TL;DR
- Seraphine received immediate PBE nerfs across three abilities within days of testing
- Q and E damage scaling reduced by 5% and 10% respectively, severely impacting burst potential
- W utility nerfs reduce shield strength, movement speed, and health restoration scaling
- Nerfs push Seraphine from mid lane carry toward dedicated support role
- Further adjustments expected before live server release based on ongoing testing
Riot Games identified Seraphine’s excessive power level remarkably quickly during Public Beta Environment testing, implementing balancing adjustments within mere days of her introduction. This swift response demonstrates their commitment to champion stability before official release.
The comprehensive changes primarily target her offensive capabilities while simultaneously reducing supportive utility across multiple ability functions. Three distinct skills underwent ability power ratio reductions, confirming initial numerical values exceeded intended performance thresholds.
Q – High Note
- Ability power ratio 60% >> 55%
Seraphine’s primary damage tool High Note experiences substantial scaling reduction, decreasing her wave clear and trading potential significantly. This adjustment particularly impacts mid lane viability where consistent damage output determines success. Players should anticipate approximately 8-12% reduced damage output per cast at typical item breakpoints, forcing more conservative laning approaches.
Strategic implication: This nerf encourages prioritizing utility over pure damage, aligning with Riot’s apparent direction toward support-oriented gameplay. Mid lane enthusiasts may need to reconsider champion selection if seeking traditional mage performance.
W – Surround Sound
- Shield ability power ratio 40% >> 30%
- Self move speed ability power ratio [0.05% per 100 AP] >> [0.04% per 100 AP]
- Shielded health restore ability power ratio [1.5% per 100 AP] >> [1.125% per 100 AP]
The utility-focused Surround Sound ability undergoes comprehensive scaling reductions across all secondary effects. Shield strength diminishes by 25% relative to AP, movement speed bonuses drop 20%, while health restoration suffers identical percentage reduction. These cumulative changes substantially decrease survivability tools for both Seraphine and allies.
Practical impact: At 300 ability power (common mid-game benchmark), shield values reduce by approximately 45-60 points, creating meaningful differences in skirmish outcomes. Support players must now position more carefully and time defensive cooldowns with increased precision.
E – Beat Drop
- Ability power ratio 45% >> 35%
Beat Drop suffers the most severe single-ability nerf with a dramatic 10 percentage point reduction in AP scaling. This represents a 22% decrease in damage contribution from ability power, substantially reducing burst combo potential and crowd control follow-up damage.
Comparative analysis: While High Note maintains higher base scaling, Beat Drop’s utility in combination plays makes this nerf particularly impactful. The reduced threat diminishes enemy respect for her all-in potential, altering lane dynamics considerably.
These comprehensive adjustments likely eliminate Seraphine’s mid lane viability, redirecting her exclusively toward support positioning. However, ongoing PBE experimentation continues to determine optimal build paths and playstyles within this constrained role definition.
Strategic adaptation: Players should prioritize ability haste and utility items over pure damage components. Items like Moonstone Renewer and Staff of Flowing Water may become core rather than situational purchases. Understanding these class-specific adaptations becomes crucial for success.
Common mistake: Attempting to build Seraphine as a traditional burst mage will yield disappointing results post-nerfs. Instead, focus on maximizing teamfight utility through proper ability sequencing and positioning.
The champion’s final configuration remains undetermined as PBE testing progresses. Additional tuning iterations are probable before live server deployment, potentially addressing unintended consequences or further refining her intended power budget distribution.
Action Checklist
- Adjust skill max order: Consider W second after Q for enhanced utility
- Modify itemization: Prioritize support items over traditional mage builds
- Practice updated ability combinations in training tool to understand damage thresholds
- Review our complete gameplay guide for foundational strategies
- Experiment with different rune setups to compensate for reduced scaling
No reproduction without permission：Game Guides Online » Riot nerfs Seraphine on PBE almost immediately after release Seraphine receives significant PBE nerfs to damage and utility, shifting her from mid lane to support role