orianna instead of Ahri for his Worlds skin. The reason given by Faker was that “Ahri already has too many skins.” But more importantly, Ahri is a very popular champion, and Faker himself hinted at giving this champion a skin when using Ahri in the early game against Weibo Gaming. Now, his sudden “turning back” has left fans feeling “disappointed”.
However, it is understandable of Faker’s choice. Players cannot make too many selections for Worlds skins because, no matter how great or meaningful they are, each player can only have a maximum of 2 Worlds skins, including one regular skin and one Prestige skin if the player wins FMVP. Riot recognizes the significance of Faker’s fourth Worlds championship, but rules are rules.
This has left many fans feeling regretful, especially since Faker has spent over 6 years reaching his fourth Worlds championship in his career, particularly after last year’s “falling short”. Therefore, in some opinions, there have been suggestions for Riot to consider changing the Worlds rules: “Riot should change the rules for Worlds skins when a player wins 4 championships. For instance, if a player earns MVP in the final, they should receive a Prestige skin, then a player with 4 championships should also be allowed to choose another champion for their Worlds skin. We changed the rules for Easyhoon, so could Riot change the rules again for Faker?”
Indeed, Faker’s achievements are unprecedented, and it is almost certain that no one in the current League of Legends scene can reach that height, let alone surpass it. Players who have had at least 1 Worlds championship have either retired or have significantly dropped in performance. Meanwhile, the player closest to Faker in terms of championships, Bengi, has long since transitioned to coaching. Therefore, honoring Faker is completely understandable.
However, Riot may have some special way to honor Faker, but it probably won’t be released immediately. And regardless of which champion Faker’s Worlds 2023 skin corresponds to when it is released next year, it will likely still be a very hot and sought-after skin.