LoL Patch 26.18: The Road to Worlds Begins

League of Legends Patch 26.18 is scheduled to drop on Thursday, September 10, 2026. As the third-to-last update before the World Championship, this patch marks the beginning of the pre-tournament balance tuning. While the changes are relatively modest, they target several champions that have been overperforming or underperforming across different skill brackets.

Champion Buffs

Champion	Changes
Ekko	Q mana cost reduced (50–90 → 40–80); Q return AP ratio increased (60% → 70%)
Kassadin	Skill damage increased
Master Yi	Durability and ultimate mobility improvements; armor growth increased from 4.5 to 5 per level
Viego	Passive now heals for 2% of target‘s max health per 500 bonus health, supporting bruiser builds
Zaahen	Slight buff and more consistent Q behavior after reviving

Master Yi‘s buff is particularly notable. After the earlier Rageblade re-script disproportionately affected him, Riot is partially restoring power to both the item and the champion. Viego‘s changes explicitly support bruiser-style builds following recent Divine Sunderer and Sundered Sky adjustments.

Champion Nerfs

Champion	Changes
Zeri	Toning down after benefiting heavily from Hurricane changes
Seraphine	E rank-up incentives weakened for damage-oriented roles; minimal impact on Support Seraphine
Bard	Targeted nerfs
Nautilus	Targeted nerfs
Syndra	Targeted nerfs

Cassiopeia: Targeted Adjustments

Cassiopeia is the only champion receiving adjustments rather than a straight buff or nerf. Her early base damage is being reduced, with more power moved into her AP ratios. The goal is to help average players (who tend to purchase more AP) while preserving her strong early-game identity for pro play.

System Changes

The Rageblade system is receiving a small power return, partially restoring strength to champions who were hit hard by the earlier re-script.

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Season 3 Act 2: What‘s Coming in Late October

Riot Games unveiled the Season 3 Act 2 update plan on September 9, 2026. The update is scheduled for late October 2026 and introduces several major features.

Team Voice Chat (October 7)

The most anticipated feature is Team Voice Chat, launching on October 7. Rollout begins in North America and Oceania, followed by South Korea, LATAM, and Brazil.

Key features include:

• Noise cancellation
• Voice moderation
• Honor restrictions: Players with Honor below level 3 can only listen, not speak

ARAM: Mayhem – Musical Overhaul

ARAM: Mayhem is getting a music-themed makeover. The mode now features:

• Live performances in the center of the map, similar to Arena‘s “Guests of Honor” system
• Virtual bands including K/DA, HEARTSTEEL, Arcade, Cafe Cuties, and Bees
• New in-game missions and new Augments

League Classic Updates

The second Classic patch adds:

• Two free Rune Pages
• More Influence Points and Classic XP
• Lower rune costs
• Refreshed Summoner‘s Rift art
• First Council vote

After the three ninjas (Akali, Kennen, Shen), Riot is releasing the Demacia Rising package (Poppy, Singed, Shyvana, Galio, Fiora), followed by Graves and three Bilgewater champions. IP/XP gains are being increased and rune prices reduced.

Ranked 5s Returns

Ranked 5s returns between September and December 2026 with:

• A new strategic draft system (showing opponents‘ most frequent picks, Clash-style)
• Extended queue hours on weekends

Worlds 2026

The World Championship begins October 15 in Los Angeles and culminates with the final on November 14 in Brooklyn, New York. Riot is expected to share information about League Next (or LoL 2) during the event.

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