FPX Gangplank

Been running this skin since it dropped in 2020 and honestly the whole esports skin angle works better on Gangplank than you’d expect. FPX Gangplank landed during a time when Worlds skins were getting noticeably better, and this one sits right at that turning point. First game I loaded it up, the recall animation alone sold me. Clean.

What FPX Gangplank actually brings to the table

So the base model gets the full FPX treatment. Black and red color scheme with gold accents, which tracks with the FunPlus Phoenix branding. Gangplank’s coat gets this sleek dark leather look instead of the usual pirate roughness. Not gonna lie, it makes him feel less like a scraggly sea captain and more like someone who’d show up to a LAN final.

The VFX are where the 1350 RP earns its keep. Barrels pop with that signature FPX red-orange on detonation. His Q has a tighter, more modern particle trail compared to base. The E chain explosions read really well in teamfights, which matters when you’re trying to zone the backline during dragon setup. Played maybe 40 games with this in Diamond last season and the barrel VFX never got old.

Recall animation is custom. Gangplank pulls out the Summoner’s Cup, which is standard for Worlds skins but the way he handles it fits the character. Could be wrong here but I think his idle animations have slightly different timing too, though that might just be placebo from staring at the model too long. Voice lines stay base, so you still get Matthew Mercer’s classic Gangplank VO. No VO refresh, but honestly Mercer’s performance is strong enough that new lines would be hard to top anyway.

(Random aside: the splash art on this one is genuinely phone wallpaper material, Pan Chengwei went hard)

The World Champions line and where this fits

FPX Gangplank released April 30, 2020, part of the World Champions: 2019 skinline celebrating FunPlus Phoenix’s Worlds run. That whole set came out together. Pan Chengwei handled the splash and captured DoinB’s energy in the composition, even though this is technically Tian’s pick if I remember right. The 2019 Worlds skins were a step up from prior years in terms of VFX budget.

Legacy vault skin, so you cant just grab it whenever you want. Gotta wait for the vault to rotate or get lucky in Hextech crafting. There’s 1 chroma available, the Elite variant. It swaps the red accents for a darker black and deep crimson palette. Kinda feels like the “serious mode” version of the skin. I actually prefer the Elite over base most days, the red pops harder against the Rift’s green.

The World Champions line as a whole has some hits and misses. FPX Thresh and FPX Lee Sin get more attention, but Gangplank holds his own in the set. Seen maybe 5 of these total in my ranked games all season, which is a shame because its one of the cleaner Gangplank options out there.

Should you pick up FPX Gangplank?

Real verdict: this is a solid Epic tier skin that does exactly what 1350 RP should do. New model, new VFX on barrels and Q, custom recall. No new voice lines but thats standard for the price point. If you’re a Gangplank main who likes the esports aesthetic, this is top pick material. The barrel detonations feel crisp and the color scheme reads cleanly in lane and in late-game teamfights where you’re laying down chains across choke points.

Where it falls short compared to something like Dreadnova is the fantasy angle. Dreadnova goes full sci-fi pirate. FPX stays grounded in the esports branding, which some people love and others find generic. Fair warning, if you don’t care about pro play the skin loses some of its appeal. But purely on VFX quality and model work? 1350 RP feels fair for what you get.

Skip it if you already own Gangplank the Betrayer or Dreadnova, those cover similar ground with more personality. But if your Gangplank skin rotation is thin and you catch this one during a Legacy vault opening, lock it in. Been my go-to Gangplank skin this season specifically because the barrel VFX don’t blend into river terrain during objective fights around baron pit last Tuesday. That clarity matters when you’re trying to chain barrels on the engage.