League of Legends Patch 26.03 Preview – Big Patch On Its Way?

Here is everything you need to know about the latest update, League of Legends Patch 26.03. The patch is set to come with a long list of champion changes, which is expected to heavily shift the meta, especially in the jungle.

League of Legends Patch Notes 26.03 – Mel Rework & major jungle changes

Two updates after the start of the new season, Riot Games has finally decided to bring out the hammer again with a long series of champion changes. Now that the overall new system around Role Quests and the new itemization has been figured out, the game devs are finally nerfing some of the overpowered champions in the patch, such as Diana, Ekko, Jayce, and more.

According to game designer Riot Phroxzon, the jungle will be one of the main targets from this update, with buffs coming to many AD junglers and nerfs to AP champions, who have been abusing the new Dusk & Dawn item. Phroxzon also touched on the latter, stating that the team doesn’t think it’s overpowered, and that they prefer to balance the champions around the item rather than vice versa. That said, the item is also on the change list for this patch, with a minor nerf to its spellblade damage.

Patch 26.03 is also expected to come with a long list of changes to Mel, who is getting her entire abilities reworked in terms of damage and effects. The biggest change is to her W, which now will no longer grant immunity. Instead, the champion will get a shield to reduce the damage taken.

There are also some changes to runes, such as Cash Back, Phase Rush, and Triple Tonic, as well as adjustments to Turret Plates and Champion Bounties. You can find all the changes for the League of Legends Patch 26.03 in the section below.

When will LoL Patch 26.3 be released?

According to the official patch schedule, Patch 26.3 is set to reach the live servers on February 4, 2026. 

What are the most impactful changes in Patch Notes 26.03? 

Given the large number of changes, it’s difficult to make a clear breakdown of how the new meta will be. Nonetheless, we should expect the jungle to shift away from the popular picks like Diana, Volibear, and Ekko, as well as Jayce and Zed, who also received nerfs. In particular, the assassin champion will likely disappear after two repeated nerfs to his jungle clear.

Among the buffs, I’m looking to see how Hecarim, Vi, and Xin Zhao perform with the new update. Keep an eye out for Naafiri as well, who is getting 20% more damage to monsters. Other roles seem to be somewhat similar, with a couple of nerfs and buffs spread across a few champions. The focus, however, is still on the jungle: depending on which champions will become popular in Patch 26.3, we might see a consequent shift in champion picks in other roles.

League of Legends Patch Notes 26.03 Preview

Champion Changes

Ahri

• W cooldown reduced: 10/9/8/7/6 ⇒ 9/8/7/6/5 seconds

Bel’Veth

• HP per level: 99 ⇒ 105
• [R-P] Endless Banquet base on-hit damage: 6/8/10 ⇒ 6/10/14

Braum

• Base HP: 630 ⇒ 610
• Q base damage: 75/125/175/225/275 ⇒ 75/120/165/210/255

Briar

• HP per level: 95 ⇒ 100
• Armor per level: 4.2 ⇒ 4.5
• Q – W1 – E – R current HP cost: 6% ⇒ 5%

Diana

• Passive damage ratio: 280% ⇒ 230%

Draven

• AD per level: 3 ⇒ 3.4

Ekko

• Passive AP ratio: 90% ⇒ 80%
• Passive monster damage ratio: 300% ⇒ 270%

Ezreal

• AD per level: 3.25 ⇒ 3.75
• E bAD ratio: 50% ⇒ 60%

Hecarim

• Q base damage: 60/85/110/135/160 ⇒ 60/90/120/150/180
• Q damage amplification per stack: ⇒ 3% (+4% per 100 bAD) ⇒ 3% (+3% per 100 bAD)

Heimerdinger

• HP per level: 101 ⇒ 105
• W initial rocket base damage: 40/65/90/115/140 ⇒ 50/75/100/125/150

Jayce

• Q Hammer Form base damage: 60/105/150/195/240/285 ⇒ 60/110/160/210/260/310
• Q Hammer Form bonus monster damage: 25 ⇒ 10
• Q Cannon Form damage: 80/126/172/218/264/310 (+140% bAD) ⇒ 80/121/162/203/244/285 (+130% bAD)
• Q Cannon Form bonus monster damage: 25 ⇒ 10
• R Armor/Magic Resistance reduction: 10/15/20/25% ⇒ 20/25/30/35% (based on levels 1/6/11/16)

Kayn

• Q Reaping Slash (base/assassin form) base damage: 75/100/125/150/175 ⇒ 75/105/135/165/195

Maokai

• Q base damage: 65/110/155/200/245 ⇒ 75/120/165/210/255

Mel

• Attack Speed ratio: 0.4 ⇒ 0.625
• Passive damage per Searing Brilliance stack: 8-55 (+5% AP) ⇒ 8-27 (based on levels 1-20, linear) (+3% AP) (max damage reduced 72-495 (+45% AP) ⇒ 72-243 (based on levels 1-20, linear) (+27% AP))
• No longer displays passive mark on non-champions for enemies
• Q changes
  • Q damage: 13/15.5/18/20.5/23 (+8.5% AP) per bolt ⇒ 60/90/120/150/180 (+60% AP) initial hit explosion + 5/6/7/8/9 (+5% AP) per subsequent bolt (max damage increased 78/108.5/144/184.5/230 (+51/59.5/68/76.5/85% AP) ⇒ 90/132/176/222/270 (+85/90/95/100/105% AP))
  • Damage type now is considered Damage over Time Area of Effect
  • Minion damage ratio: 75% ⇒ 100%
  • Mana cost: 70/80/90/100/110 ⇒ 70/75/80/85/90
  • Cast time: 0.25 ⇒ 0.35 seconds
  • Channel time: 0.75 ⇒ 0.5 seconds
  • Projectile speed: 4500 ⇒ 3800
  • Explosion radius: 230 ⇒ 200
  • Area spread: 30 ⇒ 25
• W changes:
  • Decaying Move Speed: 30% for 0.75 ⇒ 40% for 1.5 seconds
  • No longer provides damage immunity
  • Now provides a shield of 80/110/140/170/200 (+60% AP) for 0.75 seconds
  • Now reduces reflected physical damage by 30% before magic damage conversion
  • Now destroys projectiles that target each unit in an area instead of reflecting them when those projectiles aren’t targeting Mel (Yunara [Q] Cultivation of Spirit, Ryze [E] Spell Flux, Brand [E] Conflagration, Katarina [R] Death Lotus, Samira [R] Inferno Trigger)
• E adjustments:
  • Orb base damage: 60/100/140/180/220 ⇒ 60/105/150/195/240
  • Field base damage per tick: 2/3.25/4.5/5.75/7 ⇒ 2/3.5/5/6.5/8
  • Root duration: 1.1/1.2/1.3/1.4/1.5s ⇒ 1.5 flat seconds
  • Cooldown: 12/11.5/11/10.5/10 ⇒ 11/10.5/10/9.5/9 seconds
  • Projectile speed: 1000 ⇒ 1100
  • Cast range: 1050 ⇒ 1000
  • Orb root radius: 80 ⇒ 70
  • Field radius: 260 ⇒ 230
  • End-of-travel linger duration: 0.5 seconds ⇒ 0.25 seconds
  • Bug fix: No longer visually pops at the end when descending terrain
• R AP ratio per passive stack: 3.5% ⇒ 4%

Naafiri

• Passive monster damage ratio: 135% ⇒ 155%

Nilah

• Base AD: 60 ⇒ 58
• Armor per level: 4.5 ⇒ 4.2

Nunu & Willump

• W base damage: 30-150/39-195/48-240/57-285/66-330 ⇒ 36-180/45-225/54-270/63-315/72-360 (based on charge time 1-5 seconds, linear)
• E base damage per hit: 14/21/28/35/42 ⇒ 15/22.5/30/37.5/45

Riven

• Passive total AD ratio: 30-52% ⇒ 30-46.5% (based on levels 1-20, linear)
• Q bonus AD ratio: 65/70/75/80/85% ⇒ 60/65/70/75/80%

Ryze

• W damage: 60/90/120/150/180 (+70% AP) (+4% bonus mana) ⇒ 60/90/120/150/180 (+60% AP) (+3% bonus mana)

Trundle

• AD per level: 4 ⇒ 4.5
• Armor per level: 3.9 ⇒ 4.5

Tryndamere

• AD per level: 4 ⇒ 4.5

Varus

• Armor per level: 4.6 ⇒ 4
• W passive on-hit AP ratio: 35% ⇒ 25%
• Target’s max HP damage per Blight stack AP ratio: 1.5% per 100 AP ⇒ 1.3% per 100 AP

Vi

• HP per level: 99 ⇒ 105
• AD per level: 3 ⇒ 3.5

Volibear

• Q damage: 10/30/50/70/90 (+120% bAD) ⇒ 10/20/30/40/50 (+140% bAD)
• E non-champion base maximum damage: 190/305/420/535/650 ⇒ 150/265/380/495/610
• Cooldown: 14 seconds ⇒ 16 seconds

Xin Zhao

• Passive heal Xin Zhao’s max HP ratio: 3/3.5/4% ⇒ 3/4/5% (based on levels 1/6/11)
• E bonus Attack Speed: 40/45/50/55/60% ⇒ 40/50/60/70/80%

Yone

• Q total AD ratio: 105% ⇒ 110%

Zaahen

• Q monster damage ratio: 175% ⇒ 200%
• E bonus monster damage: 50 ⇒ 75

Zed

• Passive monster damage ratio: 120% ⇒ 50%
• Epic monster damage cap: 300 ⇒ 100

Patch 26.3 System Changes

Actualizer

• Cost: 3100 ⇒ 2800 gold

Cash Back

• Gold refund: 8% ⇒ 7.5%

Phase Rush

• Bonus Move Speed: 25-53%/18.75-39.71% (melee/ranged) ⇒ 25-53%/12.5-26.5% (melee/ranged) (based on levels 1-20, linear)

T3 Defensive Boots

• Shield at level 8+: 55-120 + 7% max HP ⇒ 90-190 + 8% bonus HP (nerf of around 30%)

Triple Tonic

• Elixir of Force bonus: 30 ⇒ 25

Turret Plates

• Temporary resists: 20-100 per plate ⇒ 30-50 per plate

Champion bounties

• Devaluation rate: 1 per 2.5 gold given out ⇒ 1 per 3.5 gold given out
• Revaluation rate from farming: 1 per 5 gold earned ⇒ 1 per 7 gold earned

Dusk and Dawn

• Spellblade damage: 100% base AD + 10% AP ⇒ 75% base AD + 10% AP
• Health: 300 ⇒ 350

Endless Hunger

• Additional Long Sword in build path
• Cost: 3000 ⇒ 3100
• AD: 60 ⇒ 65

Protoplasm Harness

• Haste: 15 ⇒ 20
• Lifeline max health gain: 200 ⇒ 200 – 300 (level scaling)
• Lifeline healing: 200 – 400 + 250% armor + 250% MR ⇒ 200 – 400 + 175% armor + 175% MR

New Skins

• Firecracker Ashe – 1350 RP
• Firecracker Caitlyn – 1350 RP
• Firecracker Poppy – 1350 RP 
• Firecracker Seraphine – 1350 RP
• Firecracker Yuumi – 1350 RP
• Firecracker Ziggs – 1350 RP