The MSI 2023 tie-in skinline, the Inkshadow skins, have been released in an effort to make the League of Legends experience feel more complete and coherent.

Inkshadow Skins

These skins all belong to the skin universe named Inkshadow Uprising.

“On the outskirts of Rabadon City, a dilapidated temple houses the last hope for Rabadon's people: the Inkshadow Warriors. Each one sacrifices what is most important to them in order to make a contract with ancient spirits, who imbue them with magic tattoos so powerful, even the Cabal trembles. They are victims no more. It is time to take back their home.”

The skinline also released with a comic that expands the universe's story.

Inkshadow Aurelion Sol – 1350 RP

“An ancient spirit that has been making contracts with mortals through tattoos for centuries, Aurelion Sol grants inhuman power in exchange for the life force of his pawns, letting them slowly waste away until they inevitably succumb to his appetite. There is always another conflict, another war—so he has grown powerful on their deals, ever feeding.”

Inkshadow Aurelion Sol's splash art shows his ginormous size in relation to the buildings and structures around him, and his unfortunate “victim” that he made a contract with – Master Yi. The symbol of the Inkshadow, and the general thematic of swirling, is prominent.

The ink theme continues to the rift, with dark, defined lines taking the place of sparkly and galactic effects on Aurelion Sol's abilities. His E in particular is mesmerizing to look at, and it's great to keep in mind that his abilities grow in size as the game goes on.

Inkshadow Kai'Sa – 1350 RP

“A young survivor who lost her father to the Cabal, Kai'Sa fled the city and joined the Uprising. Refusing to allow others to fight a battle on her behalf, she sacrificed her independence for the chance to fight back, receiving a magical, symbiotic tattoo she needs in order to live. Kai'Sa finally has the tools to get revenge. She will see justice done.”

Inkshadow Kai'Sa is primarily red, and is possibly one of the most iconic Kai'Sa skins. The deep colors and thematic fits Kai'Sa's character well, and the splash art on its own almost makes this skin worth it.

In-game she gains gold accents but still retains her primary palette of blood-red. The brushstroke motif works well with her projectiles, and they all blend well in a painterly manner onto the Rift.

Inkshadow Master Yi – 1820 RP

“Master Yi's family refused Cabal control, fleeing Rabadon City—only to be snuffed out. To fight back, he became one of the first Inkshadow Warriors, sacrificing his lifespan for a magical tattoo that grants him the power to raise his sword against the Cabal. He doesn't know how long he has left to live; still, he will save his city… and get his revenge.”

Inkshadow Master Yi is his second Legendary Skin after PROJECT: Yi. The two skins share a similar neon yellow-orange color theme, but Inkshadow mixes it with the brushstroke motif instead of PROJECT's futuristic theme. At this point, Master Yi has no shortage of skins, and maybe some players still prefer PROJECT, but it's undeniably that his first Legendary is already showing its age. Inkshadow Yi is a great replacement for this skin, as it makes playing the champion feel different, especially his Double Strike and Alpha Strike.

Inkshadow Master Yi sets itself apart from PROJECT in-game, as it takes full advantage of its darker palette and paints it over all of his abilities, including his Meditate. The strokes of his sword paint arcs of various colors, and Master Yi himself gains a red hue when under the effects of Highlander.

As a Legendary skin, the skin includes a custom voiceover and interactions.

Inkshadow Udyr – 1350 RP

“Udyr has given up much as tattoo artist for the Inkshadow Warriors, sacrificing pieces of himself to multiple spirits and covering his body in their arcane contracts to enhance his natural second sight. He sees the souls of his canvases, knows the price they must pay, and connects them to the spirits who will give them the power to do what must be done.”

Inkshadow Udyr ends the champion's long drought of skins. Riot Games previously expressed their frustrations in making skins for Udyr due to his form-changing and the limitations of the game itself. That being said, Inkshadow Udyr is everything but limited. It breathes new life to the champion, and is the first one made post-VGU.

Inkshadow Volibear – 1350 RP

“A spirit of fury and war, many vengeful souls have made contracts with the Volibear, and only Udyr has survived for longer than a year. Whether his charges succeed in taking revenge or meet violent ends, each one who dies gives him more power. More power means more wayward mortals seek him out for contracts—and thus the bear will never go hungry.”

Inkshadow Volibear goes HARD. He takes on the form of a magic-fueled samurai tiger-bear and the skin in-game does it justice. Good pickup for Volibear characters, and a good alternative to his objectively best skin Captain Volibear.

He might seem like an absolute unit on his splash art, but his ulted form in-game makes him even more terrifying and magnitudes cooler.

Inkshadow Yasuo – 1350 RP

“Displaced from his home alongside Master Yi, Yasuo now uses his Inkshadow tattoos to ride the wind between Rabadon City and the outskirts, protecting civilians seeking asylum with help from the mysterious Man of Masks. Though he gave up his freedom in exchange for power, he sees the price as penance for being unable to help those who needed it most.”

Inkshadow Yasuo is green and he has a beard. He also learned how to put his shirt on, an action that he seemed to be struggling with in his Classic skin. He fits the thematic well, and the green isn't a base color that hasn't been used yet on his previous skins. Yasuo players can consider this skin, and even its Prestige Edition.

The black and green might not sound like a good mixture of colors, but in-game Inkshadow Yasuo does it really well. His SFX are really subtle, and the effects only really stand out on his tornado and Wind Wall.

Inkshadow Yasuo Prestige Edition

“”Sporting an elevated take on traditional Ionian menswear coupled with a fearlessly bare set of stunning blackout tattoos, Yasuo's gala look celebrates elegant rebellion, sartorial subversion, and an uprising of unprecedented design.

Inkshadow Yasuo Prestige Edition is hot. He ditches the green for a crystalline purple, and now he sits on top of a throne. This skin shouts elegance and style, and its beautiful splash art combined with its Prestige rarity can be expected to show up in your games being worn by 1 million+ mastery Yasuo players in your games.

Prestige Inkshadow Yasuo in-game is a little underwhelming. The green and black of the base Inkshadow skin made it stand out from his other skins, but the Prestige edition exchanges that for a greyish violet and gold. This brings it closer to the bluish hue that his other skins have, including his classic skin.

Inkshadow Yone – 1350 RP

“Two brothers lost their home and became Inkshadow Warriors. One gave up his freedom, and the other his identity. Yone paid a steep price for his tattoo: no one remembers that he existed. Now known only as a faceless stranger called the “Man of Masks,” he shields refugees from the Cabal until they can be delivered into Yasuo's protection.”

Inkshadow Yone showcases his purple blade adorned with the dark, magic-infused tattoos.

The in-game model is mostly white, and the purple and black only appears during his abilities. That doesn't mean it's a bad skin; in fact the subtlety increases the impact of his skills and fits with Yone as a character.

Inkshadow Aurelion Sol, Inkshadow Kai'Sa, Inkshadow Master Yi, Inkshadow Udyr, Inkshadow Volibear, Inkshadow Yasuo +Prestige, and Inkshadow Yone are now live with League of Legends Patch 13.9.