Trophies are more than trinkets that play second fiddle to a tournament’s prize money. They provide a physical representation of their respective leagues, games, or tournaments. They are steeped in history and foster a connection between players, teams, and fans. Winning a major tournament wouldn’t feel the same if the team didn’t have an exquisite trophy to raise and kiss as the confetti falls.
Since trophies have become symbols of their competitions, their design and details are crucial. Designer Harrison Krix from Volpin Props showed the process of designing the Wild Rift Summoner Series trophy, from concept to models to physical. Summoner Series was a North American tournament for the mobile game, featuring a $70,000 prize pool.
This trophy is modeled after Thresh’s lantern since the iconic League of Legends character was one of the recent additions to Wild Rift before the Summoner Series Finals. The lantern glows a pale, sickly green while emitting a ghastly smoke of the same color. This design places the lantern atop a pedestal of translucent green smoke, which glows under a blacklight.
Krix revealed the whole process was a mere eight days from concept sketches to completion. The results speak for themselves, and Tribe Gaming can attest to the trophy’s quality. They were the champions of the Summoner Series, knocking off Immortals in a decisive 4-1 victory. This victory garnered them $30,000 and an invitation to the Horizon Cup.
The Horizon Cup is an international Wild Rift tournament in Singapore from November 13 through November 21. With a $500,000 prize pool, a lot more than just a trophy is on the line for the ten teams competing for victory. And since it’s a bigger tournament, the designers may have to outdo themselves for the Horizon Cup trophy.
