Riot’s Overhaul of Item System Poses Challenges for Colorblind Players
The recent overhaul of the item system in League of Legends has left fans with a lot to digest. However, for colorblind players, this update may present an even greater challenge.
One League player, u/evsboi, who has deuteranomaly (the most common type of red-green color blindness), took to Reddit to express their frustration. According to them, the new shop is “not compatible” with colorblind players, as it makes it difficult to distinguish between red, yellow, and green, as well as purple and blue hues. They explained that the new icons in Patch 10.23 are “too detailed” and “use the same colors.”
Despite the existence of a colorblind option in League, which alters the colors of specific in-game elements, this does not appear to affect the items. As a result, colorblind players may struggle to quickly assess an enemy’s build within seconds, as they stall trying to identify the new items.
Evsboi noted that they never had issues with the old shop, as the items had simpler designs and a wider color scheme. They did, however, struggle in the past with the contrast between certain character health bars and abilities from certain skins.
Challenges Faced by Colorblind Players
interviewed two other individuals with deuteranomaly about the revamped item icons. One person with a mild case stated that while there isn’t a drastic color difference between some items, they can still distinguish them based on their shapes. Another player claimed that their shopping time has almost doubled since the update, as several items now appear to mesh together.
Despite acknowledging that asking Riot to revert to simpler item designs may be unrealistic, Evsboi did suggest some reasonable solutions. They mentioned increasing the size of the icons or adding thick outlines to make the shapes more visible. Additionally, allowing players to use the old legacy icons (similar to how Riot allowed the use of the old cursor) could potentially help. However, this wouldn’t address the issue of the new weapons.
Conclusion
Riot’s overhaul of the item system in League of Legends has unintentionally created challenges for colorblind players. The detailed icons and limited color differentiation make it difficult for these players to quickly identify and differentiate between items. While the colorblind option in the game does help in some aspects, it doesn’t address the issue with the items. Colorblind players suggest potential solutions such as increasing icon size or adding outlines to improve visibility. However, finding a resolution may prove challenging.
Follow us on YouTube for more esports news and analysis.
Riot, League of Legends, colorblind, item system, deuteranomaly, compatibility, shop, new icons, color schemes