Runes Paths Overview

Runes are coming to PBE fairly soon, we're aiming to have Runes in development on PBE for quite a while. Real quick, we want to sum everything up, so you guys have a better grasp about what's to come. We’ll have a second article coming soon to talk about the future of Runes development, and what players can expect through PBE, at launch, and well into the future. For now, Runes!

So let's talk about Paths in the new Runes system that's coming this preseason. These are our attempt to break the Runes system into larger, more differentiated, thematic bundles. The previous versions of runes and masteries had categories that were almost entirely functional. Glyphs and Seals ended up being fairly arbitrary groups, and the three mastery categories had too many different needs to cover. We want Paths to have clear strengths and strong gameplay, while also complementing them with exciting themes and fantasy.

So what makes up the functional elements of a Path? First and foremost, we expect most players to pick their Path based on the Keystone Rune they want to take. You then select the three non-keystone Runes from that path, and also get a small stat bonus that we use to balance paths against each other and further differentiate the champions that take particular paths. As we’ve talked about before, you’ll also be able to pick a secondary Path with just two Runes to round out your primary Path.

Pretend this is a Sidebar: What happened to Major Runes? As we talked about the concept of “Major” runes with players and tested changes internally, it became clear that the distinction had a pretty high cost when it came to tensions on decision making and the UI, while providing minimal benefits for gameplay. We haven’t changed the Runes themselves, but we have removed the concept of “Major” from the selection experience. When Runes ship, there will just be keystone runes and standard runes.

So what are the actual Paths when Runes ship? Let’s get to that…

WIP Reminder: The names for Paths, and the details of their themes and functions are still works in progress, and we still have issues to solve. For example, we know some of the names feel a little exclusionary and thematically off for some of their core champions (looking at you, “Sorcery”). We’ll be addressing that later in the process, but still wanted to talk with you all now to get feedback.

The Paths we currently have in development are as follows:

Sorcery

• Theme - Harness wild magic to empower your abilities and discover limitless reserves of energy.
• Function - Amp spellcasting and ability power, and find ways to cheat out a few extra casts.
• Examples: Meteor Keystone Recap

Resolve

• Theme - Become an unbreakable behemoth that controls the line of battle.
• Function - Concentrated durability along with ways to leverage that durability into other forms of power.
• Examples: RKT Keystone Recap

Precision

• Theme - Outclass your opponents with overwhelming barrages and deft strikes.
• Function - Augment auto attacks and amplify consistent damage patterns.
• Examples: Berserk Keystone Recap

Domination

• Theme - Hunt your prey and revel in the glory of the kill.
• Function - Track, chase, and execute your targets with mobility and burst damage.
• Examples: Blood Moon Keystone Recap

Inspiration Not like the others - Inspiration is a Path focused on providing unique options that map to player preferences, not class functionality.

• Theme - Cheat the rules to outwit your enemies.
• Function - Bend the rules of the game to your advantage and capitalize on new options, play patterns, or game knowledge.
• Examples: Summoner Specialist and Hextech Freezray

So, those are the Paths! What combinations are you excited to try out? I’ll be around in the comments to talk and answer your questions. Thanks!