LoL Patch 26.13 arrives with more pressure than a routine balance pass, because this is the version that will define League of Legends at MSI 2026. Riot Games has released the full notes, and the update brings eight champion nerfs, nine buffs, a new last-hitting aid in ranked, and Locke, the only new champion scheduled to join the game this year.

For regular players, that means lane habits may feel different. For pros, it means the meta is about to be examined under studio lights, draft by draft, mistake by mistake. No pressure, then.

Why does this patch matter for MSI 2026?

Riot’s Patch 26.13 is not just another mid-season tuning exercise. Because MSI 2026 will be played on this update, every number change has a larger audience than usual. Champions that gain a little jungle speed or lose a little lane durability can suddenly decide draft priority, especially when the best teams in the world are involved.

The patch also introduces Locke, which makes the update notable even outside professional play. Riot has said Locke is the only new League of Legends champion coming this year, so his arrival carries the usual mix of curiosity, anxiety, and immediate theorycrafting from players who enjoy reading ability text like it is a legal document.

The balance list is broad:

  • Eight champions are being nerfed.
  • Nine champions are being buffed.
  • Doran’s Helm and Imperial Mandate are being adjusted.
  • Last Hit Indicators are being enabled in Normal Draft and Ranked Summoner’s Rift.

That final point is already one of the patch’s most debated changes, because ranked players famously enjoy all forms of assistance, provided nobody else receives them.

How will the new last-hitting indicator work?

Riot is expanding Last Hit Indicators to Normal Draft and Ranked Summoner’s Rift. The feature was already available in Swiftplay and Co-op vs AI, where Riot says it helped newer players improve at securing minion kills.

The idea is simple: the game gives players a clearer cue for when a minion can be last-hit. Riot argues this should let players spend more mental energy on other lane skills, such as positioning, trading, tracking jungle pressure, and understanding power spikes.

The studio also says experienced players often turned the feature off in modes where it was already available, finding it more distracting than useful. In Riot’s view, that makes it an optional tool rather than a competitive shortcut.

The ranked community may not be so relaxed. Last-hitting has long been treated as one of League’s basic tests of control and timing. Riot’s position is that the real skill expression in lane is wider than clicking one low-health caster minion. Expect calm, measured debate. Or, more realistically, several thousand very long forum posts.

Which champions are being nerfed?

Riot is targeting several champions that have become too reliable in solo queue, professional play, or both. The nerfs focus on lane staying power, early burst, scaling reliability, and item synergy.

Bard

Bard has been a regular presence in the meta for much of the season. Riot is specifically reducing the damage tank Bard gets without investing in ability power.

  • Passive, Traveler’s Call
  • Damage per Meep: 35, plus 10 per 5 Chimes, plus 40% AP to 30, plus 6 per 5 Chimes, plus 40% AP

Brand

Brand has become too strong in bot lane. Riot is lowering his early passive detonation damage while giving skilled players a little mana support elsewhere.

  • Base stats
  • Base mana regeneration: 9 to 11
  • Passive, Blaze
  • Passive detonation damage: 8% to 12% at levels 1 to 17, plus 2% per 100 AP to 6% to 12% at levels 1 to 18, scaling above level 18, plus 2% per 100 AP
  • E, Conflagration
  • Mana cost: 70 / 75 / 80 / 85 / 90 to 90

Cassiopeia

Cassiopeia is getting another cut. Riot wants to keep her rewarding lane pattern and slippery movement, but reduce how much health opponents must chew through once they finally catch her.

  • Base stats
  • Health per level: 104 to 98

K’Sante

K’Sante has benefited heavily from Doran’s Helm. Riot is trimming some early reliability while keeping his successful all-in pattern intact.

  • E, Footwork
  • Shield: 80 / 120 / 160 / 200 / 240, plus 15% bonus health to 70 / 112.5 / 155 / 197.5 / 240, plus 13.5% bonus health

Why are top-lane and jungle picks being pulled back?

Several of the nerfs aim at champions who have become safe or oppressive in roles where reliability matters a great deal, especially in professional drafts. A strong blind pick or high-rank duelist can quietly distort a meta long before viewers see the effects on stage.

Rek’Sai

Rek’Sai’s dueling and mobility have made her too successful at higher ranks. Riot is reducing her early-to-mid burst windows while preserving her map movement and longer-fight identity.

  • E, Furious Bite / Tunnel
  • Physical damage: 80 / 108 / 136 / 164 / 192, plus 64% bonus AD to 70 / 95 / 120 / 145 / 170, plus 60% bonus AD
  • Bonus true damage: 125% to 120%

Rumble

Rumble has been a highly reliable blind-pick top laner for a long stretch. Riot is lowering early staying power and base damage, while slightly increasing AP scaling.

  • Q, Flamespitter
  • Damage: 60 / 85 / 110 / 135 / 160, plus 100% AP to 50 / 75 / 100 / 125 / 150, plus 105% AP

Senna

Riot is nerfing Senna’s farming pattern and her synergy with Statikk Shiv, while adjusting her damage output around greater access to souls from ally kills.

  • Passive, Absolution
  • Soul drop chance when Senna kills: 10% to 5%
  • Soul drop chance when an ally kills: 28% to 32%
  • Critical strike damage penalty: -10%, or 180% / 27% with Infinity Edge, to -15%, or 170% / 25.5% with Infinity Edge
  • Q, Piercing Darkness
  • Cooldown refund: on hit to on attack

Sion

Sion has been strong in solo queue and pro play. Riot is weakening his early lane reliability and resource access while leaving him functional as a durable tank.

  • Q, Decimating Smash
  • Minimum damage: 40 / 60 / 80 / 100 / 120 to 30 / 45 / 60 / 75 / 90
  • W, Soul Furnace
  • Mana cost: 65 / 70 / 75 / 80 / 85 to 75 / 80 / 85 / 90 / 95

Which bot-lane champions are getting buffed?

Some of the most visible buffs go to marksmen who could matter immediately at MSI. Riot is trying to reopen space for carry picks that have fallen in priority or struggled to reach their big moments.

Aphelios

After earlier nerfs this year, Aphelios has dropped in both priority and win rate. Riot is walking back some of those changes to make each weapon feel more distinct and rewarding.

  • Calibrum
  • Passive mark damage: 15, plus 10% bonus AD to 15, plus 15% bonus AD
  • Severum
  • Q, Onslaught damage: 19 / 24.25 / 29.5 / 34.75 / 40% total AD per attack to 20 / 25.25 / 30.5 / 35.75 / 41% total AD per attack
  • Infernum
  • Q, Duskwave damage: 20 to 110 by level 1 to 18, plus 10% to 16% bonus AD to 20 to 110 by level 1 to 18, plus 15% to 21% bonus AD
  • Crescendum
  • Q, Sentry damage: 35 to 125 by level 1 to 18, plus 30% to 48% bonus AD to 35 to 125 by level 1 to 18, plus 34% to 52% bonus AD

Draven

Riot expects multiple Draven players at MSI, and this patch gives them something useful to consider. The buffs encourage heavier attack damage builds rather than crit, on-hit, or caster-style approaches.

  • E, Stand Aside
  • Cooldown: 18 / 17 / 16 / 15 / 14 seconds to 16 / 15 / 14 / 13 / 12 seconds
  • R, Whirling Death
  • Damage reduction after hitting enemies: -8% multiplicatively, down to 40% at 11 hits to -5%, down to a minimum of 50% at 14 hits

Kai’Sa

Kai’Sa has struggled to survive lane and reach her signature Killer Instinct moments. Riot is helping her early W pattern and strengthening her late-game dive shield.

  • W, Void Seeker
  • Cooldown: 22 / 20 / 18 / 16 / 14 to 20 / 18.5 / 17 / 15.5 / 14
  • R, Killer Instinct
  • Shield: 70 / 90 / 110, plus 90 / 135 / 180% AD, plus 120% AP to 100 / 150 / 200, plus 90 / 135 / 180% AD, plus 120% AP

Which mid and jungle picks are being helped?

Riot is also trying to diversify the jungle and sharpen a few champions whose impact has faded. The common thread is targeted power rather than broad scaling, which is usually the safer approach when a patch is about to become an international tournament rulebook.

LeBlanc

Riot wants to reward LeBlanc players for landing less guaranteed damage, rather than increasing her gank setup or lane support, which are already strengths.

  • R, Mimic
  • RQ1 / RE1 damage: 70 / 140 / 210 to 70 / 150 / 230
  • Mark / root damage: 140 / 280 / 420 to 140 / 300 / 460
  • RW damage: 150 / 300 / 450 to 150 / 315 / 480

Olaf

Olaf is being nudged back toward the jungle, his original role, through stronger monster damage on Undertow.

  • Q, Undertow
  • Bonus physical damage to monsters: 20 / 35 / 50 / 65 / 80 to 20 / 45 / 70 / 95 / 120

Poppy

Riot wants more jungle variety and sees Poppy as a sturdier counter option into many of the fighter junglers currently showing up in the meta.

  • Q, Hammer Shock
  • Monster damage cap: 50 / 80 / 110 / 140 / 170 to 75 / 105 / 135 / 165 / 195

Qiyana

Assassin junglers are underrepresented, according to Riot, so Qiyana is being made more viable in that role without directly strengthening her mid lane.

  • Q, Edge of Ixtal
  • Monster damage: 155% to 175%

Vex

Vex is not affecting games as much as Riot wants. Her changes are quality-of-life buffs aimed at making her reset pattern smoother in fights.

  • E, Looming Darkness
  • Cooldown: 13 seconds to 12 seconds
  • R, Shadow Surge
  • Reset time window: 6 seconds to 8 seconds

Zaahen

Zaahen is already seeing more play, and Riot is giving him more room to look for early trades and mid-game skirmishes without raising his late-game ceiling.

  • W, Dreaded Return
  • Cooldown: 16 / 15 / 14 / 13 / 12 to 14 / 13.5 / 13 / 12.5 / 12

What item changes are included?

Patch 26.13 also adjusts two items that have shaped champion strength in different ways. One was too efficient after a recent buff. The other became awkward enough that likely users were not especially thrilled to build it, which is a small problem for an item.

Doran’s Helm

Riot says it overshot with the Doran’s Helm buff in Patch 26.11. The item is being pulled back slightly, though its base health remains high. Riot is also targeting champions who have overperformed with it, including Senna.

  • Armor and magic resistance: 10 to 8
  • Health: 140 to 150

Imperial Mandate

Imperial Mandate has struggled after nerfs, and Riot says its build path has been too awkward for many intended users, especially supports. The item is getting a smoother recipe, slightly less ability power, and stronger utility.

  • Build path: Blasting Wand, Bandleglass Mirror, and 650 gold to Amplifying Tome, Bandleglass Mirror, Amplifying Tome, and 700 gold
  • Ability power: 65 to 60
  • Unique, Control: 15 ability haste for immobilizing abilities to 20 ability haste for immobilizing abilities
  • Unique, Command: 6% Vulnerable to 7% Vulnerable

What should players watch next?

The last-hitting indicator will likely be the loudest everyday change, because it affects how ranked feels for a wide range of players. Some will treat it as a welcome accessibility tool. Others will see it as another step toward making a difficult game slightly less difficult, which is apparently a crisis if it happens to someone else.

For MSI 2026, the champion changes may matter more. Aphelios, Draven, Kai’Sa, LeBlanc, Poppy, and Qiyana all gained tools that could influence draft boards. Meanwhile, reliable picks like Bard, Sion, Rumble, Rek’Sai, and Senna are being asked to give opponents a little more room to breathe.

That is the emotional core of any major League patch, really: one player’s long-awaited buff is another player’s lane phase becoming worse by exactly enough to notice.