Red Post Collection: GP returns and the end of Burning Tides, Free Captain GP skin, Mystery Skins Promotion, & more

Posted on at 10:51 AM by Moobeat
[UPDATE: Added in a ton of post epilogue discussion from Jaredan!]

This afternoon's red post collection includes the Epilogue of the Bilgewater: Burning Tides event revealing that Gangplank isn't actually dead, a look at Gangplank's updated base model and splash following the story events, details on the free Captain Gangplank skin players will received for playing Gangplank in a matchmade game before the end of the event on August 10th, the return of Mystery skins & Chests along with a special promotion, and more!
Continue reading for more information!



Table of Contents


Gangplank returns and the event end draws near

[NOTE: The post event Gangplank update and Captain Gangplank are now on the PBE!]

The Bilgewater: Burning Tides event is coming to a close on August 10th...  but Gangplank isn't dead! Following the story from the event, Gangplank's base look (model & splash) are being updated and the "current" Gangplank is being transformed into a free Captain Gangplank skin for anyone who owns Gangplank and plays a matchmade game as him before the end of the event!

Here's the official announcement on the return of Gangplank and the end of the Burning Tides event:
"TLDR: Bilgewater: Burning Tides sails away on August 10 at 2:00 AM PDT.. You can earn the free Captain Gangplank skin if you own the champion and play a full matchmade game with him (or if you’ve already played at least one) before the event ends. 
The orchestrated spectacle of the Dead Pool’s destruction led many to believe that the dread reaver Gangplank perished in the flames. But what is dread may never die, and Gangplank returns to reclaim what he believes to be rightfully his. 
Fitted with a new limb to replace the one he lost, the Saltwater Scourge will soon rain cannonballs down on Summoner’s Rift again after a brief stay on the PBE. 
Since this is the first time we've done something so dramatic with story and theme, we're commemorating the event with the Captain Gangplank skin depicting the dread pirate from before the events of Bilgewater: Burning Tides. All players who own and play (or have already played) an entire matchmade game as Gangplank during the event will receive the Captain Gangplank skin for free. 
Captain Gangplank reflects a simpler time, when one uncrowned reaver king ruled over Bilgewater with an iron cutlass and a fearsome love of scrimshaw. While base Gangplank has been irrevocably changed by Miss Fortune’s masterful scheme, the Captain Gangplank skin hearkens back to before the pirate’s bloody fall. 
With Gangplank’s return imminent and the conclusion of the story trailing the choppy wake behind Bilgewater: Burning Tides’ stern, the end of the in-game event draws ever closer. 
Bilgewater: Burning Tides sails over the horizon in just over a week, stowing in its hold the bundles, merch, icon rewards, and game modes. Whether you’re looking to brawl in the black market, add the free Captain Gangplank skin to your wardrobe, or acquire any other Bilgewater spoils, you’ve got until August 10 at 2:00 AM PDT. 
We hope you’ve enjoyed the journey so far, and we’ll see you on the battlefields!"

As for when Gangplank will be re-enabled for play, O2ymandias noted he'll be back in 5.15:
"He'll be back with the next patch! You'll have plenty of time to play him before the event ends (and earn that sweet sweet Captain Gangplank skin), we'll make sure of it. 
And if you already own GP, and played him after his rework went live at the start of the event, you've already earned the Captain GP skin! We'll start awarding those on August 10th at the end of the event."
He continued:
"Yar. If by the end of the event, you 1. Own GP, and 2. Have played his reworked version in any matchmade queue, you'll get the Captain GP skin for free."
MisterCandanga added:
"You can purchase him when he is active again and still get the skin as long as you play a game with him before the event ends. Basically anyone that owns GP and played a game with him anytime during the event will get it (including those that played a game before act-3)"

Updated Gangplank Champion Update Page

The Gangplank champion update page has also been updated with a preview of Gangplank's new base splash and in-game model.

For a refresher, the image below shows the updated base Gangplank in the middle and the "old base"  that launched with 5.14 on the right and has become the Captain Gangplank skin.
Check out the Champion Update: Gangplank post for more!

Burning Tides: Epilogue

In light of the above announcement, the Bilgewater: Burning Tides website has been updated with an epilogue story to reveal the fate of Gangplank after Miss Fortune's attack.
Bilgewater was devouring itself. The streets rang with the shrieks of the desperate and the dying. Fires burning in the lowly slums rained ash across the entire city. Control had been lost, and now every gang rushed to fill the power vacuum left by the fall of one man. A war had been started by the spread of three simple words: Gangplank is dead. 
Savage ambitions and petty grudges that had festered for years were now being acted upon. 
On the docks, a crew of whalers ran down a rival fisherman. They skewered him with harpoons and left his body hanging from a trotline. 
At the highest peak of the island, tall opulent gates that had stood since Bilgewater’s founding were battered apart. A cowering gang lord was ripped from his bed by a rival. 
His mewling cries were silenced when his skull was dashed upon the hand-crafted marble of his own front steps. 
Along the wharf, a fleeing Red Cap attempted to staunch a bloody head wound. He looked over his shoulder but could see no sign of his pursuers. The Jagged Hooks had turned on the Caps. He had to get back to the safe house to warn his crew. 
He rounded the corner, screaming for his brothers to gather their arms and join him. But his thirst for blood dried in his throat. Standing in front of the Red Caps’ own den was a band of Hooks. Their blades dripped with gore. At their head, a wiry figure, barely a man, creased his pock-marked face with a vicious grin. 
The Red Cap had time to utter one last curse. 
Across the bay, off a quiet back alley, a physician attempted to ply his trade. The gold he had been handed was plenty to buy his services – and assure his silence. 
It had taken half an hour to peel the sodden coat from the sloughing flesh of his patient’s arm. The doctor had seen many horrific injuries before, but even he recoiled at the sight of the mangled limb. He paused for a moment, terrified of the response his next words would provoke. 
“I... I’m sorry. I can’t save your arm.” 
Within the shadows of the candlelit room, the bloodied ruin of a man composed himself before staggering to his feet. His good hand shot out like a lash and wrapped around the throat of the quivering doctor. He lifted the surgeon slowly, measuredly off the floor and pinned him to the wall. 
For a terrible moment, the brute stood impassively, considering the man in his grasp. Then he abruptly dropped him. 
Lost in panic and confusion, the healer coughed violently as the shadowed mass strode to the back of the room. Passing through the light of the surgeon’s lantern, the patient reached for the top drawer of a well-worn cabinet. Methodically, the man opened each drawer searching for what he needed. Finally, he stopped. 
“Everything must have a purpose,” he said, looking at his mutilated arm. 
He pulled something from the case, and threw it to the doctor’s feet. There, glinting under the lantern was the clean steel of a bonesaw. 
“Cut it off,” he said. “I’ve got work to do.”
Haven't read the rest of the story? It's K! Be sure to check out the Bilgewater: Burning Tides site to catch up on the rest of the story.

Under the Live the Event section, Gangplank's update section has also been updated with his new art:
"Everything must have a purpose, and Gangplank has rediscovered his. Read more about how the former pirate king plans to reclaim his throne here and check out his updated skin bundle. 
READ THE DEV BLOG"

Post Epilogue Burning Tides discussion

First off, Jaredan introduced the Bilgewater: Burning Tides epilogue on the boards with:
"http://na.leagueoflegends.com/en/site/bilgewater/#story-4 
Bilgewater is ablaze. Gangs are turning on each other while fire scorches the streets. Amid the chaos, someone moves with newfound purpose. 
You can find out more here."

In response to a comment about having character POV in this story, he noted:
"That was one of the key things the team wanted to do when we broke the story, which was show Bilgewater through the eyes of the characters."

He continued, mentioning that while there is more to do they hope this event serves as a reference point for the quality of story work they are striving for:
"We've got a lot left to do, I've stated that on numerous occasions, and Burning Tides wasn't ever meant to be the panacea for all the issues we are striving to tackle. What I hope it does is give an idea of the quality bar we are trying to lay down. 
We have a lot of things to do, including rewrites and expansions of old bios and current character introductions, but we feel like we are on the right path, particularly as the response to the kind of template for the new introductions has been received so positively. We still have layout stuff to sort out, but the style of content seems to be resonating and we think it's a good start. 
But that's all we consider it to be. We want to get many more stories to you, combined with a stronger basis and understanding of our Champions and the world they inhabit. Burning Tides has just made us more determined to do that."
He continued:
"We've (Narrative) been busy on various teams, including Champion, ChampUp, Events (as you've seen in the last few weeks), Foundations, Promo and more besides. Also, we've been undergoing a serious restructuring and recruitment strategy while we also collaborate with Riot leadership to create teams that are focused on delivering story. 
I understand how it looks from the outside, and it's been personally frustrating to know the pain being felt by players waiting for more story content, but we have been putting out content. We've got a long way to go, but Burning Tides: The Reckoning, and the new character introductions for Gangplank, Miss Fortune, TF, and Graves are examples of what we're aiming to do and then better in regard to quality."
When asked if we'll continue to see story content OUTSIDE of dedicated events, he confirmed:
"You will."
He continued, answering a lengthy set of questions from a concerned lore enthusiast:
"Quote
There are 126 champions currently in League of Legends, each with a need for a unique, long format background story (or lore). Currently, we have four of these expanded stories, all of whom were directly tied to Bilgewater mega event and delivered after years of pain and agony from the fans (starting with the Karma rework and end of the Journals of Justice in 2012). 
Narrative had promised that these stories would not necessarily need to be tied directly to a Freljord/Shurima event, a promise that has not yet been fufilled. The team is also finalizing the format and future bios could use a very different format than the beyond adequate one seen already.
Not yet, but in the process of being so. We've made a team to do it, including a newly joined individual, and we're currently in process on a few of them.
Burning Tides has been awesome, so far... but what happens at the end? Are we going to get the same sort of B.S. cliffhanger ending we got during Freljord and Shurima? Are we going to get some resolution to this conflict or will the story simply be left unfinished to never be touched again while Narrative just pats themselves on the back and moves on to the next project?
The main story of Burning Tides: The Reckoning is the conflict between TF and Graves. That conflict is resolved (as far as it can be with those two) bu the end of the story. There will be things that we've included as hooks for further stories. Yes, we've been bad at paying these things off before. We mean to change that.
I do like that this tale has been told mostly through text, with a skin tie-in as well, but was this by design after years of lore fans demanding more words or was it because Riot's working on the new annual cinematic and all the animators at Riot are too busy on that project to help with this one?
We had a number of options on how we could have told the story. Due to a variety of reasons, almost all of the options that we had would have meant telling a shorter, more contained story. We decided to press for the entire story as we envisioned it and we got backing from Events and senior Riot leadership to do so. That meant prose.
There is a huge inconsistency within the department on how they handle these bios already. When Ekko was released, the team said that they didn't believe that it was necessary to have champions closely tied to other champs in their bios (Ekko x Vi or Jinx). Yet, Miss Fortune's new bio has her entire story built around gaining revenge against Gangplank for her family's massacre (which conflicts with her in-game voice over but that's more on ChampUp being cheap and lazy than on Narrative). Heaven help Riot when a new Narrative Lead comes in and wants MF to be more "wench" than "warrior."
I'd emphasize the "necessarily" aspect of that statement. For MF it makes sense, for other Champs it won't, and we'll make that decision on a case by case basis. There is a Champ coming up whose background will most likely be tied to another Champ, it's just that we don't want it to be a necessity for new characters.
This lore team clearly does "grim-dark" really well, as seen through their changes with Miss Fortune's story. But... can they do whimsical? Can they do heroic? Can they do horrific? Can they do noble? Can they do any of the other emotions that these champions engender besides "grim-dark?" We'll have to wait and see, won't we?
We will.
We don't know what our collective reaction will be when Narrative botches one of these new format bios (and odds are they will). We also don't know what Jaredan and the rest of Narrative will do in response. Are they really willing to go back to the drawing board and fix what they got wrong? Are they going to pull the "we think we're right and we need to move on to other stories, so your thoughts don't matter anymore" card some at ChampUp have been using? We just don't know, do we?
Yep, we'll likely make mistakes. We'll do our best to rectify them. We're not going to refuse to change things for fear of being seen to be wrong. However, individuals asserting that we are wrong doesn't mean we will always agree with them."
IronStylus also popped on reddit to comment on the new post-event Gangplank vs the pre-event Gangplank, noting they don't consider it a "Traditional" skin like Sejuani's or Trundle's:
"We affectionately refer to these two Gangplanks as "Pre-Plank" (before the narrative event) and "Post-Plank" (after the narrative event). Both are canon (pun?) according to our world and therefore Captain Gangplank is not what we'd consider a traditional skin. 
Traditional skins, where they exist, are throwbacks and nods to the original design as they exist in a vacuum which is not representative as to how the character live in our world "currently"."
Looking ahead at what happens to Bilgewater now that Gangplank is still alive, Jaredan noted:
"Let's not get ahead of things! Right now, Bilgewater is in the middle of a gang war and Gangplank has some wounds to take care of. Not to mention how a certain redhead is going to react to all that's going on, whether she intended it or not. Plus, she doesn't know that Gangplank still lives. There's a lot that can happen."
He continued, reiterating that the gangs of Bilgewater at currently struggling for power within the city:
"It's currently in the midst of an exploding gang war. That won't be permanent though, these things have a habit of working themselves out. Bloodily."

When asked if Gangplank knows that that Miss Fortune is the one who blew up his ship, he commented:
"In the immediate aftermath, no. But as MF is hunting down anyone who sailed under his banner, it won't take long for him to find out."

As for Miss Fortune's take on how "killing" - or just removing him from power -  Gangplank would impact the city of Bilgewater, Jaredan commented:
"Yes it was. But she felt she would be freeing Bilgewater from tyranny, the kind that she experienced when he murdered her family. The funny thing about Gangplank is that he knows Bilgewater better than anybody, and the systems he had in place to keep himself in power also kept a lot of problems out of the streets. 
MF didn't realize just how integral Gangplank was to Bilgewater (she wasn't exactly focused on his more charming traits), and though she intended to bring down Gangplank, she didn't know the level of devastation it might bring. 
What she might do as she learns that, well, that's a story for another day..."
As for if Miss Fortune is now in control of the city with Gangplank out of the way, he noted:
"Controlling Bilgewater wasn't her goal in laying GP low. However, BIlgewater isn't too interested in MF's goals, it's too busy tearing itself apart."
When asked about this story and why Gangplank or Miss Fortune weren't more prominently featured, Jaredan reminded that this story was mainly about Twisted Fate and Graves:
"The majority of the story was from the perspective of TF and Graves. Though Gangplank and MF were important for different reasons, it was TF and Graves's conflict and its resolution that was the central thread. GP and MF were not the focus, though they also underwent very distinct changes. 
The extra emphasis may be due to the kit and art changes, but GP and MF were not the central characters of the story."

As for Miss Fortune's involvement of Twisted Fate and Graves, Jaredan elaborated:
"MF set up a conflict between two people she knew would cause a big problem for Gangplank. She wanted a mess as not only would it force Gangplank to respond, it would be very difficult for him to keep quiet from his numerous rivals in Bilgewater. As he states in Act 1, it's how he's perceived that allows him to keep his position and keep others in their place. 
If someone could get to one of his more important storage facilities and expose it, then Gangplank's power would be shaken. 
The show he put on for Bilgewater when he tried to execute TF and Graves was made necessary because of keeping his image of being untouchable, of making an example of anyone who would dare—as MF knew he would. 
The dagger was not an important part of the plan, she could have chosen anything. However, that doesn't mean the dagger doesn't have its own importance."
When asked about the theme of the Captain Fortune skin and the origin of Gangplank's new arm, Jaredan teased:
"Personally, I've always envisioned that skin as how Sarah Fortune looked as she's talking to Rafen in Act 3. She would be on the Syren, hence the rocking of the lamp in the log-in screen. 
I can't talk to the origin of Gangplank's arm yet."" 
As for future stories, Jaredan reminded that "The Reckoning" is complete but there is plenty more stories ahead for the champions of Bilgewater:
"Although the sudden responsiblity for your cardio-vascular health has me rather nervous, all I can say is that the main story for Burning Tides: The Reckoning is complete. Graves confronted TF, and the two buried the hatchet (surprisingly not in each other's heads). For now. However, the future of Bilgewater, the gang war currently exploding, how MF and Gp will react and so on, is yet to be decided. We're looking forward to telling those stories."
On the thought of more Bilgewater stories down the road, he continued:
"Consider it like an episode of television. Yes, you could do the entire season in one go, but it's usually best to let each episode, each story, speak for itself while generating longer arcs that will pay off across the season. Also, we'd have needed a lot more time and resources to do it all in one shot and we likely wouldn't have hit the deadlines for many other teams."
He continued:
"The Reckoning is one story. It's different to the next story, which will be quite involved and will need its own time to breathe and develop."

Bilgewater: Burning Tides FAQ Updated

Along with all this, the Bilgewater: Burning Tides FAQ thread from dArtagnan has also been updated:
"Hey all, 
Many of you may have some questions regarding the requirements for the event as well as how the rewards will be distributed. Be sure to check out our Bilgewater Event FAQ for an overview of how the event will work!
If you are looking for more specifics, the following should help clear up any confusion!

Gangplank's ALIVE!!! 
  • Gangplank should be re-enabled once we deploy the 5.15 patch, but will definitely be enabled before the event ends.
  • You will earn the Captain Gangplank skin for free if you purchase (or already owned prior to the event) Gangplank before the event ends, AND you played/completed a full matchmade game during the event at any time
    • Matchmade games include any game mode that has a queue (Custom Games do not count)

Music of Bilgewater

Black Market Brawlers
  • Must be level 10
  • Only available in the special Game Mode, and not available in normal Summoner Rift queues
  • When an enemy champion is killed, all players who got an assist will receive a Golden Kraken (for example, if you get a kill, and your other 4 teammates got an assist, all 4 players will receive one Golden Kraken).
  • Large Jungle Creeps are: Blue Sentinel (Blue buff), Red Brambleback (Red buff), Ancient Krug (Large golem), Crimson Raptor (Large raptor), Greater Murk Wolf (Large wolf), and Gromp. Note: Rift Scuttler (crab) will not give bonus, as it is a neutral monster and therefore cannot be counter-jungled
  • Morellonomicon is disabled while in this mode. Be sure to check out the new items for BMB!
  • Once Golden Krakens are spent, these purchases/upgrades CANNOT be undone/cancelled.
  • it is not possible to 'lose' Golden Krakens without spending them
  • Not to be confused with Brawl Brothers

Butcher's Bridge
  • Must be level 6
  • Completely replaces The Howling Abyss until the end of the event. You cannot toggle between the Howling Abyss and Butcher's Bridge maps
  • Available in Matchmade 5v5 ARAM and in Custom Games
  • Gameplay is exactly the same, regardless of how visuals may look
  • The little creatures running around on this map are called Wharf Rats!

Event Icon Rewards
  • You must first select a champion path for EACH act to start earning points to completing objectives. Once a champion path is chosen, it CANNOT be changed
  • It is not possible to receive/earn both icons from a specific act
  • Objectives for the icon must be completed in order. You cannot work towards (earn points for) the 2nd objective, until the 1st objective is completed. NOTE: You cannot complete both objectives in the same game. You can only unlock one objective, per game.
  • Matchmade Games includes all game modes you can enter a queue for (Including Co-op vs AI and Black Market Brawlers). Custom Games will NOT count.
  • The objective requirements are cumulative. Example: for the Graves Icon for Act 1, you need 20 Kills. You do not need to get 20 kills in a single game, but 20 TOTAL kills over as many games as needed.
  • For Act 2, Towers destroyed include assists. You do not need to be the one to get the last hit on the tower.
  • Once you have completed the 2nd objective, the icon will be automatically unlocked.
  • You must complete Act 1's objectives before you can unlock subsequent Act rewards. You will have to the end of the event to complete all act rewards however.
  • It may take several minutes for your icon reward to appear on your account. NOTE: The icon may be "buried" in your list of icons, so make sure to carefully scroll through all of them to find it! If it does not appear after 24 hours, make sure to submit a ticket.

Bilgewater Skins
  • All Bilgewater skins are NOT Legacy Skins, and will be available for purchase after the event.

Mystery Gift Promotion
  • This special promotion will be available on August 1st 23:59 PDT to August 10th 02:00 PDT
  • Must be Level 10 to send Mystery Gifts to friends. You can read the full requirements in our Mystery Gifting FAQ.
  • The following count as mystery purchases: Mystery Skins, Mystery Chests, Mystery Skin Gifts, Mystery Chest Gifts, and Mystery Champion Gifts. Mystery Gifts sent from the post game lobby also count.
  • For every 6 mystery purchases, you will receive 1 free Mystery gift (Ex - if you purchased 12 Mystery Purchases, you would receive 2 free mystery gifts). The free Mystery Gift will be a Mystery Skin, if you are eligible to receive one. If you do not meet these requirements, you will receive a Mystery Champion. If you do not meet either requirement, you will receive 490 RP (equivalent price of a mystery gift) instead.
  • NOTE: If there are any skins or champions that are on sale at the time for UNDER 520 RP, they will not count towards your skin/champion pool. For example, if you only have 11 skins available (which should qualify you for a free Mystery Skin), but 2 of these 11 skins are currently on sale for under 520, they system will only recognize you having only 9 available skins. Therefore, you will be awarded a Mystery Champion instead.
  • You will not receive your free mystery gift immediately after sending your 6th mystery purchase. Instead, you will receive them after the promotion ends.
NOTE: It may take several weeks after the event ends to credit all mystery gifts to accounts.

Mystery skins return!

Last up, we have the return of Mystery Chests and Skins are now once again available for self purchase and there is a special promotion through the end of BW:BT - for every 6 mystery items you purchase for friends or yourself, you will get a free Mystery skin after the event ends on August 10th!
"The Dead Pool may be sitting at the bottom of the sea, but not all of its treasure is lost. 
During the final week of Bilgewater: Burning Tides, Mystery Skins and Mystery Chests are back in the store! 
Here’s the twist: During Bilgewater: Burning Tides, for every six mystery items you purchase for yourself or friends, you’ll receive a free Mystery Skin after the event ends! 

Mystery Chest - 790 RP 

Mystery Skin - 490 RP 

Mystery Chests cost 790 RP, guaranteeing an unowned skin worth 975 RP or more. 
Mystery Skins cost 490 RP, guaranteeing an unowned skin worth 520 RP or more. 
You have until 02:00 PDT on August 10 to earn bonus Mystery Skins, so get ahold of one before they sail away. 

Mystery Chest and Skin Special Promotion FAQ 
When will I receive my bonus Mystery Skins? 
You’ll receive them within a week of the event ending. 
Which items count towards my buy six? 
Any currently available Mystery item purchased between now and the end of the event will count. These include Mystery Skins, Mystery Chests, Mystery Skin Gifts, Mystery Chest Gifts, and Mystery Champion Gifts. Mystery Gifts sent from the post game lobby also count. 
How can I track how many I’ve purchased? 
In the Purchases tab of the store, you can view both your purchase history and your gifting history. 
When do the Mystery items I purchase count towards this promotion? 
Any Mystery items purchased between now and 02:00 PDT on August 10 will count. 
Can I get more than one free this way if I buy 12 or more? 
For every six Mystery items you purchase, you’ll get one free Mystery skin. So if you buy six, you’ll get one free. If you buy 12, you’ll get two free. And so on. 
Even if I purchase six Mystery Chests or Mystery Champion Gifts, do I still get a Mystery Skin for my bonus? 
Regardless of which types of Mystery items you purchase, you’ll receive a Mystery Skin for your bonus. 
What happens if I own every skin at the end of the event, but I’ve earned bonus Mystery Skins? 
If you’re ineligible for a Mystery Skin, we’ll give you a Mystery Champion instead. If you’re ineligible for Mystery Champions as well, we’ll give you 490 RP, the full price of a Mystery Skin. "

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