Sales of "Journey to the West: The Demon Slayer" were disappointing, while "FMVP" led by a wide margin, and "The Brave One" became increasingly popular.

Before the summer update, the developers couldn't bear to let the S44 season, which was about to be updated and replaced, go quiet. They thought the Chinese server would just be bringing back the collaboration with the Japanese anime "Inuyasha," but instead, they got the Journey to the West trio. The demon-slaying and monster-subduing scenes seemed to have bored everyone, and the sales of skins are the best proof of that. First, there was the Six-Eared Macaque with its split destiny, then the violent Dharma Hatred of the Golden Toad, and finally, the Zen Heart of Salvation. The black and gold color scheme is very appealing, and the water cannon has a metallic feel, but unfortunately, the fragments are precious, so players dare not use them recklessly.

The Golden Toad wasn't a beneficiary of the Wuxiang Divine Artifact; its new image failed to boost popularity, and attention quickly shifted to ranking up in ranked matches. However, there was a surprise after the weekly update: a brand-new product series, "Journey to the West: Demon Sealing Chronicles," a revisited storyline. While the style was undeniably creative, it was riddled with flaws in actual gameplay—looking good but not effective. Fortunately, there was no new product competition, and the Grand Commander's FMVP, the Yi Guan Chang Ge, suddenly appeared. It remains to be seen how it will fare on the current bestseller list.

10th to 9th place: Journey to the West: The Demon-Sealing Chronicle

Epic skins used to be the most cost-effective, but now they're largely ignored. Those who buy them are probably newcomers or people who are bored with their old skins and want a new effect. The tenth-ranked skin is the Spirit Cat Immortal Official skin, and the ninth-ranked skin is Sun Quan's Immortal Fan Messenger. As new releases, they should have soared into the top five, but they're indeed at the bottom of the list. Ironically, their sales are declining, and they'll likely leave the top ten in less than a week, which clearly indicates their popularity is only so-so.

I guess I'm trying to snag a bargain with the first-week discount package. This kind of offer is enough to convince me, so how could the skins really be that bad? The special effects and modeling are meticulously crafted. Honestly, this dull demon-sealing story has been transformed into a Chinese-style fantasy game, packed with elements and full of sincerity. As seen in forum posts and Xiaohongshu comments, the most objectionable part is the lighting, especially on Sun Quan; his practicality is even worse than a basic hero skin.

It depends on how players weigh the gains and losses. Epic prices, high-end products, exquisite textures, good quality and low prices, with the idea of showing off special effects, guaranteed to look amazing. In the Chinese server, the focus on concealment has gradually extended to ranked matches. Aesthetics have changed, and practicality has been taken into consideration.

Image source: Internet