Riot Games has once again found itself at the center of a debate after altering the name of a global emote associated with a professional team from the VCS (Vietnam Championship Series) in League of Legends.
While the decision was made to avoid potential controversy, particularly in regions like the United States, it has nonetheless stirred mixed reactions within the League of Legends community.
The Controversy Over Global Emotes
Global emotes representing professional League of Legends teams were introduced with Patch 14.17, bringing exciting new content to the game. However, even before their official release, these emotes sparked discussions. One such case involved the global emote for the VCS team Vikings Esports, which underwent a name change to avoid negative interpretations.
Everyone complains about Akali emote, but no one talks about Ksante Lemme Breathe.
byu/Presiby inLeagueOfMemes
The Name Change: From “Let Me Breathe” to “Cope’Sante”
The original name of the emote featured K’Sante—a Black champion in League of Legends—with an oxygen mask and was titled “VCS: VKE Let Me Breathe”.
Although the phrase had no negative connotations in Vietnam, Riot Games recognized that the name could carry a different, more sensitive meaning in regions like the United States, where racial issues and the phrase “let me breathe” have historical significance.
Given K’Sante’s background as a Black champion, the potential for misinterpretation was deemed too high, leading Riot to preemptively make changes.
The new name for the emote was changed to “Cope’Sante,” a play on words that still connects to K’Sante while avoiding any controversial interpretations. While many in the community agree that the change was made for the right reasons, Riot Games has faced criticism for allowing the original title to pass through the design phase.
Why the Community is Divided
The change has led to mixed reactions, with many players agreeing with Riot’s rationale to avoid any racially charged misinterpretations, particularly in light of global sensitivities.
However, some players have criticized Riot for not catching the issue earlier, especially since this marks the third time Riot has had to alter a professional team’s emote due to concerns. Previous adjustments were made to the emotes for Team BDS of the LEC and 100 Thieves of the LCS, both of which were deemed to foster toxicity.
Conclusion: A Sensible Move, But Flawed Execution
While the name change of Vikings Esports’ global emote may have been necessary to avoid controversy, the situation highlights a broader issue with Riot’s quality control over their global emotes.
As fans continue to enjoy the new content, many hope Riot will be more proactive in ensuring future releases are sensitive to global audiences, avoiding similar debates in the future.