League of Legends Patch 26.18 Notes | All Champion Changes & Meta Impact

League of Legends Patch 26.18 Notes | All Champion Changes & Meta Impact

League of Legends Patch 26.18 is now live, bringing another round of balance changes to Summoner's Rift alongside the launch of the Hall of Legends celebration for Caps.

This patch is particularly important for ranked players because Riot is targeting several champions that have been performing too well, while giving a handful of weaker picks room to come back into the meta.

The biggest changes include nerfs to Bard, Cassiopeia, Nautilus, Seraphine, Syndra and Zeri, while Ekko, Kassadin, Master Yi, Viego and Zaahen receive buffs or adjustments.

Patch 26.18 also introduces five additional champions to League Classic, including old versions of Fiora, Galio, Poppy, Shyvana and Xin Zhao.

Here's everything you need to know.

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LoL Patch 26.18 Overview

Patch 26.18 focuses on three major areas:

• Summoner's Rift champion balance
• Hall of Legends content celebrating Caps
• League Classic content and balance changes

Riot specifically noted that several professional-level support picks had become too strong, while champions such as Viego, Master Yi and Ekko had room for additional power.

Cassiopeia is also receiving a more complicated adjustment designed to reduce her professional-play strength without simply destroying her scaling.

The patch went live on September 9, 2026. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

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Patch 26.18 Champion Changes

Bard Nerf

Bard has remained one of the strongest supports throughout much of the year.

Riot previously reduced his damage, so Patch 26.18 instead targets his durability.

Base Stats

Armor: 34 + 5 per level → 32 + 4.7 per level

This makes Bard noticeably less durable while keeping his roaming, utility and long-range ultimate identity intact. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

What It Means

Bard players will need to be more careful when taking extended trades.

His mobility remains powerful, but mistakes should now be punished more heavily.

For ranked players, this is a meaningful nerf rather than a complete removal from the support meta.

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Cassiopeia Adjustment

Cassiopeia receives one of the more interesting changes in Patch 26.18.

Riot wants to reduce her strength in professional play while giving some of her scaling back to average players.

Passive - Serpentine Grace

Move Speed Bonus: 6%-40% → 5%-36%

Q - Noxious Blast

Damage: 75 / 110 / 145 / 180 / 215 → 65 / 100 / 135 / 170 / 205

AP Ratio: 65% → 75%

E - Twin Fang

Mana Cost: 40 → 45

Base AP Ratio: 10% → 20%

Enhanced AP Ratio: 55% → 45%

Total AP Ratio: remains 65%

Damage: 52-120 → 50-120

R - Petrifying Gaze

Damage: 150 / 250 / 350 → 125 / 225 / 325

AP Ratio: 50% → 75%

Riot's goal is to reduce Cassiopeia's lane power while making her scaling more rewarding. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

Ranked Impact

This is not a simple nerf.

Cassiopeia loses some early damage and mobility, but her increased AP ratios give strong players more scaling potential.

The biggest difference will likely be between inexperienced Cassiopeia players and players who consistently land empowered Twin Fangs.

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Ekko Buff

Ekko has been sitting below his desired power level following earlier changes.

Patch 26.18 gives him more ability to scale, particularly in mid lane.

Q - Timewinder

Mana Cost: 50 / 60 / 70 / 80 / 90 → 40 / 50 / 60 / 70 / 80

Return Damage AP Ratio: 60% → 70%

This gives Ekko cheaper Q usage while increasing the damage he can generate from AP scaling. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

Ranked Impact

Ekko should become more attractive for players who already understand his assassin playstyle.

The important part is that Riot specifically avoided buffing his Hail of Blades pattern.

That means the changes are primarily intended to improve his more conventional scaling gameplay.

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Kassadin Buff

Kassadin struggled to recover after earlier nerfs.

Patch 26.18 increases his ability to influence games without changing his late-game identity.

Q - Null Sphere

AP Ratio: 70% → 80%

R - Riftwalk

Base Damage: 70 / 90 / 110 → 80 / 95 / 110

This gives Kassadin more early and mid-game power while preserving his scaling identity. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}

Ranked Impact

Kassadin remains a scaling-focused pick, but these changes make the early stages of the game less punishing.

If you already play Kassadin well, Patch 26.18 is a good patch to test him again.

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Master Yi Buff

Master Yi was hit particularly hard by the earlier Rageblade changes because of how his double-strike mechanics interacted with the item.

Riot is compensating him in Patch 26.18.

Base Stats

Armor Growth: 4.5 → 5

R - Highlander

Move Speed: 35 / 45 / 55% → 40 / 50 / 60%

The extra movement speed gives Yi more ability to chase targets and reposition during fights. :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}

Ranked Impact

This should be particularly noticeable for jungle players who rely on Yi's ability to clean up fights after the initial engagement.

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Nautilus Nerf

Nautilus has been near the top of the support meta for much of 2026.

Riot is reducing his overall power while preserving his ability to lock down opponents.

Base Stats

Attack Damage: 61 + 3.3 per level → 58 + 3.3 per level

Q - Dredge Line

Damage: 85 / 130 / 175 / 220 / 265 (+90% AP)

→

85 / 125 / 165 / 205 / 245 (+90% AP)

Riot specifically wants to create more room for other supports while keeping Nautilus' core crowd-control identity intact. :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}

Ranked Impact

Nautilus remains a strong engage support.

However, his reduced base damage makes early trades slightly less forgiving.

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Seraphine Bot Nerf

Seraphine has been particularly frustrating when played as a bot-lane carry.

Patch 26.18 targets the rank scaling of her E.

E - Beat Drop

Cooldown: 11 / 10.5 / 10 / 9.5 / 9 seconds → 11 seconds

This makes maxing E less rewarding for bot-lane Seraphine.

Riot notes that support Seraphine generally maxes E later, meaning the change specifically targets the stronger bot-lane pattern. :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}

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Syndra Nerf

Syndra received buffs during MSI that successfully brought her back into professional play.

However, Riot believes she has become too strong in certain solo queue environments as well.

Patch 26.18 therefore targets her passive and W.

Passive - Transcendent

Splinter Mana: 20-255 → 20-199

W - Force of Will

Cooldown: 12 / 11 / 10 / 9 / 8 seconds

→

13 / 12 / 11 / 10 / 9 seconds

The changes reduce some of Syndra's repeated W pressure while also making early mana investment more important. :contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9}

Ranked Impact

Syndra remains a strong control mage, but her lane and mid-game pressure should be slightly easier to punish.

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Viego Buff

Viego's win rate has been trending downward, and Riot believes he has room for additional power.

Base Stats

Attack Damage Growth: 3.5 → 4

Passive - Sovereign's Domination

Viego's healing now has additional scaling based on:

• Bonus AD
• AP
• Bonus attack speed
• Bonus health

The new scaling gives additional value to his more bruiser-oriented builds. :contentReference[oaicite:10]{index=10}

Ranked Impact

Viego could become a more attractive jungle pick for players who prefer extended fights rather than pure burst builds.

His ability to take over fights through possessions remains his biggest strength.

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Zaahen Adjustment

Zaahen receives a quality-of-life change alongside a damage improvement.

Q - The Darkin Glaive

If Q is active, it is now placed on cooldown immediately when Zaahen enters Resurrection.

Q2 Damage

25 / 50 / 75 / 100 / 125

→

30 / 60 / 90 / 120 / 150

The bonus AD ratio remains unchanged. :contentReference[oaicite:11]{index=11}

This makes the second part of his Q considerably more threatening while fixing an awkward interaction with his resurrection mechanic.

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Zeri Nerf

Zeri has been climbing in win rate following recent buffs to Runaan's Hurricane and Yun Tal Wildarrows.

Riot is now reducing some of her burst and waveclear.

W - Ultrashock Laser

Damage AD Ratio: 120% total AD → 100% total AD

Wall Damage

180% total AD → 150% total AD

The base damage remains unchanged. :contentReference[oaicite:12]{index=12}

Ranked Impact

Zeri's strongest poke and waveclear patterns should be weaker.

This is particularly relevant for players who rely heavily on W damage to control lanes.

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Guinsoo's Rageblade Buff

Patch 26.18 also contains a small Rageblade adjustment.

Following an earlier bugfix that delayed the first double-hit activation, Riot is compensating the item slightly.

Seething Strike

Stack Duration: 3 seconds → 4 seconds

This should make maintaining Rageblade stacks more forgiving. :contentReference[oaicite:13]{index=13}

The change is especially relevant to champions whose builds rely heavily on consistent Rageblade stacking.

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Biggest Buffs in Patch 26.18

The most notable winners are:

Ekko

Lower Q mana costs and a stronger AP ratio make his mid-game more comfortable.

Kassadin

Higher Q scaling and increased R base damage improve his early and mid-game power.

Master Yi

More armor growth and higher Highlander movement speed help his ability to carry fights.

Viego

More AD growth and additional passive healing scaling improve his carry potential.

Zaahen

Q2 receives a significant base-damage increase alongside a useful resurrection interaction change.

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Biggest Nerfs in Patch 26.18

The most important nerfs include:

Nautilus

Reduced base AD and Q damage.

Bard

Lower armor and armor growth.

Zeri

Reduced W scaling, especially for wall damage.

Syndra

Longer W cooldown and reduced passive mana scaling.

Seraphine

E cooldown is now fixed at 11 seconds.

Cassiopeia

Lower early damage and mobility, although her AP scaling has been increased.

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League Classic Patch 26.18

Patch 26.18 is also a major update for League Classic.

Five additional classic champions are joining the mode:

• Fiora
• Galio
• Poppy
• Shyvana
• Xin Zhao

These versions use older iterations of their kits rather than their modern Summoner's Rift versions.

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Classic Fiora

Classic Fiora returns from the 2012-2015 era.

Her kit includes:

• Duelist passive
• Double-cast Lunge
• Riposte
• Burst of Speed
• Blade Waltz

Her ultimate makes her temporarily untargetable while repeatedly dashing around enemies.

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Classic Galio

Classic Galio represents the 2010-2017 version of the champion.

His passive converts part of his Magic Resistance into Ability Power.

His kit focuses heavily on:

• Magic Resistance scaling
• Defensive buffs
• Healing
• Area control
• Taunting enemies

His old ultimate, Idol of Durand, also reduces incoming damage while he channels. :contentReference[oaicite:14]{index=14}

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Classic Poppy

Classic Poppy is perhaps the most unusual champion returning in Patch 26.18.

Her old passive dramatically reduces damage beyond a percentage of her current health.

Her ultimate, Diplomatic Immunity, allows her to select an enemy and temporarily prevent other enemies from affecting her.

This is very different from modern Poppy.

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Classic Shyvana

Classic Shyvana returns with her 2011-2013 kit.

Her abilities are built around:

• Auto-attack interactions
• Fury generation
• Movement speed
• Armor reduction
• Dragon transformation

Her old kit is substantially different from modern Shyvana.

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Classic Xin Zhao

Classic Xin Zhao returns with his 2012-2017 kit.

His gameplay focuses heavily on basic attacks and straightforward melee combat.

His kit includes:

• Challenge
• Three Talon Strike
• Battle Cry
• Audacious Charge
• Crescent Sweep

The old version is significantly simpler than many modern champions.

Riot describes it as the classic "right click until they're dead" style. :contentReference[oaicite:15]{index=15}

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Classic Balance Changes

Patch 26.18 also contains several balance changes for existing League Classic champions.

Notable changes include:

Anivia

Anivia is being nerfed after becoming the strongest mid-lane performer in Classic.

Her Q receives changes to:

• Missile speed
• Stun duration
• Detonation radius
• Recast delay

Gangplank

Gangplank receives substantial buffs.

His Q provides more bonus gold on kills, while E gives more attack damage and movement speed.

Heimerdinger

Heimerdinger receives compensation after a previous bugfix reduced his power significantly.

Changes include:

• More health regeneration
• More turret damage
• Lower W mana costs
• Lower E cooldown
• Slightly increased E range

Kayle

Kayle receives a significant passive adjustment.

Her Ability Power scaling changes from bonus AD to total AD, giving her more effective power.

Malzahar

Malzahar receives several changes designed to make AD builds more viable while reducing some AP power.

Nasus

Nasus is being nerfed through bug fixes.

His Q stacks can no longer critically strike, while his Wither slow now ramps correctly.

Warwick

Warwick receives substantial nerfs after becoming one of the strongest Classic junglers.

His attack speed, passive damage, W cooldown and R damage are all reduced. :contentReference[oaicite:16]{index=16}

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Hall of Legends: Caps

Patch 26.18 also begins the Hall of Legends celebration for Rasmus "Caps" Winther.

Caps becomes the third player inducted into the Hall of Legends and the first Western League of Legends professional to receive the honor.

The event includes a battle pass containing:

• Risen Legend Orianna
• Freljord Taliyah
• Elderwood LeBlanc
• Empyrean Akali
• Mythic Essence
• Orbs
• Caps-themed icons and emotes
• Unkillable Demon Cactus Ward
• Beacon of Hope Banner
• Additional rewards

Immortalized Legend Tristana, Risen Legend Orianna and Risen Legend Tristana become available on September 10, 2026. :contentReference[oaicite:17]{index=17}

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ARAM: Mayhem Changes

Riot is also continuing to improve the Augment system in ARAM: Mayhem.

The goal is to reduce situations where champions receive Augments that do not make sense for their kits.

For example, Riot is working to prevent AP-focused options from appearing on champions that cannot make meaningful use of them.

Patch 26.18 introduces additional exclusion pools and filters for Augments.

Notable changes include:

• Clown College re-enabled
• Spin to Win R damage increase: 30% → 50%
• Ultra Hydra prevents selling Hydra items
• Additional Augment exclusion pools
• Champion-specific filtering improvements
• Several Augment pools adjusted or removed

Riot says these changes are part of the ongoing effort to make ARAM: Mayhem Augment choices more relevant. :contentReference[oaicite:18]{index=18}

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What Patch 26.18 Means for Ranked Players

For normal Summoner's Rift ranked games, the biggest question is not simply which champions were buffed or nerfed.

The more important question is:

Which changes are likely to affect your games?

For most ranked players, the biggest changes to watch are:

Jungle

Master Yi and Viego receive buffs.

This could make both more attractive for players looking for carry-oriented jungle picks.

Warwick remains unchanged on the normal Rift in this patch; his major nerfs are part of League Classic.

Mid

Ekko and Kassadin receive buffs.

Meanwhile, Cassiopeia and Syndra are being adjusted downward in important areas.

This could create more room for AP assassins and scaling mages.

Support

Bard and Nautilus both receive nerfs.

This should create more room for other support champions, particularly if these two had been dominating your games.

Bot Lane

Seraphine and Zeri both receive nerfs.

The changes are aimed specifically at patterns Riot considers too powerful.

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Patch 26.18 Meta Tier List

It is too early to claim a definitive statistical tier list immediately after the patch.

However, the direction of the changes gives us some obvious champions to watch.

Champions to Watch

Ekko

Buffed Q efficiency and AP scaling.

Kassadin

More damage and stronger scaling.

Master Yi

More durability and movement speed.

Viego

Better scaling and healing.

Zaahen

Higher Q2 damage.

Champions That May Fall

Nautilus

Reduced damage and base AD.

Bard

Lower durability.

Syndra

Reduced W frequency and mana scaling.

Zeri

Lower W damage scaling.

Seraphine Bot

Reduced E scaling.

Cassiopeia

Weaker early numbers, despite stronger AP ratios.

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Should You Change Your Main After Patch 26.18?

Probably not immediately.

One of the biggest mistakes ranked players make after every patch is changing champions too quickly.

A champion being buffed does not automatically make it the best champion for climbing.

Likewise, a small nerf does not automatically make a champion unplayable.

Your own champion mastery still matters.

For example, if you already have hundreds of games on a champion, a small balance nerf may have less impact on your results than switching to a completely unfamiliar champion.

If you're deciding which champions to use for climbing, our Best Jungle Champions LoL Tier List and Best Top Lane Champions LoL Tier List are useful starting points.

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How Patch 26.18 Could Affect Your Climb

Patch changes matter, but they are only one part of climbing.

Your:

• Champion mastery
• MMR
• Matchmaking
• Decision-making
• CS
• Objective control
• Wave management
• Positioning
• Mental discipline

still have a much larger effect across a long ranked season.

If you're experiencing unusual LP gains or losses, our LoL MMR Explained guide covers how hidden matchmaking rating affects your ranked progression.

You can also read our LoL Ranked System guide for a broader explanation of LP, MMR and the ranked ladder.

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Patch 26.18 Quick Summary

| Champion | Change | Direction |

|---|---|---|

| Bard | Lower armor | Nerf |

| Cassiopeia | Early damage down, AP scaling up | Adjustment |

| Ekko | Lower Q cost, higher AP ratio | Buff |

| Kassadin | Higher Q AP ratio and R damage | Buff |

| Master Yi | More armor growth and R movement speed | Buff |

| Nautilus | Lower AD and Q damage | Nerf |

| Seraphine | E cooldown increased | Nerf |

| Syndra | Lower passive mana and longer W cooldown | Nerf |

| Viego | More AD growth and passive scaling | Buff |

| Zaahen | Q2 damage increased | Buff |

| Zeri | Lower W AD ratios | Nerf |

| Guinsoo's Rageblade | Longer stack duration | Buff |

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Final Verdict on League of Legends Patch 26.18

Patch 26.18 is not a massive system overhaul for Summoner's Rift, but it contains several changes that could have a meaningful effect on ranked games.

The biggest winners are Ekko, Kassadin, Master Yi, Viego and Zaahen, while Bard, Nautilus, Syndra, Seraphine and Zeri are among the clearest losers.

Cassiopeia is the most interesting adjustment because Riot is deliberately trading some early power for better AP scaling.

At the same time, League Classic is receiving a much larger content update with five returning versions of old champions.

And for League esports fans, Patch 26.18 marks the beginning of the Caps Hall of Legends celebration.

If you're climbing ranked right now, don't immediately abandon your champion pool because of the patch.

Instead, identify which changes actually affect your role, adjust your builds and matchups, and give the new meta enough games to stabilize.

For players who want to improve their climb, our Fastest Way to Rank Up in LoL guide covers the fundamentals that remain important regardless of the current patch.

If you prefer professional assistance with your ranked progression, RankForge also offers League of Legends rank boosting and one-on-one LoL coaching.