2025 hasn’t started off well for League of Legends. While on paper the rotating thematic seasons look and sound amazing, Riot has struggled to get its new system off of the ground. Between issues with battle pass rewards, the divisive gacha-esque Sanctum and its Exalted cosmetics, and, of course, the infamous Hextech Chest controversy, the MOBA is in a bit of an odd place. The second round of Noxus-themed battle pass skins proved particularly contentious, too, with Alistar’s black and red look getting pulled entirely due to poor quality. Coming into Season 2, Riot promised that it would drop higher-tier skins in its battle pass, but Ivern’s new Spirit Blossom look appears to just be a pink and blue chroma.
Spirit Blossom is one of League of Legends‘ most beloved universes. Inspired by traditional Asian folklore, its dating sim-esque mini-game remains my favorite of the MOBA‘s summer events to date, and its gorgeous pastel blues and pinks, contrasted with deep purples and heavy blacks, make it one of the most iconic skinlines ever made. When Riot announced that Season 2 would be set in Spirit Blossom’s world, the excitement was real.
But for a lot of players, Noxus was the world they were the most excited to see, and in many ways, it fell a little flat. Somewhat of a testbed for Riot’s new seasonal model, there were several issues with its battle pass rewards, particularly regarding the quality of its free, unlockable skins. After a wave of backlash over Grand Reckoning Alistar, which was eventually pulled because it “just wasn’t very good,” Riot promised that it would be “increasing the quality of battle pass skins going forward.” While Season 1’s skins were already complete, Season 2 was supposed to have better cosmetics.
Spirit Blossom Ivern, however, has come under fire for being a blue and pink chroma of his base skin. Anatomically, the splash art itself is very similar to Ivern’s base, with his usual mushroom simply replaced by a pink blossom. In an image from League of Legends YouTuber ‘Dumbs,’ the skin’s in-game model appears to just be a straight recolor, with Ivern’s traditional browns and greens replaced by Spirit Blossom’s iconic pastel hues. “I for real edited full ass video and even talked about the skin but didn’t realize it was just a recolor,” he writes.
Similar criticisms were made of Alistar’s Grand Reckoning skin, which appeared to be a simple black and red rework of his base model. Given that Ivern’s last cosmetic was released back in 2023, this’ll likely come as a disappointment to his OTPs, especially given how well the gentle woodland giant fits into Spirit Blossom’s world.
League of Legends Season 2 begins on Wednesday April 30, and is themed around Spirit Blossom. Its first battle pass includes Ivern’s new look, as well as Prestige Spirit Blossom Lux, and Pool Party Twitch.
If you’re excited for the next chapter of Runeterra’s ongoing saga, check out our LoL tier list to ensure you’re locking in the best champs for the job. Alternatively, if its the Japanese aesthetic of Spirit Blossom that’s lured you back in, check out our rundown of all the League of Legends skins that are currently on sale.
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