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League patch 26.12 notes are coming, and it’s safe to say it’s another big balance patch. Riot Games is continuing its work preparing LoL for the MSI meta. On June 10, Riot will release patch 26.12.
This large patch includes a lot of mid lane love, some of the strongest jungles picks, and a change to Teleport that might affect game pace. We saw support-centric updates with Patch 26.11. Now Riot is looking at champions they believe are either underperforming in Solo Queue or are overly oppressive across multiple tiers.
With that being said, we’re receiving a good mixture of buffs and nerfs, as well as some system tweaks. Multiple high-volume mid champions are receiving direct changes and AP Xin Zhao’s infamous healing build is being nerfed at last.
Patch 26.12 Targets Mid Lane and Jungle Balance
The champions getting buffs include Yuumi, Jax, Gwen, Aatrox, Hwei, Syndra, Tristana, and Sylas. Riot explained that Yuumi is getting compensated buffs as previous item changes made her healing/shielding less impactful. Hwei, Syndra, and Sylas are all being buffed for better performance in Solo Queue.
Top laners will also have new champions to try as Jax, Gwen, and Aatrox are all getting buffs for better viability.For nerfs, Riot is hitting several of the meta’s highest performers. Xin Zhao is at the top of that list as developers are taking a crack at his overly forgiving healing on AP. Riot explained that they feel the champion can give frustrating lane experiences by being able to “sticky pull” without repercussion and still scale into a late-game menace.
Lee Sin is also being adjusted down after previous buffs that went onto him caused him to feel too strong overall. The developer says this is particularly true among higher-skill players. Riot said they like where the recent changes to Lee Sin are going, but he’s just too strong right now.There are also several oppressive mid laners being touched by nerfs.
Orianna and Ryze have remained strong picks all season long, and Cassiopeia has suddenly found a surge in strength with the return of Deathfire Touch. Varus and Nocturne round out the list as Riot continues to make adjustments to the current meta.Outside of champion balancing, Teleport is also getting a tweak in Patch 26.12.
While Riot hasn’t shared any details on this particular change, it shows that developers are looking at bigger-picture topics such as map movement and macro play going into the competitive summer season.Buffs are going to underselling champions while nerfs are targeting some of the game’s best picks. Patch 26.12 should create some big shifts to both mid lane and jungle when it launches on June 10.
LoL Patch 26.12 Arena 3×6 Changes
Arena 3×6 is getting some balance changes as well. Riot says that the mode is healthy overall, but that AD assassins have been having a rough time finding success, so some changes should give them a little more breathing room.
Akali, Nocturne, Pyke, Quinn, and Talon are getting Arena buffed. Brand, Karthus, and Lillia are receiving Arena nerfs. Several items are changing in Arena specifically as well, some of which include Banshee’ veil, Eclipse, Edge of Night, Iceborn Gauntlet, Profane Hydra, Serylda’s Grudge, Trinity Force, Voltaic Cyclosword, and more.
Guardian Angel no longer shares a lockout with Zhonya’s Hourglass or Wooglet’s Witchcap. Players will now be able to run Guardian Angel with a Stasis item in Arena.
Teleport Changes Aim to Reduce Short-Range Abuse
Teleport is the sole system change Patch 26.12 has planned, as Riot works toward eliminating an increasingly popular Strat at high level and professional play.
Players have started using Teleport across extremely short distances solely to activate its strong shield before major objective engagements.
It lets them gain an enormous benefit without actually using the spell how it was intended to scale, making meaningful use of its map-coverage to move around the Rift.In a development team update, Riot says this interaction is clever, but not what Teleport is “really about.”
Instead, they want Teleport to reward players for moving across the map, applying pressure in side lanes, and arriving in time to help fight.
To that end, Riot will be decreasing Teleport’ shield duration and buffing its size slightly. This should nerf short-distance Teleports without affecting how the spell scales when used for roaming.
Mid Lane Could See Major Changes Before MSI
The biggest change that Patch 26.12 has going for it is that Riot continues their aggression on stabilizing the mid lane meta. Several champions that have been strong picks throughout the last few patches are seeing nerfs, while many weak picks are getting buffs.
Hwei, Syndra, and Sylas look to become stronger through the patch and could allow for players to pick more diverse champions both in Solo Queue and professionally. Orianna, Ryze, Cassiopeia, and Xin Zhao are all receiving nerfs as champions that have performed well recently across all skill levels.
Perhaps the most frustrating champion for players has been Cassiopeia. Riot even acknowledges that a majority of her power comes from Deathfire Touch coming back. Patch 26.11 saw many changes to various support items, runes, and game systems as a whole.
Now that Patch 26.12 is on the horizon, it seems like Riot is continuing down this healthy path.We’ll have to wait and see how this affects the strongest mid lane champions when MSI moves to the next patch.
Bug Fixes / QoL Changes
Patch 26.12 comes with some quality of life changes and bug fixes as well. Riot addressed a bug where the Helping Hand buff granted from certain starting items was not being removed upon selling or undoing them. They also fixed an issue where players would sometimes become stuck at one Smite charge if they died before Smite leveled up at 45 seconds.
Rift Herald received a bug fix as well. It was dealing magic damage to turrets rather than true damage based on the rider's stats. Riot also removed an interaction with Imperial Mandate where some abilities that swapped into a crowd control spell would erroneously gain Ability Haste.
LoL Patch 26.12: New Sinful Shores Skins
Patch 26.12 brings three new skins to League of Legends, part of a new collection called Sinful Shores. Fans can expect a chic, beachy theme for these skins.
The champions included in this batch are:
- Prestige Sinful Shores LeBlanc
- Sinful Shores Brand
- Sinful Shores Hwei
Leading the way is Prestige Sinful Shores LeBlanc. Brand and Hwei will also get Sinful Shores skins, but these are regular rather than prestige versions.
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