Making a new skin for League is kind of like rowing a boat across the open seas—there are endless possibilities, but the only way to get anywhere is to know the destination. Because of this, we create a vision statement for each skin at the beginning of development. This brief description outlines what we want the future skin to look like (and sound like, and feel like), and acts as a compass that guides everyone towards the same goal.

God Fist Lee Sin’s vision statement was, perhaps unsurprisingly, “Lee Sin is a god.” Every step of the way, the team would stop, look at their work, and ask each other, “Does this make you feel like Lee Sin is a god?” If the answer is yes, full speed ahead, and if not, well…it might be time to change course.

Here are just a few of the ways God Fist Lee Sin’s vision statement shaped the skin throughout its development.

Master Yourself, Master the Enemy

When we say, “Lee Sin is a god,” what does that really mean? Who is this guy? Is he actually a god, or is he like 99.9% god?

In other words, what’s his story?

To explore those questions, the team crafted the tale of the God Fist: Through training, discipline, and fighting stronger opponents, Lee Sin had practically become a god. “He’s always looking for someone to push him to that next level,” product manager Paul “Pabro” Bellezza says, “but really, it’s about himself—he’s holding himself back.” Still, the lack of competent opponents has made him pretty salty.

As a result of his vigorous training, Lee Sin is now powerful enough to detect the energy of the world around him. He’s still blind, but he’s so damn close to godhood that he’s beyond mortal sight (in other words, he can land a Q with his eyes closed, much like your ally jungler, amirite?).

I Am Not a Man, I Am a God

The God Fist also tried on a whole spectrum of colors throughout development; Hellstern jokes, “It was like 50 shades of Lee Sin.” After some research and internal feedback, we felt like gold  was the best choice because of it’s association with divinity.

Can You Hear My Fists?

Audio lead Boon “Boondingo” Sim started developing the God Fist Lee Sin’s sound effects before his animations and VFX were complete, but because everyone was working towards the same vision statement, they fit in perfectly. “I was really trying to capture his divinity in a nonverbal way,” Boondingo says, “and I went for a Tibetan Buddhist feel, with lots of bells, chimes, and gongs.”

God Fist Lee Sin’s Q

God Fist Lee Sin’s Ult

God Fist Lee Sin’s dialogue was defined by one of the first things we decided about the skin: the backstory. Because Lee Sin believes the lack of challenging opponents is the sole reason he hasn’t achieved godhood, he’s become impatient, bitter, and rather arrogant… but he doesn’t realize the thing keeping him grounded is himself. His dialogue was crafted to tell this story.

God Fist Lee Sin’s Voice Over

Defining the Future

Creating a new skin is a collaborative effort, so making sure everyone is on the same page ahead of time is really important. Having a clear and inspirational vision statement, even if it’s as simple as “Lee Sin is a god,” helps guide everyone towards the same goal while also acting as a quick-check for all decisions made along the way. Ultimately, vision statements help ensure everything makes sense together, from the visual effects to the voice over to the character model.

And for the God Fist…it was a match made in (vision statement) heaven.