PROJECT: Akali

First time I locked in PROJECT: Akali was around 3 AM after a rough losing streak in Diamond. Something about the neon cyberpunk aesthetic just clicked with my mood that night. Been running this skin on and off since season 9, and it still holds up better than most Epic skins in the shop. The PROJECT line has always been one of Riot’s stronger thematics, and Akali fits right in.

What the skin actually brings to the table

New VFX across the board. Her Q throws out these clean digital shuriken trails with cyan and magenta particle effects that read well against the Rift. The passive ring gets the PROJECT treatment too, glowing with circuit-board patterns that are honestly easier to track than base. Could be wrong here but I think the Q particles are slightly more visible in teamfights, which matters when you’re trying to proc passive between ability rotations.

W shroud is the real standout. The smoke cloud becomes this digitized holographic zone with data fragments floating around. Looks sick. Playing this skin, the shroud VFX really pop against darker map areas like river or jungle. Her E shuriken flip leaves a clean neon trail, and R dashes get sharp digital afterimages. Not Legendary-tier ability overhaul obviously, but for 1350 RP the VFX package is solid.

New recall animation too. Akali does this whole hacker-ninja sequence with a holographic interface. Voice lines stay base, no new VO, which is standard for the price point. The model itself goes full cyborg ninja with a sleek visor, circuit patterns on the outfit, and that signature PROJECT color palette of dark metallics with neon accents. Banger silhouette.

The PROJECT line and release context

PROJECT: Akali dropped August 1, 2019. Mid-season 9. This was right after the Akali rework had settled and she was still terrorizing solo queue at every elo. Atey Ghailan nailed the splash, the composition puts Akali in this rain-soaked cyberpunk cityscape that captures the whole vibe perfectly.

The PROJECT skinline is one of Riot’s flagship collections at this point. Think Vayne, Yasuo, Fiora, Jhin. Heavy hitters. Akali slots in naturally because the assassin fantasy translates well into the cybernetic ninja archetype. Not gonna lie, the PROJECT universe lore is actually interesting if you dig into it, but most people just care about the aesthetics and thats fair.

9 chromas total for this one. Obsidian is my personal pick because the dark color scheme with minimal neon makes her feel more like an actual stealth operative. Reckoning has this orange and teal contrast that stands out in lane. Pearl goes for a cleaner white look that some Akali mains swear by. (Random aside: my duo partner bought every single chroma day one and only ever uses Obsidian, which feels like a waste but whatever.)

Is PROJECT: Akali worth 1350 RP?

Real verdict: this sits comfortably in the upper half of Akali’s skin roster. 1350 RP feels fair for what you get. The VFX are clean, the model is sharp, and the thematic works. Not sure if it’s just me but the auto attack animations feel smoother on this skin compared to base, might be placebo from the particle effects though.

Competition is tough. K/DA and Coven exist. Star Guardian Akali is right there. But PROJECT fills a different niche entirely. If you want the tech-ninja fantasy instead of pop star or dark magic, this is the one. Been maining Akali with this in Diamond games last season and I kept coming back to it over skins that cost more.

Skip this if you already own K/DA ALL OUT and dont play enough Akali to justify multiple skins. But for Akali one-tricks or anyone who vibes with the PROJECT aesthetic, 1350 RP well spent. Shop has it permanently, no vault rotation nonsense. Played maybe 200 games with this skin across seasons 9 through 13 and the only time I swapped off was to test Coven when it released. Kept going back. Top pick for Akali mains who want something clean over flashy.