LoL Patch 26.22: All Champion Changes, Buffs and Nerfs
League of Legends Patch 26.22 is scheduled for Wednesday, November 4, 2026. It brings another round of balance changes focused on underperforming champions and playstyles while trimming some of the strongest picks.
Riot's preview lists 10 champion buffs, 3 nerfs and a major mini-update for Mel that changes her signature projectile-reflection mechanic on W.
Important: these are preview values from Riot's announced preview, not final patch notes. Patch 26.22 is not live yet, and the numbers below can still change before release.
Patch 26.22 at a glance
Patch 26.22 is a targeted balance patch rather than a full overhaul. The preview touches 13 champions: 10 receive buffs, 3 are nerfed, and Mel gets a mini-update that reworks her W. Two items also change.
- •Champion buffs (10): Aurelion Sol, Corki, Kayle, Maokai, Naafiri, Rumble, Shen, Smolder, Viktor and Zaahen.
- •Champion nerfs (3): Locke, Thresh and Yasuo.
- •Mini-update: Mel receives major changes to her W, passive, Q, E and R.
- •Item changes (2): Overlord's Bloodmail (buff) and Doran's Bow (nerf).
- •Release: Wednesday, November 4, 2026. The date and values can still change.
| Category | Count | Champions / items |
|---|---|---|
| Champion buffs | 10 | Aurelion Sol, Corki, Kayle, Maokai, Naafiri, Rumble, Shen, Smolder, Viktor, Zaahen |
| Champion nerfs | 3 | Locke, Thresh, Yasuo |
| Champion mini-update | 1 | Mel |
| Item changes | 2 | Overlord's Bloodmail, Doran's Bow |
Verification status
All numbers below are preview values from Riot's announced Patch 26.22 preview. Riot's official patch notes are not yet published because the patch is not live. Exact final values are not yet confirmed against Riot's official patch notes.
All Champion Buffs in Patch 26.22
Ten champions are receiving direct buffs in the Patch 26.22 preview. Changes are shown before → after as reported in the preview.
| Champion | Ability / stat | Before | After | Change | In-game impact | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Aurelion SolE total magic damage over 5 seconds | 50-150 (+60% AP) | 50-170 (+70% AP) | +20 at max rank, +10% AP scaling | Makes maxing E second more attractive than maxing W; more sustained area damage. | |
 | CorkiR (Missile Barrage) normal missile damage | 90-250 (+85% bonus AD) | 100-280 (+90% bonus AD) | +10 at each end, +5% bonus AD | More poke and overall damage with Missile Barrage. | |
| CorkiR (Missile Barrage) Big One damage | 180-500 (+170% bonus AD) | 200-560 (+180% bonus AD) | +20 at each end, +10% bonus AD | Stronger empowered missiles in extended fights. | |
 | KayleQ cooldown | 12-8 s | 10-8 s | -2 s at early ranks | More frequent early poke and wave clear. | |
| KayleR cooldown | 160/120/80 s | 140/110/80 s | -20 s / -10 s / 0 s | Access to her defensive ultimate more often. | |
 | MaokaiQ (Bramble Smash) max health damage | 2-4% | 2.5-4.5% | +0.5 percentage points | Better damage against health-stacking opponents. | |
 | NaafiriQ healing | 45-105 (+40% bonus AD) | 55-115 (+45% bonus AD) | +10 base, +5% bonus AD | More sustain in lane and skirmishes. | |
| NaafiriW bonus AD ratio | 20% | 22% | +2 percentage points | More damage on her W combo, especially in the mid lane. | |
 | RumbleR (The Equalizer) damage per second AP ratio | 35% | 40% | +5 percentage points | More damage in longer fights with The Equalizer. | |
 | ShenQ (Twilight Assault) monster damage modifier | 100/125/150/175/200 | 120/140/160/180/200 | +20 at early ranks | Faster jungle clear without increasing damage against champions. | |
 | SmolderW (Achooo!) explosion damage | 10-110 (+50% bonus AD) (+80% AP) | 25-125 (+50% bonus AD) (+80% AP) | +15 at each end | Helps him recover some of his damage output. | |
 | ViktorR (Arcane Storm) initial damage AP ratio | 50% | 60% | +10 percentage points | More burst and scaling with Arcane Storm; base damage is unchanged. | |
| ViktorHealth growth per level | 100 | 105 | +5 per level | A little more durability while keeping his reduced mobility. | |
 | ZaahenQ (The Darkin Glaive) cooldown | 10-6 s | 8-6 s | -2 s at rank 1 | More frequent ability use in the early and mid game. |
All Champion Nerfs in Patch 26.22
Three champions are receiving nerfs in the Patch 26.22 preview. These changes target damage output and reduce the power of some of their key windows.
| Champion | Ability / stat | Before | After | Change | In-game impact | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | LockeQ (Ritual Nails) stack bonus damage | 18/26/34/42/50 | 15/22/29/36/43 | -3 / -4 / -5 / -6 / -7 | Lower damage output as his stacks build. | |
| LockeW (Soul Ignition) duration | 6 s | 5 s | -1 s | Shorter movement-speed window. | |
 | ThreshBase attack damage | 56 | 54 | -2 | Slightly weaker trading and last-hitting. | |
| ThreshR (The Box) damage | 250-550 (+100% AP) | 200-500 (+100% AP) | -50 at each rank | Less damage from The Box in teamfights. | |
 | YasuoQ (Steel Tempest) total AD ratio | 105% | 100% | -5 percentage points | Slightly less Q damage; base damage stays at 20-120. |
Mel Mini-Update: Major Changes to Her W
One of the biggest highlights of Patch 26.22 is Mel's mini-update. Riot is changing her W so it no longer reflects enemy projectiles back at their original targets.
The goal is to preserve the feeling of destroying incoming projectiles while reducing frustrating interactions against certain champions.
W – Rebuttal
- •Destroy incoming enemy projectiles instead of reflecting them.
- •Deal a small amount of retaliatory damage.
- •Shield Mel and nearby allies.
- •Grant movement speed to help allies reposition.
Other Mel changes
- •Passive and base stats: reduced early-game passive damage, lower early durability, and improved health and armor scaling.
- •Q – Radiant Volley: slightly slower projectile delivery, reduced initial explosion damage, more damage shifted to subsequent hits, and a flat cooldown refund when hitting at least one enemy champion.
- •E – Solar Snare: shorter root against nearby enemies and longer root against enemies hit from farther away.
- •R – Golden Eclipse: greater cooldown reduction as the ability gains ranks.
Patch 26.22 Item Changes
Two items are receiving adjustments in Patch 26.22. Overlord's Bloodmail is a buff, while Doran's Bow is a small nerf.
| Item | Stat / effect | Before | After | Difference | Who it affects | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Overlord's BloodmailAttack damage; Retribution bonus | 30 AD; 0-12% total AD based on missing health | 40 AD; 0-10% total AD based on missing health | +10 AD; -2 percentage points at max | More attractive for champions like Dr. Mundo and Sion, and less of a Sett-only item. | |
 | Doran's BowAttack damage | 8 | 7 | -1 | Brings its power closer to other starting items. |
What the biggest changes mean in-game
Mid lane: Viktor gains AP scaling and health growth, Corki gets more ultimate damage and Naafiri improves her healing and damage ratios. Aurelion Sol and Smolder also gain damage, while Yasuo loses a little Q scaling.
Top lane: Maokai gets more max-health damage and Rumble's ultimate scales better with AP. Shen's jungle clear improves, and Zaahen gets a shorter Q cooldown.
Bot lane: Corki's poke and Smolder's W explosion both go up, while Thresh loses attack damage and ultimate damage. Kayle's cooldowns drop, helping her reach her late-game spikes more often.
Items: Overlord's Bloodmail gains attack damage for a small Retribution tradeoff, opening it up to more champions, while Doran's Bow loses one attack damage.
Which roles and playstyles could be affected
- •Scaling mid-lane mages (Viktor, Aurelion Sol): more damage and durability in the later stages.
- •Poke and burst mages (Corki, Smolder): stronger long-range damage.
- •Bruisers and skirmishers (Naafiri, Rumble, Zaahen): better sustain, dueling or cooldown access.
- •Tanks and jungle (Maokai, Shen): more damage against health stackers and a faster jungle clear.
- •Enchanter and utility supports (Mel, Thresh): Mel shifts toward shields and team utility; Thresh loses damage.
- •Starting items: Doran's Bow is slightly weaker, which can affect early trading for marksmen and some bruisers.
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Win rates, preview values and what to watch
Announced balance changes do not guarantee post-patch win rates. A champion's actual strength depends on how players adapt, item builds and the wider patch context.
Check Riot's official patch notes on release day (November 4, 2026) to confirm the final numbers before building your ranked pool.
Frequently asked questions
Conclusion
Patch 26.22 is a targeted balance patch: ten champions gain power, three lose some, Mel shifts away from projectile reflection, and two items are adjusted. Treat the numbers as preview values until Riot's official notes ship on November 4.
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