Hwei nearly had a LoL ability with a ‘depressed raincloud’ that sounds super broken

The hype around League of Legends’ newest champion Hwei continues to grow after a first look at the champion yesterday, with the community learning plenty more about the complex hero’s kit—which at one point included an interesting ability left on the cutting room floor.

League lead designer August Browning discussed the champion’s design process on Nov. 19, revealing Hwei’s already-expanded ability list included a “stealth” ability involving a raincloud. “One of Hwei’s utility spells used to be that he would summon a really depressed raincloud and it would stealth him,” August explained.

The ability, had it made it to the final version of Hwei, would have landed in his “utility” kit, a subsection of the mid-laner’s double-digit-sized kit of spells.

This now-scrapped ability would grant Hwei stealth, hiding him from the map and his enemies for a short time and allowing the mage to close the gap unseen or escape from harm.

Described as the “depressed raincloud” ability, it proved to be a fun but ultimately “problematic” addition to Hwei’s League skill list, according to August. Hwei would “paint” a raincloud above him, looking rather upset in the process, with the developer likening it to Eeyore’s demeanor in the classic children’s show Winnie The Pooh. “[The raincloud] would stealth him, so he would run around and no one could see him, then he’d pop out and go ‘It’s me, I’m sad!’, then you’d be sad because you’d be dead.”

Aside from the balance issue of yet another stealth-based champion in League—something the wider community has said time and time again they’d like less of—Hwei already seems like quite a sad fellow given what we know from his Worlds cinematic trailer and lore. A raincloud on top of this might be a little too much sadness.

Interestingly, the stealth-like ability matches that of one of Invoker’s skills from Dota 2, a similar hero from which the community feels inspired The Visionary’s creation. Invoker’s ability “Ghost Walk” lets him disappear from vision, but nearby enemies can sort of track his location as those nearby him are slowed.

Regardless, between Hwei’s 10 abilities, the combos, and how annoying stealth is in League, perhaps it’s for the best the raincloud was blown away before it made it live.