Skins can be a brand revamp; a new look can boost a hero's popularity and help them escape a "gutter" image. (II)

Li Xin's "One Thought God and Demon" can be considered the benchmark of the World Championship series. With such a masterpiece, subsequent productions dared not slacken. In 2023, it was Luna's turn for "Frosty Moon Chant," which was also hailed as a god. However, its own difficulty level is the ceiling of all heroes. There is a saying in the community that if you can master Luna, no hero can stump you, which shows how complex the skill mechanism is. Fortunately, Li Xin has simplified it, allowing players to choose one of two forms to play.

Mozi: Scorpio (Golden Star)

The Saint Seiya collaboration launched with three Gold Leo, Gold Aries, and Gold Sagittarius skins in the first wave. The second wave featured Mozi's Gold Scorpio skin, truly showcasing the series' charm to Summoners. Mozi is a robot, and his image had long remained unchanged. This skin, however, humanized him, giving him a handsome appearance and instantly winning over countless fans. Mozi's strength lies in his tankiness and damage output, along with his numerous crowd control abilities. His cannonballs are very effective at early-game tower pressure. Unfortunately, few noticed how strong his roaming potential was. Realistically, the core of playing a mage is ranged damage; melee combat is a disadvantage. The Gold Scorpio skin not only brought Mozi back into the public eye but also prompted the developers to adjust him into a versatile support, making him effective across multiple versions. Now, in the test server updates, he's preparing to return to the mid-lane.

Nezha: Demon Orb

While the popularity boost wasn't as dramatic as Li Xin's, Nezha's pick rate did indeed rebound after the "Nezha: The Demon Child Conquers the Dragon King" collaboration was launched. The skin played a crucial role in this. It was precisely because it was a major collaboration that the developers yielded to the buff. Before the skin was released, Nezha's pick rate was meager, only 5%. High-level players appreciated it, but it had no market across all ranks. The Demon Orb was the key, and after its release, it quickly rose to the top lane and jungle, becoming a top-tier (T0) champion. Its pick rate soared to 18%. As the protagonist of an IP, how could one not buy it? Moreover, it's of legendary quality, with a nearly 50% discount in the first week, plus a free personalized button.

Ao Yin is one of the beneficiaries. When S43 started, his tier was lower than T0. With the appearance of Ao Bing, his ban rate soared to 74%. Obviously, everyone didn't want to see their teammates showing off their skins. They also wanted to practice the hero. The special effects are more amazing than the collector's edition. His ultimate skill transforms into a wind dragon and an ice dragon. Regardless of the difficulty of getting started, it's not too late to practice after buying the skin. Anyway, the experience of playing a marksman won't be that bad.

Image source: Internet