Pool Party Orianna

First game I played with Pool Party Orianna, my jungler pinged the Ball three times because he thought it was a beach ball someone dropped as an emote. Not even kidding. That was maybe two weeks after release, summer 2020, and I remember thinking Riot finally gave Orianna a skin that doesnt look like she belongs in a museum. The whole vibe is different. Bright, loud, fun. Exactly what you want when you lock in Orianna for a chill ranked session on a Friday night.

What Pool Party Orianna actually changes

The Ball. Thats the whole champion, right? And here it’s a beach ball. Colorful, round, bouncing around the Rift like you’re at a pool party instead of fighting for LP. The Q sends this thing sailing through the air with water trail particles that look clean against the green of mid lane. W pops with a splash effect, like someone cannonballed into a pool. Satisfying visual feedback there.

E shield has this watery shimmer to it. Not gonna lie, it reads better than some of her other skins where the shield can blend into ability clutter during teamfights. The R – Command: Shockwave – does a big water burst. Good radius visibility. In my Diamond games I’ve noticed teammates actually react to the ult zone faster with this skin, might be the bright colors making it more obvious. Could be wrong here but the contrast seems better than Dark Star’s purple on purple.

Orianna herself gets the full summer treatment. Swimsuit, sun hat, the works. Her model looks less robotic and more like she’s about to hit the beach. The recall animation is cute – she does a whole poolside routine. New VFX across the board but voice lines stay base, which is standard for a 1350 RP Epic tier skin. No VO refresh.

(Random aside: I used this skin’s splash as my Discord avatar for like three months straight and nobody recognized it was Orianna.)

The Pool Party line and release context

Pool Party is one of Riot’s longest running skinlines. Been around since what, season 3? The line keeps growing every summer and Orianna fits right in. Released July 2, 2020, right in the middle of summer event season. Sean ‘Raiko’ Tay and West Studio handled the artwork, and they captured the summer energy perfectly.

7 chromas total. Obsidian is the standout for me – takes the bright summer palette and darkens everything, gives Orianna this sleek contrast that reads well in lane. Pearl goes the opposite direction, almost white and pastel, kinda feels like a wedding version of the skin. Ruby’s fine if you want the red accent but I keep coming back to Obsidian after maybe 40 games testing different ones last season.

The rest fill out the color wheel. Amethyst hits purple tones, Catseye goes yellow, Peridot is the green option, Rose Quartz does pink. Solid range but honestly two or three of them blend together on the Rift. Shop has it permanently at 1350 RP, available any time you want to pick it up.

How Pool Party Orianna plays in ranked

Been maining Orianna with this skin since season 11. Something about the visual clarity of the Ball being a beach ball – it’s easier to track. Might be overthinking it but when you’re trying to zone the backline with Q positioning, having a bright colorful orb instead of a dark metal sphere helps. At least for me.

Real talk though. Orianna has a lot of skins at this point. Dark Star is the flashy one. Winter Wonder has the holiday charm. Star Guardian is the weeb pick. Pool Party sits in this sweet spot where it’s fun without being distracting. The water VFX on abilities are noticeable but not overwhelming. Pre-6 laning phase the particles dont clutter your screen when you’re trying to cs and poke simultaneously.

I played this into a Katarina one-trick last Tuesday around midnight and the W slow particles were actually useful for tracking her movement after she dove in. Small thing. But when you’re peeling for your ADC in a late-game teamfight, every visual cue matters.

Should you buy Pool Party Orianna?

Verdict time. 1350 RP feels fair for what you get. New model, full VFX overhaul, new recall, solid chroma selection. It’s not groundbreaking but it’s clean. Spammed this in Diamond for two seasons and never got tired of looking at it.

If you’re an Orianna main deciding between this and Dark Star, it comes down to preference. Dark Star is darker and more dramatic. Pool Party is lighter, more fun, better for summer vibes and honestly better visual clarity in my experience. Skip this if you already own Star Guardian and dont play Orianna often enough to justify two Epic skins. But for mains? Top pick for Orianna mains who want something that stands out without being over the top. The beach ball alone sells it.