League of Legends: Graves’ upcoming Sentinels skin features VFX changes
Sentinel Graves is ready to combat the Black Mist as the Ruination looms over Runeterra. Kevin “Sirhaian” Leroy, senior VFX artist for League of Legends, recently shared details about the upcoming Sentinels skin for Graves, showcasing its unique features and animations. The cosmetic has a “slightly different” VFX kit after level 11 as Graves’ abilities fight the corruption of the Black Mist.
The Lore-Infused Skin
The Black Mist, born from Viego’s attempt to resurrect his lost love, poses a threat to Runeterra. To stay true to the Ruination lore, Riot developers incorporated the Black Mist into Graves’ Sentinels skin. The skin features the Black Mist surrounding his Sentinel of Light energy, subtly appearing around his abilities. However, once Graves reaches level 11, the Black Mist disappears, and his abilities remain uncorrupted.
An Unobtrusive Change
Riot made sure to keep the VFX change minimal to avoid confusing players or making it seem like their gameplay suddenly changed. According to Sirhaian, this slight animation alteration serves as a unique homage to the lore of the MOBA without impacting gameplay.
Other Notable Features
Sirhaian also shared other notable features of the Sentinel Graves skin, including his dance animation and the gun shining brightest when it has full ammo. Interestingly, the death animation for Sentinel Graves references Twisted Fate, as the Outlaw reaches for a blue card to teleport to safety.
The Sentinels of Light event will commence with Patch 11.14, and Sentinel Graves is expected to be released in the following patch.
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League of Legends, Graves, Sentinels skin, VFX changes, Black Mist, Ruination, Runeterra, lore, abilities, gameplay, animation, homage, MOBA, Patch 11.14