League of Legends (LoL) Patch 26.12 has had its patch notes revealed, with a lot of champion buffs and nerfs.
As the penultimate patch before the MSI tournament, Riot have made big changes to try and add diversity to the current League of Legends meta.
And the game will get an even bigger shift when new League of Legends champion Locke releases on 26.13.
But for now, here are all the major changes coming in LoL Patch 26.12, including AP Xin Zhao nerfs and a huge update to Teleport.
Apex Duo Restrictions
Apex duo restrictions were turned on with the start of Season 2 in select regions, where Apex players also received a ranked reset.
Riot is monitoring the health of top-tier matches in those regions to understand what improvements need to be made. As a result, Apex duo queue will remain unavailable for now.
LoL Patch 26.12 Champion Buffs
Aatrox
While Aaotrox remains solid pick in the current meta, Riot thinks he needs a boost, so is putting more power into his Q sweet spot to reward his key skill check and make him more threatening.
- Q – The Darkin Blade
- Sweet Spot Bonus Damage: 70 ⇒ 75
Gwen
Gwen lost some power with 26.09’s minor rework to Dusk and Dawn, so Riot is buffing her early game. She’ll remain a scaling pick, but a weaker first item spike has cost her early game a bit too much.
- Q – Snip Snip!
- Base Damage Per Snip: 10/13.5/17/20.5/24 ⇒ 10/14/18/22/26
- E -Skip ‘n Slash
- Bonus Attack Speed: 20/35/50/65/80% ⇒ 30/42.5/55/67.5/80%
Hwei
Hwei’s 26.08 changes to how his ability-slows stack and interact with other sources of slows had a larger negative impact than expected.
The last compensation buff wasn’t enough, so Riot is trying to ensure his Q and E abilities remain relevant.
- Q – Subject: Disaster
- QQ Damage: 50 / 80 / 110 / 140 / 170 (+70% AP) (+3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7% Target Max HP) ⇒ 50 / 80 / 110 / 140 / 170 (+80% AP) (+3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7% Target Max HP)
- QW Damage: 60 / 85 / 110 / 135 / 160 (+25% AP), increased to up to 120 / 201.875 / 302.5 / 421.875 / 560 (+50 / 59.375 / 68.75 / 78.125 / 87.5% AP) ⇒ 60 / 85 / 110 / 135 / 160 (+30% AP), increased to up to 120 / 201.875 / 302.5 / 421.875 / 560 (+60 / 71.25 / 82.5 / 93.75 / 105% AP)
- QE Slow: 30% ⇒ 35%
- E – Subject: Torment
- Cooldown: 13 / 12.5 / 12 / 11.5 / 11s ⇒ 12 / 11.5 / 11 / 10.5 / 10s
Jax
Riot want Jax to perform better against more durable opponents without overbuffing him into OP territory.
- Q – Leap Strike
- Mana Cost: 65 ⇒ 50
- E – Counter Strike
- Target Max Health Damage: 3.5% minimum damage / 7% maximum damage ⇒ 4% minimum damage / 8% maximum damage
Sylas
Sylas has come out worse for wear since the start of Season 2.
Riot believes he is still a powerful early lane bully, but his scaling potential is currently much too low.
- Q – Chain Lash
- Initial Damage: 40 / 60 / 80 / 100 / 120 (+40% AP) ⇒ 40 / 65 / 90 / 115 / 140 (+45% AP)
- W – Kingslayer
- Heal Amount: 20 / 40 / 60 / 80 / 100 (+20% AP) (+5% Sylas’ Bonus HP), increased by up to 100% based on Sylas’ missing health ⇒ 20 / 40 / 60 / 80 / 100 (+30% AP) (+5% Sylas’ Bonus HP), increased by up to 100% based on Sylas’ missing health
Syndra
Riot is hoping that buffing Syndra’s hard-to-hit Q will give players enough reason to start playing her again after her more reliable damage was stripped from her W and R.
- Base Stats
- Base Health: 563 ⇒ 583
- Q – Dark Sphere
- Damage: 80-220 (+65% AP) ⇒ 90-230 (+70% AP)
Tristana
Riot concedes it doesn’t want marksem to dominate the mid lane meta again, but think there’s still room for some.
Riot is trying to help Tristana become viable mid again by stripping back the mana cost nerfs to her Q from a couple of seasons back and helping her level scaling.
- Base Stats
- AD Growth: 2.9 ⇒ 3.4
- Q – Rapid Fire
- Mana: 30 / 35 / 40 / 45 / 50 ⇒ 15 / 20 / 25 / 30 / 35
Yuumi
As the only champion in the game with built-in Heal/Shield power, Yuumi was hit hardest by the Moonstone Renewer mechanics changes in 26.09.
Riot is giving her AP ratios a compensation buff to help keep enchanter items optimal for her.
- Passive – Feline Friendship
- Heal Amount: 20 – 110 (+25% AP) (Levels 1 – 18) ⇒ 20 – 110 (+30% AP) (Levels 1 – 18)
- E – Zoomies
- Shield Amount: 65 / 90 / 115 / 140 / 165 (+30% AP) ⇒ 65 / 90 / 115 / 140 / 165 (+40% AP)
LoL Patch 26.12 Champion Nerfs
Lee Sin
The recent changes taking away some of Lee Sin’s kit restrictions have been exciting for players, but he’s become too powerful now.
With his increased outplay potential, Riot is nerfing his raw damage to balance him out.
- Base Stats
- AD Growth: 3.7 ⇒ 3.4
- Q1 – Sonic Wave
- Damage: 65 / 95 / 125 / 155 / 185 (+95% bonus AD) ⇒ 60 / 90 / 120 / 150 / 180 (+90% bonus AD)
- Q2 – Resonating Strike
- Damage: 65 / 95 / 125 / 155 / 185 (+95% bonus AD) ⇒ 60 / 90 / 120 / 150 / 180 (+90% bonus AD)
Nocturne
Nocturne has been in a strong spot for a while, especially in pro play.
Riot likes how distinct he feels to play with his relatively low ultimate cooldown, so are going to pull power out of his 1v1 and farming since he has such strong tools to quickly create unequal fights.
- Q – Duskbringer
- Damage: 65 / 110 / 155 / 200 / 245 ⇒ 65 / 105 / 145 / 185 / 225
Orianna
As the highest pro priority in recent patches, Riot feels like too much of Orianna’s power is in early lane dominance. They still want her to be strong, but to earn success with great Shockwaves rather than lane bullying.
- Base Stats
- Base Health: 585 ⇒ 565
- Passive – Clockwork Windup
- Damage Increase Per Stack: 20% ⇒ 15%
- R – Command: Shockwave
- Damage: 250/400/550 (+95% AP) ⇒ 225/350/475 (+110% AP)
Ryze
Ryze’s early game trading has only gotten stronger with Deathfire Touch.
For a champion known as a scaling combo mage, Riot feel his laning has become too difficult to deal with.
So, similarly to Orianna, Riot is tuning down his early game a bit to keep his power budget in the late game as he’s intended to be.
- Base Stats
- Base Health: 645 ⇒ 620
- Base AD: 58 ⇒ 55
Varus
Varus has become a huge priority pick in both top and bot in pro play.
While the changes to Experimental Hexplate should help alleviate his dominance in top lane, in bot lane, Riot is looking to further disincentivize his oppressive early game-focused lethality builds, while being relatively less impactful to the most common on-hit builds and helping them scale a bit better.
- Passive – Living Vengeance
- On Non-Champ Kill AD and AP: 10% of his Total AS ⇒ 11% of his Total AS
- On Champ Kill AD and AP: 25% of his Total AS ⇒ 33% of his Total AS
- On Non-Champ Kill AS: +50% AS ⇒ +30% AS
- Q – Piercing Arrow
- Damage: 53.33 / 100 / 146.67 / 193.33 / 240 (+100% bonus AD) to 80 / 150 / 220 / 290 / 360 (+150% bonus AD) ⇒ 53.33 / 100 / 146.67 / 193.33 / 240 (+80% bonus AD) to 80 / 150 / 220 / 290 / 360 (+120% bonus AD)
- W – Blighted Quiver
- On-Hit Damage: 8 / 17 / 26 / 35 / 44 (+15% bonus AD) (+25% AP) ⇒ 4 / 13 / 22 / 31 / 40 (+15% bonus AD) (+25% AP)
Xin Zhao
AP Xin Zhao continues being far too strong in mid lane. So, Riot is following up last patch’s adjustment with a straight nerf this time to his ability to sustain both his health and mana in lane.
- Passive – Determination
- Healing: 3 / 4 / 5% Max HP (+45 / 55 / 80% AP) ⇒ 2 / 3.5 / 5% Max HP (+40 / 50 / 70% AP)
- W – Wind Becomes Lightning
- Mana Cost: 60 / 55 / 50 / 45 / 40 ⇒ 60
- E – Audacious Charge
- Mana Cost: 50 ⇒ 60
Teleport Ajustment
In another huge change for the game, Riot is updating the Teleport Summoner Spell a players were using it for the shield in fights instead of cross-map plays
- Max Health Shield
- 30% for 30 seconds ⇒ 35% for 10 seconds
What do you think of all these changes? Let us know on the Insider Gaming Discord.
Meanwhile, even bigger changes are coming next year as the League Next update will overhaul the support role and other parts of the game.
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