(prediction) predator might become the next big thing used in season 9, and this is problematic

To preface this, can I just say, predator is probably the best designed rune in the domination tree, RIGHT NOW, because it is the most slept on as a rune that (potentially) gives:

1. spammable mobility
2. upfront damage
3. better early game impact
4. the ability to have map pressure consistently and buy boots according to the enemy team comp
5. strengths to champs that need the mobility but cannot commit to full damage builds
6. for as much as 1100g, max, it gives a slightly less damaging form of electrocute, but has now increased the value in gold of those boots greatly

The rune according to these statistics shows the rune as the lowest winrate, and least popular. It has never been nerfed, only buffed and bugfixed Champions with reasonable playrates who most synergize with this rune at face value are and . They are running champs. They capitalize on the burst from said movement speed, but don't commit fully to damage, on average. Hecarim and Nunu are two of the same kind of champion, whether you want to admit it or not. They have their engage, sustain, and a teamfighting AOE ultimate serving some sort of disruption purpose. This makes the rune seem balanced and intuitive, and for now that's the case. The problem is not of now, but of later when riot will take a look at damage in the offseason, and the community has immense pressure placed upon the balance team to reduce upfront burst, and allow more counterplay. Electrocute and Dark Harvest are easily going to be the top priority. Then stuff like Conqueror, PTA, and even Comet might get looked at. That's because they are highly used, very popular, and linear in understanding to balance, just numbers tweaking on ratios or bases

Predator, falls into a category of its own. Gragas has become another sleeper user of this. It's best used in a tank build due to electrocute falling off if you go tank, or in a longer game, the rune is laughable in damage. It gives you a whole new level of engage that fixes some of the risk of engaging with just body slam. It was done in pro play, not to a success, but it highlighted something Koreans have been experimenting with to a degree, and this could pioneer the return of stuff like who all used this rune to success, but are:

1. power crept by a lack of dueling capability for early game scuttle crab
2. outjungled due to slow early clear or predictable pathing / gank methods
3. outclassed in team fighting due to falling off in damage levels or impact when using your kit
4. nerfed - straight up nerfed

Now that's just jungle, my main role, and also something I've done research into of my own, playing around 50 games of predator on various champs who can use it, and while normals / low elo may not be the BEST example, you can now place "what ifs" around higher level players making refined use of this, in other lanes.

saw some usage of this rune to synergize with his ultimate, but also, because he has his biggest weakness aimed at his lack of mobility, but, as it stands, he still mains summon aery, but the potential is not only there, it's already been tried, and kept shelved for the future, not dismissed. Same with who before this was building and to be able to mobilize tibbers. even saw play with this (but runs electrocute due to being a laner that's taking frequent poking trades), and again, like karthus, has kept this idea on the shelf.

Lets not forget all of the off meta playing that this rune allows -

This is a giant "what if" with no definite answers, and while that may be a moot point to talk about what-ifs, I predict that we'll be talking about "how to deal with predator" if we don't look at the what-ifs while predator lays dormant under obscurity. The main point of discussion is the potential of this rune to become more mainstream, and maybe oppressive due to the fact now anything giving movement speed in itemization indirectly becomes a buff to this keystone, OR, to the champion using both of said items. You can also make a point that this rune alone limits design space.

tl;dr nerfing all of the obvious damage keystones as everyone is asking will powercreep predator and next season we'll circlejerk around hating predator.