League of Legends Patch 26.9 is here, and this one is not just another small balance pass. Riot is using this update to properly kick off Season 2 with major system changes, new item options, returning runes, champion build experiments, Arena updates, ARAM: Mayhem tuning, and a fresh batch of Pandemonium skins. Riot says Patch 26.9 focuses on champions, items, systems, runes, role quests, and alternate builds, while also giving Shyvana a more defined split between AD and AP playstyles.
League of Legends Patch 26.9 Release Date and Patch Theme
League of Legends Patch 26.9 went live alongside Riot’s official patch notes published on April 28, 2026. The headline theme for the update is pretty clear: Riot wants players to experiment more. That means new starting items, returning keystones, updated role quests, and several champion changes aimed at bringing back older or forgotten playstyles.
The new Pandemonium skin line also arrives with this patch. Pandemonium Annie, Pandemonium Kindred, Demoncursed Vayne, and Prestige Pandemonium Shaco are scheduled to become available on April 29, 2026.
Role Quests Get Big Quality of Life Changes
Role Quests are one of the biggest system changes in Patch 26.9. Riot is making them easier to understand and less punishing, especially when players leave the lane near the end of the laning phase. The quest point penalty for CS, turrets, and plates has been adjusted, while the “in quest lane” area is now broader than before. Instead of being tied heavily to the outer turret area, players can now progress more naturally while playing around the lane.
The biggest practical change is that players get more freedom to roam without completely ruining their quest progress. After level 3, time spent in lane can bank roaming time, meaning assassins, mids, and other roaming champions should feel less trapped in lane.
Top lane, mid lane, and bot lane rewards are also getting adjusted. Top lane’s XP bonus is being shifted so champion takedowns give flat XP, while other sources give slightly less XP than before. Mid lane loses the empowered recall reward and instead gains bonus AD and AP scaling. Bot lane’s bonus takedown gold has been reduced from 50 gold to 40 gold, which should slightly tone down snowballing from early fights.
Minion Waves Are Getting Tankier
Patch 26.9 also changes minion wave durability. Riot says the goal is to increase minion action around mid and late laning phase, create better roaming windows, and slightly improve wave stacking. Melee minion health scaling has been adjusted, while minions now deal slightly less current HP damage to other minions.
In real games, this could make wave management feel a little slower and more deliberate. Roaming champions may have a bit more time to move, while side lane wave buildup could become more meaningful.
Champion Changes Focus on Alternate Builds
Patch 26.9 has a long champion list, but the most interesting part is Riot’s push toward alternate builds. AP Ezreal, AD Kennen, on-hit Teemo, AP or attack speed Xin Zhao, and new Shyvana build paths are all part of the update.
Ezreal gets a serious AP push. His Q AP ratio jumps from 15 percent to 40 percent, W is set to a flat 90 percent AP ratio, and Trueshot Barrage now scales better with AP. This is clearly Riot trying to bring back the old AP Ezreal fantasy, where landing long-range skillshots actually feels threatening again.
Kennen is also getting support for AD and crit-based builds. His W passive can now critically strike, while critical strikes can extend the attack speed buff from Lightning Rush. Teemo receives new bonus AD ratios on Toxic Shot, opening the door for more on-hit and hybrid item builds. Xin Zhao also gets stronger AP and attack speed scaling, especially on his E and passive healing.
Shyvana Gets One of the Biggest Updates
Shyvana is one of the main winners of Patch 26.9. Riot says the goal is to make bruiser items more viable while creating a clearer difference between AD and AP Shyvana. AD Shyvana is being pushed toward sustained fights, auto attacks, and big Q hits, while AP Shyvana remains more focused around R and E burst patterns.
Her base attack speed and AD growth are changed, Q loses AP scaling on its max health passive but gets other adjustments, W gets a lower cooldown and a new bonus health shield ratio, and E gets a major reshaping with lower base damage but stronger AP scaling and percent max health damage. It is not a full rework, but it is a very meaningful direction shift.
Zeri, Briar, Ambessa, and Zoe Get Major Tuning
Zeri’s changes are also worth watching. Riot is trying to move her away from burst assassin patterns and back toward the fast-moving ADC identity that made her popular in the first place. Her passive range is increased, her Q gets higher early base damage but lower late AD scaling, her W wall crit multiplier is nerfed, and her ultimate gives more movement speed per stack with a longer stack duration.
Briar gets a survivability nerf through reduced health growth, while Ambessa’s ultimate cast time is increased from 0.55 seconds to 0.70 seconds, giving enemies more time to understand and react to what is happening. Zoe also gets a power shift, with Spell Thief damage reduced and Sleepy Trouble Bubble getting a cooldown refund when it hits an enemy champion.
New Items Arrive in Patch 26.9
Patch 26.9 adds new item options, including Doran’s Bow, Doran’s Helm, and Gluttonous Greaves. Doran’s Bow is aimed at auto-attack champions who want early aggression, giving attack damage, attack speed, and a small amount of omnivamp. Doran’s Helm gives health, armor, magic resist, and bonus on-hit damage against minions, making it a new defensive starting option.
Gluttonous Greaves are the flashiest new boots in the patch. They provide movement speed and omnivamp, then gain more omnivamp permanently on champion takedowns, up to a cap. Their Tier 3 Immortal Path bonus also changes based on health, giving extra damage above half health and better healing, shielding, and regeneration below half health.
Statikk Shiv Rework and Item Removals
Statikk Shiv has been reworked into a scaling on-hit item rather than a pure waveclear purchase. The new version gives AD, AP, attack speed, and movement speed, while its Energized chain lightning can apply on-hit effects to secondary targets. That could make it much more interesting for hybrid and on-hit builds than the old wave deletion version.
Opportunity and Trailblazer have both been removed. Riot says Opportunity overlapped too much with Youmuu’s and Voltaic, while Trailblazer created too much overlap with other tanky mobility items and added unnecessary visual noise. Staff of Flowing Water also gets the ability haste back on its passive, while Hubris loses some immediate AD but gains stronger scaling through stacks.
Deathfire Touch and Stormraider’s Surge Return
Runes are getting one of the biggest shakeups in Patch 26.9. Deathfire Touch is back as a Sorcery keystone for damage over time and sustained damage casters. Riot says those champions did not have a keystone built specifically for them, so Deathfire Touch is returning to fill that gap.
Phase Rush has been removed, but Stormraider’s Surge takes its place as the new mobility keystone. It activates after dealing 25 percent of a champion’s maximum health within 3 seconds, granting movement speed and slow resistance. Arcane Comet is also adjusted, losing its cooldown refund but gaining increased damage based on distance from the target. Hail of Blades loses some attack speed but gains bonus true damage on empowered attacks.
Arena Gets New Augments, New Map, and Better Pacing
Arena players have a lot to dig into in Patch 26.9. The update adds new Augments, debuting Augments with levels, reworked Augments, game pacing changes, a new Fame Track, and new Guests of Honor. Riot is also increasing augment selection and item choice round timers, giving players a little more breathing room between rounds.
A new Arena map called Petricite Grove is also being added. It is set near Demacia and includes mining bombs that can be hit, rolled, and exploded to damage enemies and plants. Ancestral Woods and Koipond are also getting adjustments, including new Power Flowers and map-specific changes.
ARAM and ARAM: Mayhem Changes
ARAM gets a smaller change, with Hubris losing attack damage and ability haste. ARAM: Mayhem gets more attention, with Bard and Ornn buffs, Health Relic improvements, and several Augment balance changes. Bard’s Caretaker’s Shrine gets stronger movement speed and a lower ammo cooldown, while Ornn’s Living Forge cooldown now scales much more aggressively by level.
Health Relics now give a stronger area effect for missing health and mana, while Augments like Prom Queen and Grandma’s Chili Oil are adjusted. The patch also includes a long list of Mayhem bug fixes, covering issues with attack speed, item haste, invisibility, recasts, champion visuals, and more.
League of Legends Patch 26.9 feels like one of the more experimental updates of the season. Riot is not just buffing and nerfing numbers here. The patch brings back older ideas, opens up forgotten builds, removes overlapping items, reshapes runes, and gives several roles more room to breathe.
