Empyrean Zed

First game I played with Empyrean Zed was around 2 AM on a Tuesday, season 12 was winding down. Locked it in for a ranked game and the loading screen splash alone had my duo asking what skin that was. The neon-soaked aesthetic hits different from anything else in Zed’s lineup. Not gonna lie, I wasnt expecting much from another Epic tier Zed skin but this one surprised me.

What Empyrean Zed actually brings to the table

The whole model gets reworked into this digital ascended look. Think glowing circuit lines running through dark armor, heavy purple and cyan energy radiating off Zed’s blades. Base voice lines, no changes. But the VFX carry hard here.

Q shurikens leave these trailing neon streaks that feel cleaner to track in lane. Played maybe 200 games with this skin and I swear the Q animation reads slightly smoother, though thats probably just visual placebo. W shadow placement gets the Empyrean treatment too, your shadow clone pulses with that signature purple energy. Makes it easier to see where your shadow is in a chaotic teamfight, which is actually useful for tracking swaps.

E slash is where I think the VFX shine hardest. The spin leaves this ripple effect on the ground, almost holographic. Looks clean when you’re clearing waves mid or catching someone with the slow before an all-in. R death mark got the biggest upgrade. The mark itself glows with Empyrean energy and the pop animation has this burst of light that feels satisfying every single time. Been running this in Diamond for months and the ult VFX never get old.

New recall animation fits the theme. Zed does this meditation pose with energy swirling around him. Short, clean, no complaints. Simple change – huge impact on the overall feel of the skin.

The Empyrean line and where Zed fits

Released November 3, 2022. Late season 12, right when the Empyrean batch dropped alongside K’Sante’s launch. Jiunn Kuo and West Studio handled the artwork, and they cooked on this one. The splash captures Zed mid-dive with that neon energy trailing behind him. (Random aside: this splash rotated as my desktop wallpaper for like three months straight.)

The Empyrean skinline is one of Riot’s more ambitious thematic pushes. Digital transcendence vibes, heavy on the purple and cyan palette. Zed fits naturally into it. The ninja fantasy blends well with the tech-ascended look, way better than some other champions in the line honestly.

9 chromas total if you want to mix it up. Sapphire is my go-to, the deep blue reads clean against the Rift and gives Zed more of a cold assassin look. Neon Flare does something wild with the red-green contrast, kinda feels like a cyberpunk Christmas skin. Pearl goes the opposite direction, washed out and clean, almost ghostly. Rest are solid but those three stand out from what I’ve tested in my games.

1350 RP puts this at standard Epic pricing. Still in the shop, grab it whenever. Could be wrong here but I think this dropped during the Worlds event window which meant a lot of people missed it in the bundle chaos.

How it stacks against other Zed skins

Zed has a stacked skin catalog. Galaxy Slayer exists. Project exists. Championship exists. So where does Empyrean Zed land? Honestly somewhere in the top three for me. Galaxy Slayer still wins on pure spectacle since it’s Legendary with new VO and animations, but for an Epic at 1350 RP? Empyrean competes hard.

Project Zed feels dated now. The model shows its age and the VFX dont pop the way they used to. Empyrean is the modern alternative if you want that tech aesthetic without paying Legendary price. Shockblade is clean but minimal. Death Sworn is niche. Empyrean sits in that sweet spot of flashy enough to feel premium but not so over the top that it distracts you in lane.

One thing I noticed after about 50 games – the auto attack animations with Empyrean feel crisp. That ranked game last week where my Kayn inted early, I was still able to cs cleanly under tower because the autos have good visual feedback. Small thing but it matters when you’re trying to hit every cs pre-6 on a melee mid.

Should you buy Empyrean Zed?

Real verdict: if you main Zed and dont own Galaxy Slayer, this is the best value pick in his catalog. 1350 RP feels fair for what you get. New VFX on every ability, solid model, great splash, 9 chromas for variety. Top pick for Zed mains who want a modern skin without the Legendary price tag.

Skip it if you already have Galaxy Slayer and only play Zed occasionally. But if Zed is in your ranked rotation, maybe just your pocket pick for certain comps, Empyrean Zed earns its spot. Been my default Zed skin since it dropped and I keep coming back to it over everything else in the collection. Straight talk, 1350 RP well spent for mains. (Sidebar for Zed one-tricks specifically: the Sapphire chroma with this skin is genuinely S-tier.)