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League of Legends is going retro for Season 2 of 2026. Riot Games announced today that two fan-favorite keystone runes, Deathfire Touch and Stormraider’s Surge, are returning.
Gameplay designer Matt Leung-Harrison revealed the exciting news, causing quite the stir in the community already. Retro buffs aren’t getting one minor reworked or skin, however. The comeback of these runes could shake up meta gameplay if they keep some semblance of their original identities.
However, they didn’t reveal too many details about them. No stats, no placement in the rune tree, or even if they’ll be modernized versions. The last part is crucial, as even the slightest changes can massively affect them.
Deathfire Touch Explained
As the name implies, Deathfire Touch rewarded you for dumping spell damage onto enemies. It would apply a burn over time effect on your target, meaning champions that poked had stronger trades. Deathfire Touch had a strong identity which is likely why it was both liked and removed.
Stormraider’s Surge Explained
Where Deathfire Touch was about damage over time, Stormraiders Surge was about mobility. Once you dealt burst damage, you were rewarded with movement speed and slow resistance.
This made it ideal for dive champions that needed to all-in, do damage, and escape. Stormraiders Surge had a bit of its kit reworked into Phase Rush, so we wonder how both will work.
Impact on Meta
Both of these runes have the potential to shift many roles should they return with good effects. We could see more poke-focused champions with Deathfire Touch, or more all-in champions with Stormraiders Surge.
If they come back unaffected and powerful, they could be severely abused.Riot did not specify when these runes will be available, but suspect it’ll be around late April. For now, we can only wait and see how these old school runes will play.
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