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Riot Games has announced an update for Xin Zhao. The update will only change the champion’s appearance, not his kit. Riot chose to update Xin Zhao after community feedback and seeing him in their side-scrolling fighter The Battle of Koeshin. Riot will change his base model, and update all of League of Legends Xin Zhao’s skins, including vaulted variants.
The changes in this update will be purely aesthetic, leaving his kit untouched. Since his kit is still a strong one, we didn’t see any need to change it. He plays how he has always played, but will look more polished and modern.
Riot is not updating Xin Zhao’s kit because he still plays very well. The update is expected to roll out sometime in the back half of Season Three. Riot will provide a more exact time frame in a future dev blog or patch note.
What Riot Actually Confirmed
- Xin Zhao will receive a visual update only.
- His kit and gameplay remain unchanged.
- All skins will be updated to match the new visual style (vaulted skins included).
- Vaulted skins are expected to return for a limited window after the visual update.
Xin Zhao is getting a polish, but players should not expect major changes to his abilities or gameplay. This allows the champion to maintain his identity, while also not disrupting the champion meta.
Why This Matters (and What to Watch For)
Visual updates are more than cosmetic face-lifts.
They can:
- Improve readability in fights by clarifying animations and hit cues.
- Make older skins feel relevant again through updated textures, animations, and VFX.
- Reignite interest among collectors when vaulted skins return briefly.
Because the update is visual only, players will not have to relearn any mechanics or interactions with the champion. However, if players are interested in collecting skins, they will want to track the return of Xin Zhao’s vaulted skins to not miss the window.
Riot has not announced an official date, but leaks and insiders suggest the update will come in Act Two of Season Three. Community reaction so far has been positive, as players are glad to see Riot refreshing old champions, without disrupting their kit.
The update for Xin Zhao is mostly cosmetic, so the major changes will come to his skins. Riot says players can expect the update in the back half of Season Three.
Players should keep an eye out for more official details, as Riot will likely give more specifics about the patch in a future dev blog or patch note.
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