Hextech Renekton

First time I saw Hextech Renekton pop up in the Hextech crafting tab I had to double-take. Renekton getting the gemstone treatment back in December 2018 felt random at the time. Not gonna lie, I sat on the gemstones for two patches before pulling the trigger. Zero regrets looking back on it now.

How Hextech Renekton actually looks in game

The whole model gets this crystalline blue-gold rework that honestly pops harder than most Epic skins. Renekton’s blade transforms into this translucent Hextech weapon with energy running through it. Clean design. The gold plating on his armor contrasts with the teal crystal elements and it reads well from the top-down camera angle, which matters more than people think when you’re trying to track your champion in a teamfight.

New VFX across the board here. His Q slice sends out these Hextech energy particles that fan out in a satisfying arc. W stun locks have this crystalline shatter effect on contact, and I think it actually makes the empowered W feel more impactful than base even though thats obviously just visual. E dash leaves a trail of Hextech energy behind you, which looks great when you’re slicing through the backline to reach their ADC.

The R transformation is where this skin earns its keep. Dominus activates and Renekton gets surrounded by this Hextech energy field. The fury particles shift to match the crystal aesthetic. Played maybe 40 games with this skin last season and the ult activation still catches my eye every time. Something about the color palette just works during late-game teamfights when everything else on screen is chaos.

New recall animation too. Renekton channels Hextech energy through his blade in this ritual-looking pose. Short and clean, no wasted frames. Voice lines stay base though, no new VO. Standard for Mythic tier skins from that era.

The Hextech line and where Renekton fits

The Hextech skinline is one of Riot’s prestige collections. Every champion that gets one feels like they were chosen specifically for how well the crystal-and-gold aesthetic maps onto their silhouette. Renekton’s bulky frame carries the Hextech armor well. Better than some of the smaller champions in the line, honestly.

Alvin Lee nailed the splash for this one. The composition puts Renekton front and center with Hextech energy cascading off his blade. Dark background, bright crystal foreground. It photographs well as a loading screen card, which I care about more than I should (random aside: I’ve had compliments on this loading screen in champ select from random duo partners twice this year).

Released December 20, 2018. Late season 8 into preseason 9. Back then you needed 10 gemstones to craft it, which was a serious commitment. Now it sits in the Mythic Essence shop on rotation. Available when it cycles through. No chromas exist for this skin, which makes sense given the crafting-exclusive nature of the Hextech line.

Kinda feels like Riot designed these Hextech skins to be the flex pick of your collection. You dont see them often in ranked. Maybe spotted three or four other Hextech Renekton players in my Diamond games across two full seasons. The rarity factor is real.

Playing Renekton with the Hextech skin equipped

Gameplay-wise this skin doesnt change how Renekton plays but the visual clarity is solid. His combo reads cleanly. E through the wave, W stun on their top laner, Q to sustain, E back out. The Hextech particles track well with each ability and I never felt like the VFX obscured what was happening. Some skins make it harder to track your own abilities in lane. Not this one.

Could be wrong here but the auto attack animations feel slightly smoother than base Renekton. Probably placebo. Either way I was csing better with this skin equipped during a stretch of games last March around 1 AM when I was grinding for Diamond promos. Might just be the confidence boost of having a rare skin on.

One thing worth mentioning for Renekton mains specifically. The empowered W visual is distinct enough from regular W that you can actually tell the difference at a glance. Helpful when you’re managing fury in a splitpush scenario and need to decide between empowered Q heal or empowered W for the extended stun on a dive.

Should you spend Mythic Essence on this?

Real verdict: Hextech Renekton is a strong Mythic tier skin that earns its special pricing. The VFX overhaul is thorough, the model redesign is clean, and the rarity means you stand out in every lobby. For Renekton mains who already have the Mythic Essence saved up, this is a no-brainer pickup when it rotates through the shop.

The competition in Renekton’s skin catalog is real though. Pool Party and Project both offer comparable visual upgrades at lower price points. Been maining Renekton with this skin for maybe 150 games total and I keep coming back to it over the alternatives. The Hextech aesthetic just hits different on a champion who’s already about raw aggression in lane. Crystal-infused crocodile diving your tower pre-6 with full fury. Hard to beat that energy.

If you’re not a Renekton main, the Mythic Essence is probably better spent elsewhere. But if Renekton is your go-to top laner and you want something most players in your elo will never see in the Rift, Hextech Renekton delivers. S-tier Renekton cosmetic for collectors who can afford the entry fee.