Pool Party Braum

Been waiting for this one since Riot started putting every support in swim trunks. Pool Party Braum dropped June 9, 2021 and I remember locking it in the same night. Braum already has that wholesome lifeguard energy in his base kit, so putting him poolside felt like the most natural skin concept Riot has done in years. First game I played with it, my ADC typed “nice skin” in chat before minions even spawned. Good sign.

What the skin actually brings to the table

So this is a 1350 RP Epic tier skin, which means new VFX across the board plus a fresh recall animation. Voice lines stay base, no changes there. Braum’s shield gets swapped out for what looks like a pool floatie door – kinda ridiculous, kinda perfect. The Q throws out a water splash projectile instead of the usual ice, and honestly it reads cleaner in teamfights than I expected. Could be wrong here but I think the hitbox visually matches better on this one than default.

The W shield hop has water particle trails. Subtle but noticeable. His E wall raises up with a wave effect that looks solid in the bot lane specifically. Not groundbreaking stuff for an Epic but everything feels polished. The ult is where it gets fun – Braum slams down and a wave of pool water erupts across the Rift. Played maybe 40 games with this skin last season and the R animation never got old. Clean read on the knockup zone too, which matters when you’re trying to peel for your backline in a messy dragon fight.

The recall animation has Braum doing a cannonball. Classic. (Random aside: my duo partner has this skin too and we both recall at the same time just for the bit.) Not the most elaborate recall in the game but it fits the theme without overstaying its welcome.

Pool Party line and the splash

Pool Party is one of Riot’s longest running skinlines at this point. Braum joins a massive roster there – Renekton, Lee Sin, Leona, the whole crew. The line doesnt take itself seriously and thats exactly why it works. Summer vibes, bright colors, zero edge.

Ina Wong and West Studio handled the artwork on the splash. They captured Braum’s personality perfectly – big smile, pool noodles everywhere, sunny background. The splash reads well as a loading screen piece. Bright without being noisy.

8 chromas total for Pool Party Braum. Not gonna list them all but Obsidian is my go-to, turns the whole color scheme dark which contrasts hard against the goofy pool theme. Peridot gives you this lime green lifeguard look thats pretty unique. Amethyst shifts purple and reads like a completely different skin at a glance. Ruby is fine but nothing special – standard red recolor energy. Shop has it, permanent availability, so no rush if you’re on the fence.

Is Pool Party Braum worth 1350 RP?

Real verdict: if you play Braum with any regularity this is an easy pickup. 1350 RP feels fair for what you get. The VFX overhaul is solid, the theme suits the champion better than most Pool Party entries, and the chromas give you options if you want variety. Not sure if it’s just me but I think this edges out Sugar Rush as Braum’s best Epic skin. Crime City has a different vibe entirely so its hard to compare directly.

Last Tuesday I had a game where I blocked a Caitlyn ult with the pool floatie shield and my whole team pinged the laugh emote. Stuff like that is why you buy cosmetics. The skin doesnt change how Braum plays obviously but the water VFX on his passive proc stacks feel satisfying in lane trades. Been running this as my main Braum skin since around patch 11.12 and I keep coming back to it over his other options. Worth 1350 if you main Braum, skip it if you only pick him as a counter into engage comps once every 30 games.