In 2026, Riot Games will be completely changing the League of Legends dynamic. Every year, Riot makes a lot of promising changes to make the game slightly different, and this year is no different. In the new season of League of Legends, we will see a variety of changes, from buffs, nerfs and changes. We will be getting new quests and new items, and some objectives have been changed, too.
This season is based on the Demacia lore, with the map changing to look more “Demacian”. You will see a Demacian-themed map, alongside many objective changes to suit the Demacian feel of League of Legends. To go along with the Demacian map, Riot has also released a cinematic.
In this cinematic, you will find many Demacian champions, such as Garen, Quinn, Sona, Shyvana and some other champions like Yunara and Nocturne.
Champion Changes
We’re not going to go into detail about the champion changes due to many of them being outdated, depending on when you check this guide. The most notable changing heading into the new season is that Cassiopeia can buy boots, and a lot of ADCs got their crit changed.
Gameplay Changes
Feats of Strength has been removed
The quest at the start of the game is being removed, so there are no more boot bonuses. Instead, the boots have been changed and are now a bonus for Mid Laners only.
First Blood changes
There are changes to first blood bonuses for kills and towers. Once again, first blood now grants an additional 100 gold, and getting the first tower will give you a bonus of 300 gold. This extra gold will help you snowball in lane and get your first or second item more quickly.
Crit Strike
Crit strike damage has increased to 200% now. Which will have a knock on-affect for many champions. As we said earlier, many ADCs had their crit and scaling changed due to this feature.
Faelights are coming to Summoners Rift!
Faelights are a brand new feature for season 26.1. They are intended to improve the game's vision system. They appear as rings, and when you place a ward on them, it will temporarily reveal a large part of the map.
There is 1 near each base gate, 1 in each island brush and 1 in each river wall in the river.
Vision Changes
In addition to Faelights, Steal Wards cooldowns are changed, Oracle Lens duration is increased, and the respawn timer for Scryer’s Bloom is adjusted. All these changes will help your team place more vision and deny vision, and it will be vital for all players to play around their trinket cooldowns.
Homeguards
Homeguards now stay on until you reach the outer turret, which is increased to the furthest minion push after the laning phase.
These changes are intended to help you move across the map quickly, help you get back to lane faster, and also help you to rotate and contest objectives too. I think these changes are really good! I think you need to be respectful from now on, and not overextend or stay in lane too long after getting a kill, as the enemy will get back to lane much quicker.
Turret Changes
The turret changes are among the most notable in the game. There is a lot of maths involved, and honestly, it is quite confusing, so here’s a basic breakdown.
Turrets now have crystalline overgrowth. After 90 seconds, the turrets begin to accumulate Overgrowth. Attacking them deals extra damage. Turret Plating is no longer removed at the 14-minute mark, but each turret plate actually gives less gold.
The outer turret now starts losing gold, armour, and MR every minute between the 11th and 15th minute marks. Inner turrets now have turret plates and no longer gain bonus resistance after the 15-minute mark. Inhib turrets now have turret plates, their resistances are changed, and they will be harder to kill overall.
Nexus turrets can now respawn at 40% max health; their resistances have been changed, but they should be easier to destroy.
Alongside these tower changes, minions deal increased damage to the objectives, so if you’re being pushed against a large wave of minions, they will have an easier time killing your turrets. Make sure you clear waves quickly and always check the map moving forward!
Minions
In previous seasons, minions didn’t get many changes, if any. However, inthis season, minion respawn timers are reduced, so you’ll need to adapt your wave management accordingly! The most notable change is that Cannon minion waves have 1 less ranged and melee minion on each wave, too.
Omnivamp
Riot will be adding Omnivamp items back into the game. As such, they’re changing how it functions so it is similar to life steal.
Omnivamp now applies at 100% value, reduced to 33% from pets, DoT abilities, and AOE spells against minions (think Vladimir’s sustain being changed because of this).
Game Start Time
In Season 26, Riot is trying to speed the game up as much as possible. To aid in this, gold now starts generating earlier at 1:05 instead of 1:40. Minions spawn 30 seconds earlier, and jungle camps also spawn earlier.
The Baron now spawns at 20 minutes, rather than at the 25-minute mark like before.
New Items
There are several new items in the game this season. Each item provides different stats and will be used for different champions. Many of the items are quite expensive, and there are unfortunately no cheap component items this season.
Actualizer
Actualizer is a 3100g item built from Lost Chapter, Blasting Wand, and an additional 1050 gold. It grants 90 ability power, 300 mana, and 10 ability haste. Its active effect empowers your mana by causing your spells to cost 100% more mana, while in return increasing your damage, healing, and shielding and reducing your ability cooldowns.
Bandlepipes
Bandlepipes is a 2000g item built from Kindlegem, Cloth Armor, Null-Magic Mantle, and 500 gold. It provides 200 health, 15 ability haste, 20 armor, and 20 magic resistance. Its passive grants Fanfare, which gives you bonus movement speed whenever you slow or immobilize an enemy champion, and while Fanfare is active, you and nearby allies gain bonus attack speed.
Bastion Breaker
Bastion Breaker is a 3200g item built from Brutalizer, Serrated Dirk, and 863 gold. It grants 55 attack damage, 22 lethality, and 15 ability haste. The item has two passives: the first empowers your abilities to deal bonus true damage, while the second grants Sabotage on enemy takedowns, causing your next basic attack against an epic monster or turret to deal additional damage.
Dusk and Dawn
Dusk and Dawn is a 3100g item built from Sheen, Blasting Wand, Kindlegem, Dagger, and 300 gold. It grants 300 health, 70 ability power, 20 ability haste, and 25% attack speed. Its passive empowers your next basic attack after casting an ability, making it effective on champions with low cooldowns who frequently auto-attack between spells.
Endless Hunger
Endless Hunger is a 3000g item built from Caulfield’s Warhammer, Pickaxe, and 1075 gold. It grants 60 attack damage, 5% omnivamp, and 20% tenacity. The item has two passives: the first provides ability haste that scales with your attack damage, and the second grants additional omnivamp for 8 seconds after an enemy dies.
Fiendhunter Bolts
Fiendhunter Bolts is a 2650g item built from Zeal, Scout’s Slingshot, and 850 gold. It provides 40% attack speed, 25% critical strike chance, and 4% movement speed, making it one of the few non-boot items in the game to grant movement speed. Its first passive grants 30 ultimate ability haste, which is good for assassins, while its second passive empowers your next three basic attacks after casting your ultimate, making it ideal for all-ins.
Hexoptics C44
Hexoptics C44 is a 3000g item built from Pickaxe, Noonquiver, Long Sword, and 275 gold. It grants 50 attack damage and 25% critical strike chance. Designed for champions who primarily rely on basic attacks to deal damage and secure kills, it is particularly well suited for ADCs and ranged champions.
Protoplasm Harness
Protoplasm Harness is a 2500g item built from Kindlegem, Giant’s Belt, and 800 gold. It provides 600 health and 15 ability haste. Its passive triggers when you fall below 30% maximum health, granting bonus health and a heal, increasing your size, and giving you extra tenacity and movement speed.
Whispering Circlet
Whispering Circlet is a 2250g item built from Forbidden Idol, Ruby Crystal, Tear, and 850 gold, providing 200 health, 300 mana, 8% heal and shield power, and 75% base mana regeneration. Its first passive increases your healing and shielding power, while its second passive grants charges that are consumed when you heal, shield, or use abilities on allies to restore mana; after gaining 360 bonus mana, the item transforms into Diadem of Songs. This makes it especially strong for enchanters and champions who rely on Tear. Diadem of Songs, which automatically upgrades from Whispering Circlet, grants 200 health, 1000 mana, 8% heal and shield power, and 100% base mana regeneration, with two passives that further enhance healing and shielding, making it ideal for utility-focused supports.
Hextech Gunblade
Hextech Gunblade is being re-added to the game as a 3000g hybrid item built from Vampiric Scepter, Hextech Alternator, Amplifying Tome, and 600 gold. It provides 80 ability power, 40 attack damage, and 10% life steal. Its passive grants spell vamp, while its active ability shocks a target to deal damage and apply a slow, making it an option for champions who deal mixed damage.
Stormrazor
Stormrazor is being re-added to the game as a 3200g item built from BF Sword, Cloak of Agility, Scout’s Slingshot, and 700 gold. It grants 50 attack damage, 20% attack speed, and 25% critical strike chance. Its first passive generates stacks as you move and attack, and when fully stacked, its second passive empowers your next basic attack and grants bonus movement speed.
Role Quests
Another major change this season is the role quests. Each role now has a quest to complete. Each quest is unique to the role you’re playing, and when you complete it you get a reward that will help you win the game. You don’t need to exactly prioritise completing these quests, and they will be completed naturally.
Top Lane
To unlock the Top Lane bonus, you must earn 1200 points through actions such as takedowns, minion kills, turret and turret plate damage, and epic monster participation, with all points doubled while in the top lane.
Once unlocked, you gain Teleport as a bonus summoner spell; if you already have Teleport, you instead receive a shield after using it, 600 bonus XP, increased XP from all sources, and a higher level cap.
Jungle
The Jungle bonus unlocks after earning 35 points, with one point gained for each treat fed to your jungle pet. The reward upgrades your Smite, granting bonus gold and experience from jungle camps along with extra movement speed while in the jungle.
Mid Lane
To unlock the Mid Lane bonus, you need 1350 points earned from takedowns, minions, turrets, turret plates, and epic monsters, with points doubled while in mid lane. The reward grants tier 3 boots and an empowered recall.
Bot Lane
The Bot Lane bonus requires earning 1350 points, gained through takedowns, minions (worth 1.5 points each), turrets, turret plates, and epic monsters, with points doubled in the bot lane. Unlocking it rewards you with 300 gold, increased gold from minions, and the ability to hold a seventh item, moving your boots into a dedicated slot.
Support
The Support bonus unlocks at 800 points, earned by dealing damage to champions or turrets and killing minions near allies, with points doubled in the bot lane. The reward upgrades your support item, grants a dedicated item slot for Control Wards, and reduces the cost of Control Wards.
Conclusion
And that is about it for this article. Riot has really gone above and beyond this season, making tons of changes to the game. Compared to previous seasons, I feel that these changes are the easiest to understand, which has been nice. I think Riot's goal of changing the League dynamic has been a success with these changes.