Is new LoL champion Seraphine just a better version of Sona?
Seraphine and Sona might be a bit too similar, both thematically and in their ability kits, according to many League of Legends fans.
The reveal of new League of Legends champion Seraphine got fans complaining on social media about how much she reminded them of Sona. Now that she is out for testing on the Public Beta Environment (PBE), are they really so similar, and will Seraphine take Sona’s place in the game?
???? Seraphine, the Starry-Eyed Songstress ????
— League of Legends (@LeagueOfLegends) October 12, 2020
Runeterra’s premier idol is taking the stage with her magical auditory synesthesia. Captivate your enemies and sing along with your allies with this pink-haired dreamer.
Learn more about her abilities: https://t.co/eaX5jDoAMx pic.twitter.com/cCeBGNwRSI
There are similarities in Seraphine and Sona’s abilities
The biggest concern from fans have been the fact that Seraphine is thematically so similar to Sona. Seraphine is all about music, just like Sona, and has spells such as her ultimate Encore, which sends out a force of music that deals AOE damage and asserts crowd control onto opponents. Sona’s Crescendo (R) is very much like this, but it isn’t necessarily unusual that some spells will look like each other with over 150 champions in the game.
Another similarity between the two musical champions is Seraphine’s Surround Sound (W), which creates an aura around herself and nearby allies. The aura can either shield or heal herself and allies nearby, just as Sona is known to do with her Aria of Perseverance (W). The spell could be inspired by Sona, but it can stylistically also be compared to other champions such as Taric and his Bastion (W).
Finally got to see Seraphine aka @seradotwav ‘s abilities revealed and go over them. She is Super Sona 2.0 https://t.co/2PVOIBzAaM
— LS (@LSXYZ9) October 12, 2020
How Seraphine and Sona are different from each other
While the two champions look a lot like each other through in-game effects, there are ways that Seraphine and Sona are different from each other. Making the conclusion that the two champions are similar based on looks isn’t completely accurate in this case.
Seraphine is much more reliant on hitting skill shots than Sona is. Sona only has one skill shot in her kit, and that’s her ultimate. Seraphine has three skill shots in total. The damage from her High Note (Q) and Beat Drop (E) will only apply if players manage to hit the spells correctly, and they can be further optimized by combining them correctly with her passive.
Lead champion producer at Riot Games Ryan “Reav3” Mireles also addressed the concerns on social media, saying that Seraphine and Sona don’t feel like the same champions when actually played.
“The big reason she feels unique though is her music passive which makes each 3rd spell you cast, cast twice,” Reav3 said. “This leads to having to think about which order you use your spells in to get different effects,”
Of course, Sona also has a passive that differently affects her play depending on which ability she has most recently used. But this is different in that it is expressed through her auto attacks.
Even though there are differences in the play styles, many fans will likely still be disappointed after trying Seraphine out. The hype and build-up for Seraphine’s release have been big, so fans won’t accept a champion that gives players a vibe of something that has already been seen before.
Will Sona still have a place in League of Legends?
Sona will without a doubt still have a place in League of Legends and it’s not unlikely that she will become a strong meta pick in the future. It might take some time for LoL fans to accept the fact that there are now two musicians on the stage, but Sona isn’t likely to go anywhere.
The fact that Seraphine enters the game shouldn’t take away Sona’s own strengths in her simpler kit. Sona will still be one of the most straightforward support champions to learn, while remaining hard to master. Sona is one of the most squishy champions in the game, so playing her at a high level can be difficult and takes a long time to learn. On the other hand, she is easy to pick up for new players since she doesn’t rely on difficult skill shots and long cooldowns.
Seraphine is expected to hit the live servers on October 29 and can already be tested on the PBE.
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