New League of Legends champion Seraphine is already set for a mini-rework just days after officially landing on Summoner’s Rift in patch 10.22, following weeks of fan backlash over her character design and Runeterra backstory.
Seraphine marks an interesting point in League of Legends history. The newest champion to join the roster, the Starry-Eyed Songstress, was teased for nearly half a year ahead of her LoL patch 10.22 release. Her impending debut certainly hasn’t been a secret.
In preparation for their new poster star, Riot Games rolled out a Twitter account pretending to be the singer, added her to virtual K-pop group K/DA, and slowly drip-fed news about LoL’s newest arrival. It was a huge teaser run, all things considered.
The biggest twist, however, is how poorly the enchanter’s Season 10 debut has actually gone down. Many League fans have dubbed her a “marketing ploy” come to life, while a whole part of the fandom has ‘canceled’ her for her backstory.
This backlash, which continues to bubble over on Reddit, Twitter, and across social media, has forced Riot’s hand; the Starry-Eyed Songstress is getting changes after her patch 10.22 release, Riot founder Marc “Tryndamere” Merrill confirmed.
So why was Seraphine getting ‘canceled’ by the League fandom?
Well, Seraphine originally had a slice of her lore dedicated to using Brackern crystals. This was an issue, League fans said, due to the fact that other champions in the game are made of the same mineral — effectively, she was ‘harvesting’ them.
The League of Legends founder has now responded to the backlash, confirming Riot Games was already looking to change her lore. He wrote, “Yeah, that wasn’t cool. It was supposed to have been removed from the IP. It will be fixed.”
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Yah, that wasn't cool and was supposed to have been removed from the IP =p it will be fixed
— Tryndamere (@MarcMerrill) October 28, 2020
On Oct. 29, the new Seraphine backstory was released. Jeevun Sidhu confirmed on Twitter they had tweaked her slightly: “Our player base is aware Hextech crystals are based on the Brackern race, but Seraphine isn’t! She’s still doing her best.”
He continued, “She has not yet discovered the origin of the entity she has made a connection with.”
“She absolutely would do her best to give the Brackern a voice if she knew what she was dealing with. Hopefully, this is a story we get to expand upon one day.”
and she has not yet discovered the origin of the entity she has made a connection with.
She absolutely would do her best to give the Brackern a voice if she knew what she was dealing with.
That taunt line between Seraphine and Skarner is more for player fun but that may (2/X)
— Jeevun Sidhu (@JeevunSidhu) October 29, 2020
It’s not a total backstory overhaul like some League fans were calling for, but at least it’s something. Now, Seraphine has a storyline she can follow into Season 11 and beyond, that might see her become more than just a “marketing ploy.”
On the Rift, the Starry-Eyed Songstress is enjoying a strong start in League patch 10.22. Want to get up to speed with the mage? Catch up on all things Seraphine in our champion guide, which covers builds, runes, and more.
