Many strategies in League of Legends have changed over the years due to Riot’s constant updates. One strategy, however, is still prevalent today, and players can’t figure out why it is still a thing in 2025.
In the early years of League, it was customary for the top or bottom lane to leash the jungler. This was to help the jungler take the buff quicker and keep them healthy so they could move on to their other camps quicker. Certain junglers needed the leash if they were in a relatively difficult matchup and needed to get out to the rest of the map quicker to avoid falling behind. And while Riot has made level-one clearing much easier, players still demand leashes in 2025.
The topic was brought up in a recent Reddit thread, and players were confused why junglers would still need a leash when it’s evident they don’t need one. A player said, “Pretty much anyone can clear their jungle with zero help from their laners, but I still see adcs pulling the first buff, being late to lane and even losing exp.” Level two is extremely important for the bottom lane as it’s one of the harder lanes to recover a lane disadvantage.
Player mentality plays a large part in this. Occasionally, junglers will completely throw away the game because their bottom lane didn’t leash them. So even if players know the jungler doesn’t need help taking the buff, they do it to increase the likelihood of them winning the game. “There are still some supports and adcs who don’t realize that level 2 is important and there’s also some junglers that still throw a fit if they don’t get a leash,” another player said.
Not only can it be a negative for your own lane, but it also clearly indicates where the jungler is starting, giving away their jungle path. “Leashing is more detrimental to your jungler than the 3 seconds they save on their clear if you do leash. Reason being, if you leash and come to lane late the enemy jungler knows instantly where your jungler started and they can make the appropriate decision to invade or not,” a player said.
On top of that, the jungle item now makes it much easier for almost every jungler in the game to clear the first camp without any issues. Overall, it’s evident that many players simply leash out of fear of having their game griefed, while junglers are also set in their ways from a strategy needed 10 years ago, but not today.
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Published: Mar 4, 2025 06:08 am