Revealed: The Original, RNG-Heavy Design of League of Legends' Smolder That Never Made It to Live Servers

Smolder, a recent addition to League of Legends, has proven to be a balancing challenge since his debut in January 2024. If Riot Games had released him in his initial conceptual form, he might have dramatically disrupted the dynamics of Summoner’s Rift.

On April 28, Spideraxe revealed on their X (formerly Twitter) that Smolder’s original design was drastically different, based on information shared by Riot’s August Browning. The initial design featured Smolder transforming into “the son of whichever dragon owned the rift for that game,” granting him a unique bonus for his Q ability.

August Browning did not list all the potential effects, but he did mention a few: Smolder’s Infernal Q would cause explosions, his Ocean Q would slow enemies, and his Chemtech Q would poison them. At one point during testing, Smolder’s Super Scorcher Breath was even effective against turrets and dealt true damage.

This version of Smolder never reached the live servers. The complexities of implementing such a character required substantial art resources and introduced a high level of randomness (RNG) into his gameplay. Players wouldn't know which dragon would dominate Summoner’s Rift, adding unpredictable elements to Smolder’s abilities each game. Such unpredictability could significantly affect gameplay clarity, which is crucial in League of Legends.

Ultimately, the decision to scrap this version of Smolder appears prudent. League of Legends already includes numerous elements beyond player control, such as Rift Herald spawns, minion experience, team compositions, and enemy actions. Adding RNG to a champion's core abilities could detract from the gameplay experience. Riot Games aims to design champions whose abilities are straightforward yet engaging, ensuring they are both fun to play and practical within the game’s competitive environment.