Riot Games has revealed the full preview for League of Legends Patch 26.18, giving players the exact balance changes currently planned for the upcoming update.
The latest preview includes buffs for Ekko, Kassadin, Master Yi, Viego, and Zaahen, while Bard, Nautilus, Seraphine, Syndra, and Zeri are receiving nerfs. Cassiopeia is getting a larger adjustment aimed at narrowing the gap between her performance in regular ranked play and higher levels of competition.
Guinsoo’s Rageblade is also receiving a small system buff after Riot previously acknowledged that its Patch 26.14 scripting changes negatively affected some of its users.
In brief:
- Ekko, Kassadin, Master Yi, Viego, and Zaahen are receiving buffs.
- Bard, Nautilus, Seraphine, Syndra, and Zeri are getting nerfed.
- Cassiopeia is receiving several changes aimed at helping average players while reducing some of her high-level strength.
- Guinsoo’s Rageblade will have its Seething Strike stack duration increased from three to four seconds.
LoL Patch 26.18 Full Preview Changes
| Category | Champion/Item | Changes |
|---|---|---|
| Champion Buff | Ekko | Q Mana: 50-90 → 40-80; Q Return Damage AP Ratio: 60% → 70% |
| Champion Buff | Kassadin | Q AP Ratio: 70% → 80%; R Base Damage: 70/90/110 → 80/95/110 |
| Champion Buff | Master Yi | Armor Growth: +4.5/Level → +5/Level; R Movement Speed: 35-55% → 40-60% |
| Champion Buff | Viego | Passive Heal: New +2% per 500 bonus HP scaling added; AD Growth: 3.5 → 4 |
| Champion Buff | Zaahen | Q is placed on cooldown immediately upon entering Resurrection; Q2 Damage: 25/50/75/100/125 → 30/60/90/120/150 |
| Champion Nerf | Bard | Base Armor: 34 +5/Level → 32 +4.7/Level |
| Champion Nerf | Nautilus | Base AD: 61 +3.3/Level → 58 +3.3/Level; Q Damage: 85-265 (+90% AP) → 85-245 (+90% AP) |
| Champion Nerf | Seraphine | E Cooldown: 11-9s → 11s |
| Champion Nerf | Syndra | Passive Splinter Mana: 20-255 → 20-199; W Cooldown: 12-8s → 13-9s |
| Champion Nerf | Zeri | W Damage: 30-190 (+120% total AD) → 30-190 (+100% total AD); W Wall Damage: 45-285 (+180% total AD) → 45-285 (+150% total AD) |
| Champion Adjustment | Cassiopeia | Passive MS Bonus: 6%-40% → 5%-35%; E Mana Cost: 40 → 45; E Base/Enhanced AP Ratio: 10%/55% → 20%/45% (65% total unchanged); E Base Damage: 52-120 → 50-118; Q Damage: 75-215 (+65% AP) → 65-205 (+75% AP); R Damage: 150/250/350 (+50% AP) → 125/225/325 (+75% AP) |
| System Buff | Guinsoo’s Rageblade | Seething Strike Stack Duration: 3s → 4s |
LoL Patch 26.18 Champion Buffs
Seven champions are currently scheduled to receive buffs in Patch 26.18:
- Ekko
- Kassadin
- Master Yi
- Viego
- Zaahen
Riot has yet to reveal the exact numbers, so it remains unclear which parts of their kits will be targeted.
Master Yi is particularly notable because his buff is partly connected to Guinsoo’s Rageblade. According to Phroxzon, Riot re-scripted Rageblade in Patch 26.14, which resulted in its Phantom Hit trigger changing from six to seven. Some champions were disproportionately affected, including Master Yi, so Riot intends to return some of that lost power.
LoL Patch 26.18 Champion Nerfs
Five champions are currently on Riot’s nerf list:
- Bard
- Nautilus
- Seraphine
- Syndra
- Zeri
Exact nerfs have not been announced yet, but Seraphine received considerably more explanation from Riot than the other champions.
Riot Explains Why Seraphine Is Getting Nerfed
According to Phroxzon, Seraphine has ranked among the top three champions in Riot’s regular frustration surveys for several patches. She has also emerged as one of the stronger pairings with Ashe in professional play, giving Riot another reason to pull some power from her kit.
Riot acknowledged the difficult balance between Seraphine’s Support, Mid, and Bot audiences. Support remains her most popular position, so Riot says it will continue to prioritize supporting that player base while attempting to keep her farming roles satisfying when possible.
Phroxzon also addressed community criticism surrounding an earlier reduction to Seraphine’s Q AP scaling. Riot currently believes AP ratios are one of the tools necessary to keep farming Seraphine under control without disproportionately strengthening her Support builds.
The exact Patch 26.18 Seraphine nerf has not yet been revealed.
Cassiopeia Is Trading Lane Power for Better Scaling
Cassiopeia is the only champion listed under adjustments rather than outright buffs or nerfs.
Riot says Cassiopeia has become particularly strong at higher levels of play following the return of Deathfire Touch. Riot officially brought the keystone back in Patch 26.9 as an option designed for sustained damage and damage-over-time champions.
In Patch 26.18, Riot is planning what it describes as a largely power-neutral adjustment. The goal is to reduce some of Cassiopeia’s early-game lane strength while shifting that power toward scaling. Riot specifically wants to make it harder for her to reliably win lanes when she is failing to land Noxious Blast, while still preserving her identity as a strong laning champion.
Guinsoo’s Rageblade Buff Coming in Patch 26.18
Guinsoo’s Rageblade is currently the only system change listed in the initial Patch 26.18 preview.
Riot says the item’s Patch 26.14 re-script unintentionally changed how quickly Phantom Hit activates, moving the trigger from six to seven. Patch 26.18 will therefore give Rageblade some power back, although Riot has not revealed whether this will come through stats, Phantom Hit mechanics, or another adjustment. So, this change also explains why Master Yi appears on the champion buff list.
Ekko Buffs Target His Mid Lane Performance
Ekko is receiving a pair of buffs specifically intended to help his mid lane performance. His Q mana cost is dropping from 50-90 to 40-80, while the AP ratio on the returning portion of Q is increasing from 60% to 70%.
Riot says the changes are designed to improve his waveclear and reward the AP-heavy builds more commonly seen in mid lane. Lich Bane is also more typical for mid Ekko than jungle Ekko, meaning the additional AP scaling should favor his intended target role.
While stronger waveclear can reduce interaction during the laning phase, Riot believes it is important for a roaming and tempo-focused champion like Ekko to be able to quickly clear waves and create opportunities elsewhere on the map.
Viego Gets More Support for Bruiser Builds
Viego is gaining additional support for his bruiser builds after Riot found that they had fallen behind his squishier damage-focused options.
His AD growth is increasing from 3.5 to 4, while his passive healing will gain new scaling based on bonus health, adding 2% for every 500 bonus HP.
Riot says bruiser Viego became weaker following the removal of Divine Sunderer and subsequent changes to Sundered Sky. While the developer still intends squishier Viego builds to deal more damage, it wants bruiser builds to remain a reasonable alternative.
Zaahen Gets Damage Back After Previous Nerfs
Zaahen is receiving some compensation after Riot’s previous round of nerfs left him slightly weaker than intended.
His Q2 base damage is being restored from 25/50/75/100/125 to 30/60/90/120/150. Interestingly, those are the same Q2 base damage values he had before Riot reduced them during his earlier balance changes. Riot’s official Patch 25.24 notes document that previous reduction.
Riot is also cleaning up how Zaahen’s Q behaves during his resurrection. Q will now immediately be placed on cooldown when he enters Resurrection, preventing situations where Q2 could return in an inconsistent or desynchronized state.
Patch 26.18 Begins Riot’s Road Toward Worlds 2026
Riot’s preview makes it clear that the developers are already thinking about the upcoming World Championship meta.
LoL Patch 26.18 Release Date
League of Legends Patch 26.18 is currently scheduled to arrive on Thursday, September 10, 2026, according to Riot Games’ official patch schedule.
These changes are still part of the full preview, so individual numbers could be adjusted before the patch reaches live servers.
