League of Legends celebrated its 11-year anniversary last October. For a game that’s been around for so long, its graphics have aged remarkably well due to the regular visual updates given to both the game’s maps and its champions. The League of today is practically unrecognizable from its humble beginnings in 2009 and the introduction of numerous in-game skins has meant that its visuals have remained fresh and exciting throughout its lifespan.
There’s been a trend in champion design in recent years of League. Simply put, a lot of League’s characters are hotties. Whether it’s the tall, dark, and handsome stereotype fulfilled by characters like Sylas and Twisted Fate or the cocky, confident good looks of Ezreal, Evelynn, and Ahri, League truly has something for all types and tastes. There are, however, those characters who are relegated to the grotesque and the monstrous: Cho’Gath, Kog’Maw, Singed, and, until recently, Dr. Mundo.
But Riot Games has done the impossible. In a recent visual and gameplay update, slated for release on June 9 in Patch 11.2, Riot’s champion design team has accomplished a feat that few thought possible: They made Dr. Mundo hot.
Don’t believe us? Here’s a breakdown of all the changes to Dr. Mundo’s splash arts and how Riot has turned League’s most linguistically challenged monster into a certified, grade A hottie.
Mr Mundoverse
This one’s fairly obvious. Everybody likes a romantic partner who keeps themselves in shape, not just for the aesthetics but because self-care and self-love are sexy. The original Mr. Mundoverse skin was released in 2010, in League’s first year of playability, and is now a legacy skin available only through Hextech Chests. Although all legacy skins have a certain desirability based on their rarity, Mr. Mundoverse’s original splash art and in-game model could hardly be called desirable. Terrifying might be a better word, or perhaps hideous. The bulging eyes, protruding tongue, and general aura of rage made it look like Dr. Mundo had gone a little too heavy on the pre-workout.
The new Mr Mundoverse looks like the cool guy at the gym who 100 percent re-racks his weights and who would never laugh at you for using the leg press wrong. His perfectly groomed facial hair and well-maintained undercut are a sign of a man who takes care of himself—and it even looks as though he’s plucked his eyebrows. He also appears to be bicep curling roughly 500 kilograms as if it’s nothing, so he’d never complain if you asked him to help you move furniture into your new apartment or carry groceries up a few flights of stairs.
Corporate Mundo
The original Corporate Mundo looked like the kind of boss who would trick you into an unfair pension scheme and always ask you to “just pop in for five minutes” on your day off. Standing in front of a loaded cart of alcohol in his splash art didn’t exactly give the image of a responsible member of the corporate world and his pink shirt clashed horribly with his skin tone. All in all, the original Corporate Mundo was unlikely to be a right swipe on any dating app.
The new Corporate Mundo, however, looks like the kind of guy who would manage to explain cryptocurrency to you without being condescending and would buy donuts for the office if they had to stay late. He’s rocking a classic gold tie pin and the pink shirt is much less obnoxious now that it’s mostly covered up by a blue pinstriped jacket. It’s hard to tell just how much his watch costs, but it’s safe to assume that he’d be more than happy to pick up the tab for dinner. So go ahead and order that champagne, you’ve earned it.
TPA Mundo
TPA Mundo is Mundo’s only Championship skin, released in season three to commemorate the victory of the Taipei Assassins at the 2012 League World Championship. As part of the second commemorative Worlds skin line, the designs featured TPA’s iconic red and white branding, with Mundo in pride of place holding the Summoner’s Cup. Unfortunately for Mundo, being front and center of the splash art meant that all eyes were drawn to his fairly significant underbite and unkempt-looking hair. This clearly was not a man for whom showering and orthodontic health were much of a concern.
The rework of this skin has evidently come after years of extensive orthodontic work for Mundo. And now, his jaw is both healthily positioned and sharp enough to cut class. He’s also discovered the joys of proper hair products and his quiff is styled to a razor-point, giving off a distinctly frat-boy vibe. His musculature has even seen a slight shift and he now looks much more like someone who spends a lot of time at the gym than someone who was experimented on by an evil but brilliant scientist.
Base skin Mundo
We’re saving the best for last because Mundo’s base skin received perhaps the biggest glow-up of all. The original base splash saw Mundo standing in front of the Zaun skyline, with his lips and tongue dyed as blue as if he’d just eaten a blue raspberry snow cone and hadn’t had the chance to brush his teeth yet. There are some people who can appreciate a man with veiny arms, but Mundo’s vascularity was to the point where he looked genuinely unwell. Although it was fitting for a creature created in a lab in Runeterra’s most darkly experimental city, it wasn’t exactly what you could call attractive.
But the new Mundo? Now that’s an entirely different story. Rocking an undercut and a knowing smirk, he looks like the bad-boy antihero you never knew you needed. Similar to the changes to TPA Mundo, his musculature has been toned down to make him look a little less inflatable and he’s rocking a torn-up straitjacket that could easily pass for the latest cutting-edge trend in techwear fashion. It’s true that he’s carrying a giant meat cleaver covered in what looks like dried blood, but nobody’s perfect and the bad-boy aura is just a part of Mundo’s overall charm.
All of Mundo’s legacy skins will be available for purchase in Patches 11.2 and 11.3 to celebrate his rework. So head on over to the in-game store next month to choose which of the all-new skins you’ll be rocking on the Rift. And remember, there’s no shame in admitting you think a big purple monster man is hot.
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