I think Akali should've been reworked as a new champion entirely rather than being an expansion to the current one.

This goes out to Riot games and the team behind the Akali rework.

I always knew that when Akali was eventually reworked, she would be different, especially in the gameplay department and I've made peace with that. She was a simple character with a somewhat unhealthy playstyle and because of that, she needed a change that was bigger than simple buffs and nerfs. I've made peace with that, hoping for the best, and after seeing the rework in action I can say that from a gameplay perspective, I think the rework succeeded in making Akali a more interesting and healthy champion to both play and play against.

What I wasn't expecting though was the change in the direction of her character. I've seen Rioters say they would make the rework to be an extension to the current Akali, a time skip of sorts, that they didn't want to make a new character but instead expand on the existing one. And I really like that sentiment as I do love Akali's character. Sure, there isn't much to her current state with only a handful of voice lines and a short story but it was enough to give an idea of who she was. A calm and collected warrior, fighting to maintain the balance in the world. She was strong and she knew that but wasn't overtly arrogant about it. I love her character for that, for its simplicity and strength wrapped in the beautiful voice of Laura Bailey and to know it would be expanded upon was an amazing thing to hear! Sadly though, that didn't happen in the way I and many out there expected it would.

First and foremost, the most glaring issue is the new voice actress. The voice we knew and loved for the last eight years was gone, replaced by a different one that I personally think doesn't fit Akali in the slightest. It sounds nothing like the original does and it is, in my opinion, not nearly as good as the original. It also brought along a new personality that I find is a complete opposite of the current Akali. Whereas the original presented a calm and collected individual who was confident in her strength and didn't seek to brag about it, the rework takes form of immense arrogance. Instead of maturing with age, she regressed, becoming snarky and immature, killing simply for the pleasure of it. She just doesn't share much, if anything, with the original Akali.

That is my biggest gripe with this rework as I expected expansion but what we've got is something akin of a complete rewrite of the original. Looking at the new Akali, I see none of the old one in her and I can't imagine her character would grow up in such way. I expected her to be more mature, not less. More confident, not arrogant. And all that combined makes a character that doesn't resemble the old one in the slightest which makes me wonder why even state that it would be an expansion when it looks more like a rewrite.

And I know some would argue that it's merely the rebellion against the Kinkou that she's leaving and breaking away from all the rules and regulations she was brought up under but that is just a weak excuse in my eyes. A character can rebel and object to the rules without becoming more immature and arrogant in the process.

All in all, I'm not a huge fan of this rework. While the gameplay part seems very interesting, the rest just feels like a complete deviation from the original character. Her voice, lines and attitude are a total opposite of what I was expecting and it saddens me greatly to see that happen. I love Akali, she is my main, my favorite champion in the game and I hate to see her become something so different.

In the end, I will just have to get used to it, I know. I'm not going to ask for the voice or the lines to be changed because that's really foolish and would never happen. What I would ask for is a new story, a fresh start of sorts. I see no reason for the story to be an expansion upon the original character if the result would be so different. Looking at the new Akali, I don't see the old one in her. Maybe tiny bits but nothing I could look at and recognize the character I was playing for the past few years. And because of that, I would rather she gets an entirely new story that would fully encapsulate her character rather than trying to adapt the existing story onto a character that just doesn't fit it.

I'm sorry for the long post but I just had to get this off my chest. I'm sure my proposal seems a bit silly but to me it feels like it would be a better way of doing the rework and it definitely is one that would give me some peace of mind. I would love to hear what you guys think about it and I would love an opinion or some insight from u/Reav3 and anyone else from Riot.