In the 10.9 update, there was just a tiny change to the Bloodthirster item, but it has incredibly altered the meta.
Specifically, the change to this item is that the crafting cost of Bloodthirster has been reduced from 1100 to 1000 gold (thus the total cost has decreased from 3100 to 3000 gold), while also increasing the physical damage from 50 to 55. However, the real strength lies in its passive effects, which increase the maximum attack speed in League of Legends when reaching level 18 (granting 20-80% attack speed when there is one or no enemy champion nearby), making it suitable for split-pushing and 1v1 duels in the solo lane. As for its impact, it can be divided into different areas as follows:
Top Lane
Thanks to a slight cooldown buff in this patch, Gnar has also been picked more frequently. Additionally, champions with strong split-pushing capabilities are being brought back more. Since Bloodthirster can now compete against the straight-to-Bilgewater Cutlass playstyle of many champions, lethality has become more popular. Moreover, Bloodthirster is no longer a “quick-fix item” that is strong in the early game but useless late game, as it increases attack speed percentage based on the level of the owner, making it stronger as the game progresses.
Currently, strong early-game champions are prioritized in selection, as the most important big target at that time is the Rift Herald – which can smash enemy towers and bring a lot of gold from tower plates, in addition to the vast vision it provides for the owning team.
Jungle
Thanks to the influence of Bloodthirster, “bruiser” jungle champions like Graves, Nocturne, Kayn,… are also returning to the meta due to their fast farming ability while still being able to gank effectively. Moreover, these champions tend to engage in small skirmishes 2v2 in the upper half of the map to contest the Herald.
As for the “tank” junglers, since Trundle is currently a hot pick, tank junglers who are both strong and counter Trundle like Zac, Nunu, and Sejuani are also being favored more than before.
Mid Lane
Due to the popularity of split-pushing strategies with Bloodthirster, mid-lane champions with strong roaming abilities to the other two lanes are being picked more frequently. Typical examples include champions that excel in roaming across the map such as Lissandra, Galio, and Twisted Fate. Additionally, some strong lethality champions like Jayce are also seeing a significant return.
Bot Lane
Divided into two main branches, the first branch consists of versatile marksmen like Varus and Senna, who remain hot picks in the meta. These two champions help execute strong 1-3-1 strategies, often building lethality to engage in quick skirmishes rather than prolonged fights.
The second branch consists of damage-over-time marksmen, many players are bringing Galeforce to the bot lane as it is extremely effective for trading hits with opponents. Moreover, it provides a huge advantage in teamfights that require constant “kiting,” buying time for the solo laners to push towers. The bot lane marksmen who often use Galeforce include Tristana, Draven, and Kalista.
Support
As solo lane champions prefer split-pushing to avoid teamfights, Nami suddenly becomes an extremely hot support choice as she meets all the needs of her teammates. From her ability to heal during quick trades with Galeforce in the bot lane, to buffing damage and movement speed for allies to engage enemies. Lastly, she provides hard crowd control at a long range, allowing for perfect synergy between her R and Q abilities.