The analysis of female Indian bodies in League of Legends to develop techniques towards purposely reflective visual design.

Abstract

Abstract This dissertation examines how the representation of Indian feminine champions in Riot Games’ League of Legends (Riot Games, 2009) perpetuates stereotypes of over-sexualisation and underdevelopment. Champions refer to the playable characters within the game. League of Legends presents three champions, Nidalee, Karma and Nilah, who are Indian females, which I have analysed to showcase how they perpetuate stereotypes. Using theories of representation, fetishism, and character design, I have created a creative practice that showcases how Nidalee could be visually redesigned to depict more accurate Indian representational elements, retaining the fundamental components of her, such as her backstory and in-game mechanics. The visual aspect of challenging the stereotypes is presented in a creative practice. The creative practice was where I showcased the process of brainstorming and developing different visual concepts to showcase the experimentation and development of visually redesigning Nidalee. This dissertation brings in different characters from different video games to reinforce the theories of underdevelopment, sexualization, stereotyping and fetishism. However, this dissertation’s core focus was on the female Indian representation of the League of Legends.