Riot Phroxzon has dropped the League of Legends Patch 26.15 preview, and while the champion list is fairly compact this time, the system changes are where things get spicy. Also, League of Legends Classic launches on July 29, 2026, with Patch 26.15. So the balance team is quietly reshaping Summoner’s Rift while the whole community is busy dusting off Season 3 nostalgia. Here is everything you need to know about the changes coming with this patch.
What Is Changing in LoL Patch 26.15?
Patch 26.15 is shaping up to be one of the busier updates of the summer, and not just because League Classic arrives alongside it. On the balance side, Riot is spreading changes across both champions and systems. Five champions are getting buffs, including Alistar, Kai’sa, Maokai, Volibear, and Zac, while five others are being reined in, headlined by fresh nerfs to the recently released Locke.
The system changes might be the bigger story here. Bastionbreaker is getting made more accessible, Jack of All Trades is finally catching a nerf after being a bit too dominant, and Riot is taking a real pass at the fighter item space by touching Sundered Sky. If you play jungle or top lane, these item tweaks could reshape your builds more than any single champion change.
LoL Patch 26.15 Preview: Full Buffs and Nerfs List
Here is the complete rundown of every champion and system change confirmed in the Patch 26.15 preview.
| Type | Changes |
|---|---|
| Champion Buffs | Alistar, Kai’sa, Maokai, Volibear, Zac |
| Champion Nerfs | Locke, Mordekaiser, Naafiri, Riven, Sylas |
| System Buffs | Bastionbreaker |
| System Nerfs | Jack of All Trades |
LOL Patch 26.15 Preview:
Systems
- Bastionbreaker has been a pretty niche item and is pretty expensive to deviate for a strategic output, so we’re looking to make it more accessible
- Jack of All Trades nerf was also pushed to this patch; it has been a bit too strong and too present, especially for users that opt into strong defenses and are able to also supplement that with strong offense
- Sundered Sky has been strong and meta-defining at the highest levels of play for quite a while now, so we’re looking to take a pass at the fighter item system, now that we’re out of the tournament windows
- Notably, we think it’s been suppressing a bit of meta diversity, especially for things like AP jungle, or Tank JG. Part of that is intentional, but the magnitude is a bit off
Buffs
- Alistar has been closer to the bottom of the pecking order for the melee support. That said, our meta adjustments to move melee supports up relative to ranged supports have been reasonably successful, so we’re pretty happy with how that’s played out
Nerfs
- Locke is still pretty strong; he has been tapering off in the lowest skill brackets and the high skill brackets, but in the “skilled” skill brackets (around Emerald/Diamond), Locke is able to both take over the game and also not throw it
- At the higher skill brackets, he can snowball but needs to play very well without throwing as he falls off sharply
- At the lower skill brackets, the executional demands and constant throws can make him fall off faster
- Overall, we feel his release has landed well
More on other champs tomorrow with the detailed changelists. So, we will also update this article when more information is available.
When Does LoL Patch 26.15 Release?
Patch 26.15 hits live servers on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, with the following update scheduled for Wednesday, August 12. Just remember this is the same day League Classic goes live, so expect the servers to be busy and the queue times to be a little chaotic during launch week.
