As we approach the end of the year, Riot Games has previewed some big changes headed to League of Legends that could shake up the meta for the final months of the ranked climb—including the return of a classic rune that should delight AD carry players.
In a new developer blog today, Riot explained that Lethal Tempo is coming back as a rune option in casual and competitive play after getting removed from League around four months ago. In its original form, Lethal Tempo was widely regarded as a broken option that allowed players to increase their attack speed over the cap, giving multiple champions the ability to shred through tanks and squishies alike.
This was a broken interaction that not only elevated different marksmen to new heights in teamfights but also allowed players to skip over some attack speed items in their build. As a result, players could load up on AD items that would push them into an overpowered state, giving carries an absolute game-changing build in the mid-to-late game.
An adverse effect of Lethal Tempo becoming so strong, however, was that it became a must-use rune for almost any ADC. Any players in the bottom lane were required to take this rune or else they’d be outdueled by an opponent who likely had Lethal Tempo equipped—and in turn, you’d be ridiculed by your teammates for not taking the rune.
Many people were ecstatic about the decision in May, but for those who are worried about the return of Lethal Tempo and its effect on the meta, Riot also has some reassurances. Although Lethal Tempo will still allow champions to stack attack speed when hitting enemy champions, there will be a new effect that will shift the usage of the rune.
Once you reach max stacks with Lethal Tempo, attacks will deal bonus damage on-hit, which scales with both level and bonus attack speed. By changing the rune, Riot believes players should feel a lot less tied to the item so it stays as a great option to take but not an essential choice for all marksmen.
Lethal Tempo is expected to return to League with the start of the third ranked split of the 2024 season at the end of September.
