Empyrean Varus

First game I loaded into with Empyrean Varus was around 1 AM on release night, and the loading screen splash alone had me sold. The whole Empyrean aesthetic leans hard into that neon-digital vibe and Varus wears it better than most champions in the line. Not gonna lie, I wasnt expecting much after some of the weaker Empyrean releases, but this one genuinely surprised me.

What Empyrean Varus actually brings to the table

This is a full Legendary skin at 1820 RP, so you get the complete package. New voice lines, new VFX on every ability, new recall animation. Gavin Hammon voicing Varus here gives the whole thing a different energy compared to base. The VO has this detached, almost cosmic quality that fits the Empyrean fantasy perfectly.

Q is where you notice the change first. Piercing Arrow charges up with this rippling digital distortion effect, and on release the projectile trails neon particles that linger for a split second longer than base. In teamfights that visual clarity actually matters. Been playing Varus in Diamond for years and I can tell you the Q indicator on this skin reads cleaner than most of his catalog.

W passive procs have a satisfying pop to them. Little burst of light on the third stack. Nothing groundbreaking but the feedback loop feels tighter. E is a pool of shifting geometric patterns on the ground, pretty distinct from the base purple splotch. Looks good in lane and in jungle skirmishes when you’re trying to zone during a gank.

The R though. Chain of Corruption in this skin is something else. The tendrils that spread between enemy champions have this electric pulse running through them, and catching a backline carry with it in a late-game teamfight is peak visual satisfaction. Trapped their Jinx and Lux near baron pit last week and the chain spreading across three people looked incredible. Could be wrong here but I think the R animation is slightly more readable for your team too, which helps with engage coordination.

Recall animation has Varus channeling Empyrean energy through his bow before getting pulled upward into a digital rift. Clean. Not the flashiest recall in the game but it fits the theme without being obnoxious about it.

The Empyrean line, release context, and chromas

Empyrean Varus dropped May 1, 2024. Late into season 14. Lejia Chan and Kudos Productions handled the splash art, and honestly they captured something special with the color palette. The deep blues bleeding into bright cyan and gold hits different than the typical Empyrean purple-heavy approach.

The Empyrean skinline has been one of Riot’s more polarizing themes. Some champions wear it naturally, others feel forced into it. Varus lands in the first camp. The corruption aspect of his lore meshes well with the digital transcendence angle that Empyrean pushes. Kinda feels like this was designed with his dual nature in mind rather than just slapping a theme onto a popular ADC.

6 chromas total for Empyrean Varus. Neon Facade is the standout for me, that red-green split creates a striking contrast in game that you dont see often. Sapphire deepens everything into royal blue territory which reads well on the Rift. Ruby exists but honestly it blends into the base skin’s warm tones a bit too much for my taste. The rest are fine but those two are the ones worth considering if you’re grabbing the bundle.

(Random sidebar: the Sapphire chroma with the dark blue particles in ARAM is genuinely one of the cleanest looking things in the game right now. My duo partner pointed it out and now I cant unsee it.)

How it stacks up against other Varus skins

Varus has a deep skin catalog at this point. Cosmic Hunter, High Noon, Snow Moon, Project. All solid options. But Empyrean is the only other Legendary besides Cosmic Hunter, and I think it edges ahead purely on VFX quality. The particle work is more detailed, the VO gives it personality, and the theme cohesion is tighter.

Real talk though, if you’re a Varus one-trick you probably already own three or four of his skins. The question is whether this justifies 1820 RP on top of what you have. For mains specifically, yes. The new voice lines alone change the gameplay feel enough to keep things fresh after hundreds of games. Been running this as my primary Varus skin since it dropped and havent rotated back to anything else.

For the casual Varus player who picks him into poke comps once every 15 games, maybe wait for a sale. High Noon or Project give you solid VFX upgrades at lower price points.

Final take

Empyrean Varus earns its Legendary price tag. Full stop. New VO from Gavin Hammon, ability VFX that improve visual clarity while looking fantastic, strong thematic fit within the Empyrean line. Shop has it permanently so no rush, but 1820 RP well spent for Varus mains. Played maybe 200 games with this skin across ranked and normals since May and it still feels fresh. S-tier Varus cosmetic. The only real knock is that some of the chromas feel redundant, but Neon Facade and Sapphire justify the bundle if you’re going all in. Spammed this in Diamond duo queue all through season 14 and I think its the best he’s looked since Cosmic Hunter, possibly better. Lock it in.