Empyrean Pyke

Empyrean Pyke turned a horror-themed assassin support into a neon interdimensional predator and somehow made him scarier. November 3, 2022 release during the Empyrean event. Nathaniel Himawan and West Studio delivered on the splash – Pyke emerging from some kind of cosmic rift with neon energy streaking off his blade. Bought this the hour it went live because I had been waiting for a Pyke Legendary since PROJECT and this looked like everything PROJECT wasnt. Ten games in and I knew this was going to be my permanent Pyke skin.

Neon predator across every ability

The model replaces Pyke’s drowned revenant look with an Empyrean entity design. Sleek black body suit with neon accents that pulse during combat. The blade has this curved energy edge that trails light when Pyke moves. Standing still in a bush waiting for a hook, the neon glow on the blade is faintly visible through the fog of war. Looks like a warning sign that the enemy team never reads in time.

Bone Skewer on Q charges and throws a neon harpoon with energy trails. The stab version when you Q without charging has a quick neon slash that feels faster than base visually. Real talk though, the charged Q hookshot is where this skin earns money. The harpoon flies out with a glowing trail, connects, and Pyke yanks the target toward him with this neon tether that stretches and snaps. Landing a max range Q hook on their ADC from river with this skin feels like you are fishing with a lightsaber. Did exactly that to a Jinx farming under tower during a ranked game around 1 AM last week. She did not see it coming. Nobody ever sees it coming on Empyrean because the hook particle blends with certain map lighting in a way that base Pyke doesnt.

Ghostwater Dive on W camouflages Pyke with Empyrean energy. The stealth swim animation leaves behind a faint neon trail that only Pyke’s team can see. Phantom Undertow on E dashes forward, leaves a phantom behind, and the phantom dashes back to stun anyone in its path. The Empyrean version has the phantom outlined in bright neon which makes the stun zone more visually dramatic. Landing E on two or three people in a teamfight at dragon pit creates this neon streak across the ground that your team can see and react to instantly.

Death from Below on R is the flagship ability and Empyrean takes it to another level. The X indicator appears on low HP targets in neon. Pyke plunges down through the execute threshold with a massive neon cross explosion. Every reset makes the visual bigger, brighter. Getting a triple execute with R resets in a teamfight around baron produces this chain of neon X explosions that covers the entire fight area. Had a quadra execute in a ranked game two patches ago and my support duo literally screamed on Discord. Four neon crosses in about 3 seconds. The visual chain was absurd.

Darien Sills-Evans handles the voice rework. Pyke sounds less like a drowned sailor and more like a cosmic entity that hunts through dimensions. The lines are colder, more detached, less personal revenge and more inevitable predator. Some of the kill voicelines reference “crossing over” and “the other side” which fits the Empyrean theme of interdimensional energy. The recall has Pyke cutting through a dimensional rift with his blade before stepping through. (Sidebar: the recall sound design specifically is some of Riot’s best work. This low hum that builds into a sharp cut. I notice it every time.)

Chromas and Empyrean context

Empyrean Pyke has 6 chromas: Ruby, Emerald, Pearl, Rose Quartz, Turquoise, and Neon Flare. The Neon Flare chroma is the standout. Shifts the color scheme to a red-green neon split that looks like a rave poster. Pearl goes white-silver which makes Pyke look almost angelic, ironic for an assassin champion. Turquoise gives this teal glow that pairs well with ocean-themed teams if you care about that sort of thing.

Released November 3, 2022 at 1820 RP as part of the Empyrean skinline alongside Empyrean Kayle, K’Sante, and others. This Legendary is available any time in the shop. The Empyrean line has a consistent neon-cosmic visual language and Pyke is arguably its best entry because the assassin fantasy translates so well to the interdimensional predator concept.

How Empyrean compares to Pyke’s other skins

Pyke has PROJECT at Legendary which was his first premium skin. Blood Moon and Sand Wraith at Epic. PROJECT is good but it leans more into the tech-assassin angle while Empyrean goes full cosmic predator. Different vibes entirely. Could be wrong here but I think Empyrean overtook PROJECT as the default Pyke skin in Diamond support games around season 13. I see it more often now. The neon VFX on R executes are just more visually impactful than PROJECT’s version.

At 1820 RP with 6 chromas and a full voice rework, Empyrean Pyke is the complete Legendary package. The R execute chain, the Q hook visual, the W stealth swim, the voice lines. Everything feels tuned for maximum predator energy. If you play Pyke support or mid, this is the skin. Took this into ranked for maybe 150 games across seasons 13 and 14 and the R execute visual still gives me a rush every single time. Thats the mark of a Legendary that earned its price tag.