Elementalist Lux’s story is one of internal struggle, and each of her ten forms was deliberately crafted to embody a particular emotion. Trying to capture the subtlety of sentiments in a typical login animation presented a challenge. In past login screens, champ’s were often portrayed from a distance, making it difficult to read their facial expressions. To better communicate Lux’s emotional journey, artists created League’s first portrait-style login animation.

WAIT, IS THAT LUX?

When looking at a champ’s silhouette, there are visual clues that help distinguish one from the other. An oversized pair of gauntlets lets you spot the Piltover Enforcer at a distance, just as a lamp post indicates you’re looking at someone who lacks a real weapon. Without these iconic characteristics, it might be difficult to differentiate, say, Poppy from Tristana at first glance.



Artist Suke “hugehugesword” set out to capture Lux’s essence in a still-frame without relying on her complete figure or iconic wand—core components of her recognizable silhouette. After creating an rough version, he approached other Rioters with a question: Does this look like a League of Legends champion, and if so, who?

For the first few rounds of drawings, people sporadically identified the Demacian mage, but many felt she was missing what made Lux feel like Lux: a bubbly, amicable persona.