I was logging in to League of Legends today and I saw a new skin for the champion Sivir in the shop that got me thinking. Some brief background for those not familiar; League of Legends is a MOBA made by Riot Games where you can play as any of 100+ champions in various game modes. Like many other online multiplayer games these days, you can purchase skins and other visual customizations for characters you play with real money while not affecting the game balance. Now back to the shop; I saw this new skin being advertised so I quickly checked it out, it costs roughly $25! Now it is a legendary skin which means it comes with 6 minutes of extra voice work and tons of particle effects for abilities and movements in addition to the outfit change. BUT, here is where my problem with the premise begins.

To start, Sivir isn’t really a popular champion, to begin with, and currently isn’t any good in the current meta either; so who thought spending time and effort to make her an expensive skin instead of a popular champion was a good idea? The point, however, is if this skin and others like it, no matter how nice they are, are actually worth the price we pay? For me the answer is debatable.

Let’s look at the issue of skins in video games like this. The reason I buy clothes in real life is to express my sense of style and to instill confidence in my looks and appearance and then project that to others. Some pay a premium for clothes while others buy cheap. Some wear clothes once while others wear them until they fall apart. Personally, I go with nice but affordable clothes, and I wear them until my washer kills them.

I would argue that buying a skin in a video game is no different than buying clothes in real life. A skin expresses your style based on which one you pick. Also playing with a skin you like can make you more confident and sometimes a better player if mentality affects your play. So in terms of effects, visuals, and enjoyment, yes, skins are worth it. That still leaves us with the price.

Prices for skins vary wildly from game to game and even within games themselves with the more ‘prestigious’ skins costing more and more money. In League of Legends, skin prices can range from as cheap as $5 to as much as $35. In other games, skins and cosmetics can cost even more. But in League of Legends skins are arguably affordable. The question I would like to pose is, how often do you play? If you only play a couple of times a month I wouldn’t recommend the investment, but if you’re a regular player there’s nothing wrong with getting your favorite champion a nice pair of jeans.