Poll – Sprite Rework Sneak Peek & Releasing a v0.1.2b! (Patreon)

Hey everyone!

We’ve got a little surprise development to share—something that was originally planned for v0.1.3 is coming together much faster than expected.

A Sprite Rework for the 3 main heroines is almost Ready! 🎨✨

We’ve been working on updating the base sprites for the main cast, and progress has been so smooth that we might be able to release them sooner than planned.

Originally, this was scheduled for v0.1.3, but now we’re considering doing a v0.1.2b patch that would replace the current v0.1.2 with the improved sprites. Before we make that decision, though, we want to hear from you:

📊 Poll – What Should We Do?

Would you prefer we…

1. Release a v0.1.2b patch soon with the new sprites?

2. Hold the sprite rework for the full v0.1.3 release?

Let us know your preference! We want to make sure the pacing of updates feels good for everyone supporting us at this tier.

🖼️ Sprite Update

The visual update comes as a result of Dove’s improvement in linework and experience. When comparing the original character sprites to more recent additions like Isane and Xayah, it became clear that the earlier designs were starting to fall behind in visual quality. That’s to be expected—when the project first started, Dove was still relatively new to digital painting and has learned a great deal since then.

Now that he’s reached a more stable and consistent style, revisiting these older sprites—especially with solid foundations already in place—felt like the right move and has produced noticeably better results.

That said, don’t worry—we don’t plan to rework character sprites frequently. These specific updates just felt necessary to bring everything up to the current standard.

Fun Fact: Dove originally based his style on Akabur’s artwork, but over time—and through working on the game—he’s gradually been developing his own distinct style.

🖌️ Sprite Comparison

Here’s a side-by-side preview of the updated base sprites vs. the original versions for three major characters:

⚔️ Irelia

Irelia’s sprite is the first of the reworks to be fully completed. While there are several refined details—similar to the changes seen in Akali and Karma—the most noticeable improvement is in the overall shading. The updated style adds much more natural volume and depth to the character. The hair, in particular, now flows more realistically and feels far more polished compared to the original version.

🐱‍👤 Akali

Akali’s body shape felt off in the original sprite—mostly the lower body anatomy. Now that Dove's grown more confident and experienced, it felt like the right moment to revisit her design. The new sprite is much more defined: the tattoo details are more accurate, the abdomen is better drawn, and her hair tie now flows more naturally with the rest of her look.

🌿 Karma

Karma's general anatomy was significantly improved in this visual update—most notably in arm length, hip proportions, and leg shapes. Her tattoo was redesigned to better reflect her in-game appearance, and her sprite now includes the inverted nipples as part of her character design.

We’re super excited about the improvement in style, consistency, and expressiveness—and we hope you are too!

Thanks again for all your amazing support!

—AfterDark Studio 🌙