Riot Games Reveals the Story Behind VALORANT’s Nunca Olvidados Skin Line
Riot Games has released a new blog post explaining the inspiration and creation process behind the Nunca Olvidados skin line in VALORANT. Inspired by the Mexican holiday Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), the skin line is designed to honor the holiday and its traditions.
Día de los Muertos is a Mexican holiday that celebrates the life and death of family members and loved ones. Participants create altars called ofrendas, which are decorated with food, drinks, and pictures of deceased family members. The offerings help the spirits find their way home and visit their living family members every year.
In recent years, Día de los Muertos has become more popular, and the Nunca Olvidados skin line aims to authentically capture the essence of the holiday and its traditions in VALORANT. The skins feature elements such as marigolds, a lady with calavera face paint, and a glow-in-the-dark variant.
In an interview, Outsource Supervisor Sammi Pedregon shared her excitement for the concept art created by Josh Kao, which served as the foundation for the Nunca Olvidados skins. Pedregon, a second-generation Mexican American, felt a strong connection to her heritage through this project.
The development team worked closely with Riot’s Mexico office to ensure authenticity and respect for Día de los Muertos. The skins were released from October 20 to November 2 to coincide with the holiday.
The initial designs of the skins included a transition between night and day textures, but based on player feedback, the team decided to offer two separate variants. This allows players to always have their preferred option active.
To maintain the elegant design of the lady featured on the skins, her image is projected from the player’s camera. This attention to detail ensures that the in-game representation matches the overall visual theme of the skins.
The final designs of the Nunca Olvidados skins stayed true to the vision of Día de los Muertos without resorting to clichés. The skins accurately represent the holiday and allow players to celebrate in-game in an authentic and meaningful way.
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