FPX Malphite

First game I played with FPX Malphite was around 3 AM on a weeknight, right after the Worlds 2019 skins dropped in April 2020. Locked in Malphite top, loaded in, and the black and red color scheme hit different on the Rift. Not gonna lie, I wasnt expecting much from an esports skin on a rock, but this one surprised me.

What FPX Malphite actually brings to the table

The model rework turns Malphite into this angular, mechanical-looking thing with the FPX phoenix branding carved into his body. Black base with sharp red and gold accents. Feels like someone strapped esports merch onto a boulder and it actually worked.

VFX got a full pass for an Epic tier skin. His Q sends out this red energy projectile that tracks cleaner than base. The W empowered autos have that red glow on impact, and E ground slam sends out red shockwaves. Solid stuff. The ult is the real highlight though – Malphite launches with FPX phoenix trail effects behind him. Been running this in Diamond ranked and the R engage reads so much more aggressively with those red particles. Something about the color makes your team follow up faster. Could be wrong here but I think the visual clarity on the ult is genuinely better than most Malphite skins.

Recall animation is custom. Malphite does this celebratory pose with the FPX logo, referencing the Worlds win. Short and clean. Voice lines stay base, no new VO, which is standard for 1350 RP esports skins. Pan Chengwei handled the artwork on the splash, and they captured the aggressive energy well – Malphite mid-charge with that phoenix motif burning behind him.

The Worlds 2019 line and where this fits

World Champions: 2019 was the FPX celebration set. Came out April 30, 2020, which felt like forever after Worlds wrapped. The whole line honored Tian, Doinb, Crisp, Lwx, and GimGoon. Malphite was GimGoon’s pick if I remember right, season 9 or 10 dont remember the exact details but the top lane Malphite pick was iconic during that finals run.

Legacy vault skin now. So you cant just grab it whenever. Hextech only these days unless Riot brings the vault rotation around during Worlds season. Seen maybe 4 of these in my games all year, which honestly makes it feel more exclusive than it probably should for a 1350 RP Epic.

Two chromas available. Elite goes darker with a black and deep red vibe that reads cleaner in teamfights. Tenfold Triumph switches to red and gold, more celebratory, kinda like the actual FPX jersey colors cranked up. (Random aside: the Tenfold Triumph chroma name is peak Riot marketing, sounds like a fighting game super move.) Both are decent but Elite is my pick for splitpush games where you want that menacing look in the side lane.

Is FPX Malphite worth 1350 RP?

Real verdict: this sits in a weird spot. Malphite has some heavy competition. Dark Star and Odyssey both exist at the same price point with arguably more creative themes. Mecha goes full mech fantasy. FPX Malphite works best if you care about the esports history angle or just want something different from the usual elemental rock themes.

1350 RP feels fair for what you get. New VFX across all abilities, custom recall, clean model. Standard Epic package executed well. The ult VFX alone carried me through like 30 games of spamming Malphite into AD comps last season. The engage with that phoenix trail behind you just looks aggressive. Your ADC sees that R fly in with red fire and they know it’s go time.

Kinda feels like this skin gets overlooked because esports skins don’t generate the same hype as thematic lines. Fair enough. But for Malphite mains who want a clean, sharp skin that doesn’t go full fantasy – this delivers. The Legacy availability means you might need to wait for a vault opening or get lucky with a chest drop. Worth 1350 if you main Malphite and appreciate the competitive history behind it. Skip it if you already have Dark Star, that one’s just harder to beat for peel and engage scenarios in bot lane specifically.