Mere days after his reveal
Similar to the well-known Sonic the Hedgehog live-action redesign incident, Riot Games had to modify the appearance of its newest League of Legends champion, Smolder, following fan criticism. Fans expressed concern that the small dragon’s facial features appeared uncomfortably human, deviating from the typical dragon designs in the League of Legends universe.
Introduced on January 4, Smolder, the Fiery Fledgling, was presented as an endearing ADC characterized by both simplicity for learning and enjoyable gameplay. However, the charming design of the small dragon faced criticism from fans who quickly pointed out the unsettling resemblance of Smolder’s human-like face, drawing parallels to the initial live-action design of Sonic.
Fans drew comparisons between Smolder’s design and other baby dragons in the League of Legends lore, like Dragon Trainer Tristana’s companion, Riggle. They highlighted the traditional balance of cuteness and distinct dragon features such as scales and pointed snouts in previous designs. Several fan artists https://www.reddit.com/r/leagueoflegends/comments/18ys1ep/smolder_with_less_humanlike_face_by_my_friend/ shared their own Smolder redesigns, aiming to incorporate less human-like features.
Just a day later, Riot Games’ product manager, Riot Lexical, revealed a redesign of Smolder’s face. The adjustments include additional scaling, texture, and defined lines. Changes to the eyes aim to emphasize his dragon characteristics. Although the model remains unchanged, these texture updates effectively address the uncanny valley aspect of the initial design. Smolder is set to join Summoner’s Rift in Patch 14.3, scheduled for release on February 7.