League of Legends: Diversity and Inclusion Push Continues with New Champion K’Sante
Over the past few years, Riot Games has been making a concerted effort to prioritize diversity and inclusion, both in its games as a whole and specifically in League of Legends. The company’s commitment to representing a wide range of cultures and peoples is evident in its two premier titles, League and VALORANT.
K’Sante: A Champion Breaking New Ground
The next champion in League, K’Sante, is set to be released later this year and represents a significant step forward in Riot’s diversity initiatives. As the first Black and openly gay addition to the game’s roster of 160-plus champions, K’Sante’s lore and background align with Riot’s mission to create more diverse characters.
Using Real-World Inspiration in Fantasy
Riot has been actively working to incorporate different cultures, countries, backgrounds, and orientations in its games. In VALORANT, for example, each new agent introduced represents a different country. However, representing real-world marginalized groups becomes more challenging when designing characters for a game like League, which is set in a fantasy world. Despite these challenges, Riot is dedicated to reaching and representing a wide range of audiences.
Developing and Writing K’Sante
Riot’s narrative team drew inspiration from Africa for K’Sante, taking cues from West African culture to create the character’s home city of Nazumah. During the development process, the team sought input from Riot employees who had “lived experiences” as queer and Black individuals. Their insights helped shape K’Sante’s story and ensure authentic representation.
The Path to Greater Diversity in League
Riot is committed to increasing the representation of diverse groups in the League roster. With K’Sante, the company collaborated with Grammy award-winning artist Lil Nas X to create a prestige version of the champion’s launch skin. Moving forward, Riot will continue to prioritize diversity and inclusion in all aspects of its creative content, making sure players from different backgrounds can see themselves reflected in the game.
As the League preseason approaches, players can anticipate new champion releases and potentially more diversity initiatives. Riot acknowledges that no single champion can represent everyone, but K’Sante serves as a step forward in the company’s ongoing efforts to promote diversity and inclusion in League of Legends.
K’Sante is scheduled to be available in League later this year.
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