Seraphine's Original Ult Was Very Different

When most players think and speak of Seraphine, especially right after her release, most compared her to Sona, calling her nothing more than Sona 2.0, even stating that her abilities and kit should have just been used as a Sona rework... well some new information has come to light which could change how we think of her completely. 

In a recent stream lead champion designer of the League of Legends team, Riot August, spoke about Seraphine and how she was going to have a completely different ultimate at first. Had this ultimate made it through to the final product she might have looked like a completely different champion, but what was Riot planning? 

What Was Seraphine's Ultimate Going to Be? 

Originally, it seems like Seraphine was going to include a brand-new never before seen mechanic in her kit. Former Riot employee and lead of the champions team Jeevan Sidhu explained that in early development the team was thinking of giving her a 'mesmerize' mechanic. 

Apparently, Serpahine was going to be able to channel her ultimate on one champion and mesmerize them with her performance. According to Sidhu she would be performing on her platform during this channel. Then, she would be able to control the mesmerized champion's mind and have them attack their allies. 

But wait... doesn't that sound just like Renata Glasc and her ultimate? Well, then you're exactly right! Sidhu even stated that it was more or less the same as Renata's output. So, it seems like Riot just took the initial concept of Seraphine and decided to re-use it for Renata Glasc. 

When Was Seraphine's Ultimate Designed? 

So, not only did Seraphine have a completely different ultimate, but her initial planning started all the way back four-years-ago. She was released in 2020, which means Riot began working on her concept back in 2018. Was she supposed to be a part of the OG K/DA lineup? Hardly, since Riot didn't even know K/DA would blow up the way it did. 

But it gives us insights into the champion making process and that Riot put thoughts and abilities into her upcoming kit. So, is she still just Sona 2.0 or has she redeemed herself in recent times with her high win rates and ability to carry games?