Riot August, a developer for League of Legends, recently shed light on the deliberate decision to maintain the keystone rune Predator in a state of intentional underpowered status.
Riot August on why this keystone rune is intentionally underpowered
In the vast landscape of customization options that League of Legends offers to players, various avenues exist for tailoring one’s gameplay. While metas inevitably emerge in online games, League stands out for rewarding players who explore diverse builds, incorporating creative items and runes into their strategies.
Among the runes available to players, keystone runes hold an important position, offering a substantial power capable of shaping a champion’s playstyle.
Nevertheless, one keystone has consistently lingered in a perceived state of weakness compared to its counterparts. Riot August has recently taken the opportunity to elucidate the rationale behind this deliberate decision.
Predator, a keystone rune once favored by junglers for its significant power during ganks, has found itself weak in recent times, receiving little to no attention in the current meta. Riot August, during a streaming session, disclosed the reasons for retaining Predator in its seemingly underpowered state.
“Honestly we deliberately want that rune to be bad. We think it’s really bad for the game, so we make it deliberately bad. Like sometimes it’s better to have something be really bad just to be there.”
“It’s like a thing where sometimes the illusion of choice is better than no choice at all.”
“It’s like if we delete something for a lot of players who will be mentally attached to that thing, they’ll be like ‘Riot, how dare you delete this thing?’”
Originally valued for the immense strength it bestowed upon junglers in ganking situations, Predator has fallen out of favor in the evolving landscape of League of Legends.
Riot’s apparent preference for Predator’s presence suggests a strategic decision to shift the game’s dynamics away from its previous dominance.
As players navigate the dynamic landscape of League, the deliberate choice to keep Predator in its underpowered state adds an intriguing layer to the ongoing evolution of runes and strategies within the game.