Bewitching Neeko

First game I played with Bewitching Neeko was a late October ranked session, maybe 1 AM, and the skin just fit. Neeko already has that playful trickster energy and wrapping her in a witch costume feels like the most natural Halloween skin Riot has put out. Not gonna lie, I expected a lazy reskin when I saw it on PBE. Was wrong.

What Bewitching Neeko actually brings

This is an Epic tier skin at 1350 RP so you get the full package: new model, new VFX across all abilities, and a new recall animation. Voice lines stay base, no VO refresh. The model puts Neeko in a classic witch outfit with a pointed hat, and the color palette leans into deep purples and Halloween oranges. Clean design.

The Q is where I noticed the biggest change. Blooming Burst drops these little spectral pumpkin particles on impact, and the pop on the third bloom has this satisfying ghostly burst. Kinda feels like Riot’s VFX team had fun with this one. Her W clone gets the full costume treatment too, which matters more on Neeko than any other champion since the passive and W mindgames are the whole identity.

E root sends out this trail of bats or bat-shaped particles. Hard to tell in a hectic teamfight but in lane its pretty visible. The R is the highlight though. Pop Form locks Neeko down with this swirling vortex of Halloween energy before the burst, purple and orange mixing together. Been running this in Diamond since it dropped and the ult VFX actually feel slightly more readable to me than base, which is rare for a skin. Could be wrong here but I think the color contrast helps.

(Random aside: the recall where she pulls a candy out of her hat might be my favorite recall animation on any Neeko skin.)

The Bewitching line and release context

Bewitching Neeko released October 20, 2022. Right before Halloween, obviously. Hendry Iwanaga and Caravan Studio handled the artwork, and they captured Neeko’s personality in the splash perfectly. She’s got that mischievous grin that reads exactly like her character.

The Bewitching skinline is one of Riot’s better seasonal themes. Bewitching Nidalee, Janna, Syndra, Fiora – theres a solid roster in there. Neeko fits the Bewitching vibe naturally because the whole trickster-witch concept maps directly onto her kit. A shapeshifter in a witch costume is just right.

Legacy vault skin, so you cant just grab it whenever. Gotta wait for the Halloween event shop rotation or get lucky with Hextech crafting. Saw maybe 4 of these in my games all last season, which tracks for a Legacy.

8 chromas total. Obsidian is my pick, the dark palette turns the whole witch aesthetic darker and more serious. Rose Quartz goes in the opposite direction, soft pink witchy vibes that honestly look cleaner than base in some ability animations. Sapphire deserves a mention too for the blue-purple color shift that reads really well on the Rift. Not listing the rest because at this point you get the idea.

Should you buy Bewitching Neeko?

Real verdict: if you main Neeko, this is a strong contender. 1350 RP feels fair for what you get. The VFX work carries it. Star Guardian Neeko exists as the main competition and honestly I think that skin edges it out for pure visual quality, but Bewitching has a charm that Star Guardian doesnt match.

Took this into ranked for about 30 games last October specifically. The W clone looking identical in the Bewitching outfit actually helped me land a few more passive jukes than usual, or maybe just my experience but people seemed to hesitate a split second longer. Pre-6 lane phase with this skin just feels good, the Q particles popping on the wave while you poke.

Skip it if you already own Star Guardian and dont care about seasonal skins. Worth 1350 RP if you main Neeko though. Top pick for Neeko mains who want something different from the sparkly magical girl look. Season 12 release, still holds up visually two years later. Fair price for the package.