Welcome to our patch notes breakdown for League of Legends Season 26.2 (Demacia Season)! Like every season, there are tons of changes coming on this patch, so this guide will be pretty long.
Let’s break down all the new changes in LoL coming this week.
We recommend following along with the official patch notes since we won’t be listing all the specific stat changes, but rather focusing on the impact of the changes and the champions updated place in the current meta.
If you’re wondering how these changes will affect the meta, check out our LoL champion tier list!
Buffs, Nerfs, and Changes
Champion Changes
Aatrox (buff)
- Aatrox’s Passive healing ratio is increased. This will help him get additional sustain in fights in both the Jungle and Top lane.
- His Q is also going to deal more damage vs monsters. With this change, it is clear Riot wants to see him as a Jungler.
- I don't expect people to pick or ban Aatrox in the future, the buff is nice but wont make much of a difference to his pick rate.
- Aatrox has a 48.7%win rate on patch 26.1.
Ashe (buff)
- Her AD growth is slightly increased. This will not make much of a difference early, but it will stack up in the late game.
- She will still remain as a decent ADC in the future.
- Ashe has a 50.5% win rate on patch 26.1.
Gwen (nerf)
- Gwen has been dominating solo queue on the first patch of the season. She is basically picked or banned right now, so Riot are nerfing her.
- Her passive damage is capped, which will make her clears slower and less efficient. She will still be a strong Jungler if she gets an early lead. I think these changes will be impactful for Gwen.
- Gwen has a 53.2% win rate on patch 26.1.
Jayce (nerf)
- Jayce is another strong Jungler in the current meta, who, just like Gwen, seems to be picked or banned in high ELO.
- The nerfs to Jayce are for his melee and ranged Q: he will deal less damage to monsters.
- The nerfs are significant and will heavily reduce his clear speed. We will likely see much less Jayce Jungle now.
- Jayce has a 48.8% win rate on patch 26.1.
Lillia (nerf)
- I don’t really know why Riot nerfed Lillia, as I don’t really see her too much, but anyway, Riot have nerfed her Passive healing on monster camps.
- Lillia will be weaker from now on.
- Lillia has a 51.9% win rate on patch 26.1.
Malphite (nerf)
- Malphite has been dominating Solo Queue right now, so we saw this nerf coming a mile away.
- His W damage vs monsters is reduced, which will make him a weaker Jungler overall.
- Malphite's E damage and mana cost have increased, which will hurt his trading in the Top lane and his clear speed.
- His Ultimate cooldown is increased, too, which will impact him in the Top and Jungle roles.
- Expect him to be picked less in the Jungle role, but he will remain popular in the Top lane as an off-role pick.
- Malphite has a 53.0% win rate on patch 26.1.
Master Yi (buff)
- Master Yi’s armor growth is increased, which will help him vs all AD champions, and also help him in the jungle.
- His Q on hit modifier is increased as well, which will help with his jungle clear and his 1v1 potential, which will increase his ability to snowball. So if he gets a lead, he could be stronger, but if he doesn't, then I don't think it will be that impactful.
- Master Yi has a 49.4% win rate on patch 26.1.
Nunu (nerf)
- Nunu’s Q cooldown is increased at all ranks, which will impact his early clear and make fighting a bit harder, too.
- His Ultimate damage is reduced, which is good for everyone playing against Nunu, as his Ult can deal so much damage, and it is so obnoxious.
- Likewise, his E damage is changed to reduce his damage output and make him weaker in those 1v1s.
- I don't think these changes will make much of a difference though.
- Nunu has a 53.9% win rate on patch 26.1.
Sivir (nerf)
- Her base armor and attack speed are both reduced. She has been really good on this patch, so it’s probably deserved. This will make her weaker throughout the game, however she will still be a really good pick.
- Sivir has a 52.7% win rate on patch 26.1.
Smolder (nerf)
- His base armor growth is reduced. This will make him weaker vs all AD champions.
- He still remain a strong pick in the current meta.
- Smolder has a 52.1% win rate on patch 26.1.
Taliyah (buff)
- Her Q and E damage versus monsters is increased. This will speed up the clear of Jungle Taliyah, and it might bring her back into the meta for AP Junglers.
- Taliyah has a 50.1% win rate on patch 26.1.
Varus (buff)
- Varus’ Q damage is increased, and his W damage is also increased.
- These changes will make Varus a stronger pick in both the ADC and Mid roles. This change is needed for Varus, as he is weak compared to most of the other current meta ADCs. Expect to see him more on this patch.
- Varus has a 48.0% win rate on patch 26.1.
Viego (buff)
- Viego’s attack speed growth is increased slightly. This will improve his clear speed and help him fight the enemy in the jungle.
- His Passive damage is increased as well. This should benefit him in the long run after the recent changes to crit strike on patch 26.1.
- Viego will benefit from these changes, so expect him to be picked more.
- Viego has a 48.3% win rate on patch 26.1.
Zed (nerf)
- Zed is another extremely dominant champion in League right now, and Riot are THANKFULLY nerfing him. I love getting one shot by this kid. Anyway, they are reducing his Passive damage vs monsters, which will reduce his clear speed.
- With that said, I don't think it will make much of a difference in the current meta.
- Zed has a 51.2% win rate on patch 26.1.
Item Changes
Bandlepipes
- Bandlepipes has been a very popular and OP item for many Supports, including Braum, this patch. They are increasing the cost of this item to 2300 gold.
Fiendhunter Bolts
- This item is relatively weak right now, so Riot are buffing its attack speed, crit and bonus true damage to hope more champions will opt for it.
Hexoptics C44
- This item is weak compared to some other new items, so Riot is increasing the amount of AD it gives and changing the magnification damage. This could make it a better item for some champions.
Thank you for reading. We hope you enjoyed this patch breakdown. How do you feel about this patch? Let us know in the comments. As always, if you have any questions, find us in our Discord!