LoL Patch 26.20 Notes: Worlds Nerfs and Buffs

League of Legends patch 26.20 went live on October 7, 2026, and it is the patch Worlds is played on. Riot published the notes on October 6 and opens them with "Bee wee woop - it's time for WORLDS!" The tuning is aimed at pro play: Ambessa, Ashe, Cassiopeia, K'Sante and Yunara are nerfed, Kennen and Kindred are buffed, and Hextech Rocketbelt gets "another tap."

Two changes reach well beyond the pro stage. Replays become private, and Riot starts blocking unknown third-party apps from reading game memory. Classic also gets five returning champions.

Key takeaways

• Patch 26.20 went live October 7, 2026. Worlds 2026 starts October 15 and is played on it.
• Nerfed: Ambessa, Ashe, Cassiopeia, K'Sante and Yunara, plus Experimental Hexplate and Runaan's Hurricane. Rocketbelt loses 10 ability haste and gains damage.
• Buffed: Diana, Kennen, Kindred, Lillia, Lucian, Mordekaiser, Neeko, Smolder, Swain, Tahm Kench and Vayne.
• You can only download replays of matches you played in. Third-party apps and sites lose access to replay downloads.
• Aatrox, Caitlyn, Irelia, Karma and Quinn join League Classic. The Act II Battle Pass arrives with 26.21.

When Does Patch 26.20 Go Live, and Is It the Worlds Patch?

Patch 26.20 was scheduled for October 7, 2026 on Riot's League of Legends patch schedule, and Riot's 26.20 patch notes call it the patch "we'll be seeing our year-defining competitive play on."

Worlds 2026 starts October 15, so the Play-In and everything after it is played on 26.20. The stage dates, venues and all 19 teams are in our Worlds 2026 schedule and format guide. The patch before this one, with the first round of pro-focused changes, is covered in our 26.19 patch notes article.

Riot's schedule lists 26.21 for October 21 and 26.22 for November 4, so two more patches land while the tournament is running.

Private Replays and Closed Game Memory

Starting with 26.20, you can only access replays from matches you played in. Riot's notes: "Other players will no longer be able to download your replays, and third-party apps & sites will lose access to replay downloads entirely."

Riot ties this to a wider restriction on third-party access to game memory. The notes say both are meant to "close some security vulnerabilities that have recently been exploited by cheat developers and other bad actors to build unauthorized tools around League game data." Reviewing your own games is unaffected: you can still download and watch your replays in the League client.

The Riot Support article behind the second change was published on September 29. It says that starting October 6 Riot "will begin proactively preventing game memory access by default for all unknown third-party applications," in League, TFT and VALORANT. Known and approved tools get a grace period until April 2027 to move to the official APIs.

Riot makes two statements about the change. It "does not result in bans by itself—it just blocks unauthorized tools from interacting with the game client." And Riot won't "promise that any specific application will remain functional."

Riot doesn't name which apps are affected, and neither can we. If you use a tracker, overlay or mod, the developer is the one who can tell you whether it is on Riot's approved list.

The Pro-Play Nerfs in Patch 26.20

Riot says the nerfs hit "pro staples" and champions that were "too reliable." Five champions are nerfed, and of the three items that change, Hexplate and Runaan's Hurricane are nerfed while Rocketbelt trades haste for damage. Riot's reason for each champion is quoted below.

Ambessa

Change in 26.20 and Riot's reasonPassive damage 5–30 (+25% bonus AD) to 5–25 (+20% bonus AD). Riot's reason: she has been "too reliable in her late game output for players with high mastery in all brackets, but especially pro-play"

Ashe

Change in 26.20 and Riot's reasonAttack damage per level 3.5 to 3. Riot's reason: she outputs "too much raw damage given her position as the highest utility marksman in the game"

Cassiopeia

Change in 26.20 and Riot's reasonBase health 630 to 610. Base mana 480 to 450. Riot's reason: she is still dominant in early laning after the changes two patches ago, and Riot wants her to "work a little harder to create an advantage"

K'Sante

Change in 26.20 and Riot's reasonW mana cost 40/45/50/55/60 to 45/50/55/60/65. W damage reduction 30/75% to 25/70%. Riot's reason: warding him off "from being as reliable as a blind pick in coordinated play"

Yunara

Change in 26.20 and Riot's reasonQ passive and active on-hit damage 5/10/15/20/25 (+20% AP) to 3/8/13/18/23. W slow no longer stacks with other slows. Riot's reason: Riot calls her "the leading candidate for 'handshake hyperscaler do nothing'", to avoid it becoming the dominant meta heading into Worlds

Champion	Change in 26.20 and Riot's reason
Ambessa	Passive damage 5–30 (+25% bonus AD) to 5–25 (+20% bonus AD). Riot's reason: she has been "too reliable in her late game output for players with high mastery in all brackets, but especially pro-play"
Ashe	Attack damage per level 3.5 to 3. Riot's reason: she outputs "too much raw damage given her position as the highest utility marksman in the game"
Cassiopeia	Base health 630 to 610. Base mana 480 to 450. Riot's reason: she is still dominant in early laning after the changes two patches ago, and Riot wants her to "work a little harder to create an advantage"
K'Sante	W mana cost 40/45/50/55/60 to 45/50/55/60/65. W damage reduction 30/75% to 25/70%. Riot's reason: warding him off "from being as reliable as a blind pick in coordinated play"
Yunara	Q passive and active on-hit damage 5/10/15/20/25 (+20% AP) to 3/8/13/18/23. W slow no longer stacks with other slows. Riot's reason: Riot calls her "the leading candidate for 'handshake hyperscaler do nothing'", to avoid it becoming the dominant meta heading into Worlds

Most of these are small numbers. Ashe loses half a point of attack damage per level, which is 8.5 attack damage by level 18. Cassiopeia's 20 health and 30 mana are an early-game cut, which is the target Riot names: her "early resources." In our read, that shows in the first few waves.

Yunara's W no longer stacking with other slows is the one non-numeric change in the table.

Every Buff in Patch 26.20

Eleven champions are buffed. Riot's framing is "buffs to weaker champions who might be on the edge of viability like Kennen & Kindred," and several buffs also make up for Rocketbelt.

Diana

Change in 26.20W shield bonus health ratio 11% to 14%

Kennen

Change in 26.20E bonus attack speed 40/50/60/70/80% to 50/60/70/80/90%

Kindred

Change in 26.20W monster mod 150% to 165%. E slow 1s to 1.5s. E no longer targets small monsters

Lillia

Change in 26.20R duration 2.5s to 2.5/2.75/3s

Lucian

Change in 26.20Attack damage 60 (+2.5 per level) to 60 (+2.9 per level)

Mordekaiser

Change in 26.20Q scaling at levels 10–20 +5 to +7 per level. R cooldown 140/120/100s to 120/110/100s

Neeko

Change in 26.20E base damage +10 at every rank. Empowered root 1.8/2.1/2.4/2.7/3s to 2/2.25/2.5/2.75/3s

Smolder

Change in 26.20Super Scorcher bonus damage 25–55% to 25–60%. Flap Flap Flap bonus damage 8–12.8% to 8–14%. R self-heal 100/135/170 (+50% bonus AD) to 100/175/250 (+75% bonus AD)

Swain

Change in 26.20Base magic resistance 31 to 34, base armor 25 to 23. W damage up at ranks 2–5, cooldown 22/21/20/19/18s to 20/19/18/17/16s

Tahm Kench

Change in 26.20Q base healing 10/13.75/17.5/21.25/25 to 10/20/30/40/50

Vayne

Change in 26.20Health per 5 seconds 4 (+0.5 per level) to 5.5 (+0.4 per level). Q mana cost 46/42/38/34/30 to 30 at every rank

Champion	Change in 26.20
Diana	W shield bonus health ratio 11% to 14%
Kennen	E bonus attack speed 40/50/60/70/80% to 50/60/70/80/90%
Kindred	W monster mod 150% to 165%. E slow 1s to 1.5s. E no longer targets small monsters
Lillia	R duration 2.5s to 2.5/2.75/3s
Lucian	Attack damage 60 (+2.5 per level) to 60 (+2.9 per level)
Mordekaiser	Q scaling at levels 10–20 +5 to +7 per level. R cooldown 140/120/100s to 120/110/100s
Neeko	E base damage +10 at every rank. Empowered root 1.8/2.1/2.4/2.7/3s to 2/2.25/2.5/2.75/3s
Smolder	Super Scorcher bonus damage 25–55% to 25–60%. Flap Flap Flap bonus damage 8–12.8% to 8–14%. R self-heal 100/135/170 (+50% bonus AD) to 100/175/250 (+75% bonus AD)
Swain	Base magic resistance 31 to 34, base armor 25 to 23. W damage up at ranks 2–5, cooldown 22/21/20/19/18s to 20/19/18/17/16s
Tahm Kench	Q base healing 10/13.75/17.5/21.25/25 to 10/20/30/40/50
Vayne	Health per 5 seconds 4 (+0.5 per level) to 5.5 (+0.4 per level). Q mana cost 46/42/38/34/30 to 30 at every rank

Riot gives a specific reason for several of these:

• Kennen and Neeko are compensation. Kennen's E buff is "offsetting Rocketbelt changes that he'll be a bit less excited about," and Neeko's is "minor compensation" because the belt change "will probably land as a small nerf for Neeko."
• Lucian follows last patch's change. It "ended up landing as a nerf for bot lane, so we're following up with a buff to make up for the lost power."
• Tahm Kench is paying back the support item changes. Riot says he "lost out on the recent adjustments to the support item."
• Vayne gets stats for bot lane, where she has to "weather harass." Riot isn't yet "totally happy with her top vs bot skew."
• Swain is a mid lane buff with a base-stat shift meant to "normalize his mid and bot lane performance."
• Smolder has "lost quite a bit of power over the last few patches," and the changes are meant to bring his bruiser and full-crit builds "closer in power."

Rocketbelt, Hexplate and Runaan's Hurricane

Three items change. Rocketbelt is the one Riot spends most words on.

Riot's read on Rocketbelt is that it "continues to be used a bit too much as an escape compared to a risky engage tool." The change takes away generic value, 10 ability haste, and adds 35 active damage and 5% more AP scaling, "emphasizing aggressive action with it, especially for AP Bruisers who rely on it for all ins." The intro notes it as a belt "worse at just being a purchasable Flash for immobile characters, with some immediate compensation for some core users."

Hexplate is aimed at ranged users, "especially as a first rush in top lane where it makes them too resilient to burst and too lethal during all ins." Runaan's Hurricane was "slightly overbuffed, so pulling back on that a bit."

Scoreboard counters are hidden

Riot is also hiding most item counters from the scoreboard. Systemic buff-bar work moved numbers onto items, and Riot says "these numbers began terrorizing your scoreboards (thanks, Death's Dance)." Counters stay on Tear of the Goddess items and Mejai's Soulstealer. They are hidden on fifteen items, including Death's Dance, Liandry's Torment, Kraken Slayer, Guinsoo's Rageblade, Spear of Shojin and Force of Nature.

League Classic: Five Champions Return

League Classic gets five champions in 26.20, each in its original form: Aatrox, Caitlyn, Irelia, Karma and Quinn, with Quinn's Valor. Riot calls them "an eclectic crew who have no business forming a band together." The Act II Battle Pass arrives with 26.21.

Aatrox

Classic versionSnapshotted when he was three patches old. Damages himself to fill a Blood Well that grants attack speed and revives him if he is killed

Caitlyn

Classic versionLive in Classic from 2011 to 2015. Traps root the first enemy to walk over them, up to two at a time

Irelia

Classic versionThe 2010–2018 version. Tenacity grows with nearby visible enemies, Bladesurge refunds its cooldown on a kill

Karma

Classic versionLive for just over two years before the early 2013 rework. Gains AP from missing health, with Mantra available at level 1

Quinn

Classic versionThe 2013–2015 version with Valor. Her ultimate sends Valor in as a fast melee skirmisher

Champion	Classic version
Aatrox	Snapshotted when he was three patches old. Damages himself to fill a Blood Well that grants attack speed and revives him if he is killed
Caitlyn	Live in Classic from 2011 to 2015. Traps root the first enemy to walk over them, up to two at a time
Irelia	The 2010–2018 version. Tenacity grows with nearby visible enemies, Bladesurge refunds its cooldown on a kill
Karma	Live for just over two years before the early 2013 rework. Gains AP from missing health, with Mantra available at level 1
Quinn	The 2013–2015 version with Valor. Her ultimate sends Valor in as a fast melee skirmisher

Classic balance and item changes

Graves and Fizz were strong at launch and are nerfed. Fiora is "still the game's most dominant top laner even after her last set of nerfs." Kennen and Nautilus are buffed, and three tank items regenerate more health.

Fiora

Classic 26.20W bonus attack damage 15/20/25/30/35 to 10/15/20/25/30

Graves

Classic 26.20Base attack damage 54.1 to 50. Attack damage per level 3.1 to 2.5. Attack speed per level 2.9% to 2.5%. R cone damage 140/250/360 (+120% bonus AD) to 140/230/320 (+100% bonus AD). Attack animations sped up

Fizz

Classic 26.20Q AP ratio 60% to 40%. W active AP ratio 35% to 20%

Kennen

Classic 26.20W passive 40/50/60/70/80% total AD to 25/40/55/70/85 (+100% bonus AD)

Nautilus

Classic 26.20W damage over time 40/55/70/85/100 to 40/65/90/115/140 (+40% AP). W shield ratio 10% to 15%, duration 9.75s to 10s. Two bug fixes for the empowered attack and the shield

Spirit Visage

Classic 26.20Health per 5: 4 to 20

Force of Nature

Classic 26.20Health per 5: 20 to 40

Warmog's Armor

Classic 26.20Health per 5: 10 to 30

Banshee's Veil

Classic 26.20Shop stat filter changed from Ability Power to Health, so it shows up when you search for health items

Change	Classic 26.20
Fiora	W bonus attack damage 15/20/25/30/35 to 10/15/20/25/30
Graves	Base attack damage 54.1 to 50. Attack damage per level 3.1 to 2.5. Attack speed per level 2.9% to 2.5%. R cone damage 140/250/360 (+120% bonus AD) to 140/230/320 (+100% bonus AD). Attack animations sped up
Fizz	Q AP ratio 60% to 40%. W active AP ratio 35% to 20%
Kennen	W passive 40/50/60/70/80% total AD to 25/40/55/70/85 (+100% bonus AD)
Nautilus	W damage over time 40/55/70/85/100 to 40/65/90/115/140 (+40% AP). W shield ratio 10% to 15%, duration 9.75s to 10s. Two bug fixes for the empowered attack and the shield
Spirit Visage	Health per 5: 4 to 20
Force of Nature	Health per 5: 20 to 40
Warmog's Armor	Health per 5: 10 to 30
Banshee's Veil	Shop stat filter changed from Ability Power to Health, so it shows up when you search for health items

If you're new to Classic, our guide to League Classic ranks and rules explains how it's ranked and what's different from the live game.

ARAM Mayhem, ARAM and Ranked 5s

Riot hands Mayhem a round of champion-specific buffs "that strengthen their core play patterns while also making them more accessible and satisfying to play in Mayhem." Six champions are buffed and six augments change. Everything below is from Riot's 26.20 patch notes.

Mayhem champion buffs

Bard

Change in 26.20Meep ability power ratio 50% to 67%. Meep recharge 8s to 5s. Meep auto damage per chime breakpoint 6 per 3 chimes to 10 per 3 chimes

Garen

Change in 26.20Passive regen raised. W cooldown 22–12 to 18–12. W shield 18% bonus health to 20%. W passive stacks 0.4 to 0.75 per minion kill

K'Sante

Change in 26.20W cooldown 14–10 to 10. W damage reduction 30% to 45%. E shield 13.5% bonus health to 15%

Lee Sin

Change in 26.20Passive attack speed 40% to 50%. Passive energy restore 20/30/40 to 30/40/50. W shield 60–240 to 80–320. Q2 damage 60–180 to 80–240

Swain

Change in 26.20Damage taken 105% to 100%. Healing 95% to 100%. Soul fragment restore 6% flat to 3%–6%, scaling with level

Thresh

Change in 26.20Passive soul drop 2 to 3. W cooldown 21/20/19/18/17s to 19/18/17/16/15s

Champion	Change in 26.20
Bard	Meep ability power ratio 50% to 67%. Meep recharge 8s to 5s. Meep auto damage per chime breakpoint 6 per 3 chimes to 10 per 3 chimes
Garen	Passive regen raised. W cooldown 22–12 to 18–12. W shield 18% bonus health to 20%. W passive stacks 0.4 to 0.75 per minion kill
K'Sante	W cooldown 14–10 to 10. W damage reduction 30% to 45%. E shield 13.5% bonus health to 15%
Lee Sin	Passive attack speed 40% to 50%. Passive energy restore 20/30/40 to 30/40/50. W shield 60–240 to 80–320. Q2 damage 60–180 to 80–240
Swain	Damage taken 105% to 100%. Healing 95% to 100%. Soul fragment restore 6% flat to 3%–6%, scaling with level
Thresh	Passive soul drop 2 to 3. W cooldown 21/20/19/18/17s to 19/18/17/16/15s

Mayhem augments

Plain ARAM and Ranked 5s

In plain ARAM, Bel'Veth is toned down and Locke is buffed.

Bel'Veth

Change in ARAMDamage dealt 105% to 100%. Damage taken 95% to 100%. Tenacity 20% to 0%

Locke

Change in ARAMDamage dealt 105% to 115%

Champion	Change in ARAM
Bel'Veth	Damage dealt 105% to 100%. Damage taken 95% to 100%. Tenacity 20% to 0%
Locke	Damage dealt 105% to 115%

The notes also confirm the Ranked 5s queue window: "from the previous 4pm-2am to 4pm-4am server time." The rules, rewards and schedule are in our Ranked 5s guide.

New Skins and Chromas

Seven skins were due with the patch on October 7.

Sett

SkinPrestige HEARTSTEEL Live My Life Sett

Ezreal

SkinHEARTSTEEL Live My Life Ezreal

Kayn

SkinHEARTSTEEL Live My Life Kayn

Aphelios

SkinHEARTSTEEL Live My Life Aphelios

Yone

SkinHEARTSTEEL Live My Life Yone

K'Sante

SkinHEARTSTEEL Live My Life K'Sante

Kog'Maw

SkinPrestige Classic Baron Kog'Maw

Champion	Skin
Sett	Prestige HEARTSTEEL Live My Life Sett
Ezreal	HEARTSTEEL Live My Life Ezreal
Kayn	HEARTSTEEL Live My Life Kayn
Aphelios	HEARTSTEEL Live My Life Aphelios
Yone	HEARTSTEEL Live My Life Yone
K'Sante	HEARTSTEEL Live My Life K'Sante
Kog'Maw	Prestige Classic Baron Kog'Maw

The patch also adds SKT T1 Elite chromas for Jax, Lee Sin, Vayne, Zyra and Zed. Both lists come from Riot's 26.20 patch notes.

What Patch 26.20 Means for Your Climb

Most of 26.20 is tuned for the pro stage, so the effect on solo queue is small and sits at the champion level. This is our read of the notes, not Riot's:

• Top laners: K'Sante is a less reliable blind pick, and Ambessa loses late-game damage. Mordekaiser gets more Q damage after level 10 and a shorter ultimate cooldown, and Kennen's E is stronger.
• Mid laners: Cassiopeia is weaker in the first levels. Swain's W cooldown drops by 2 seconds, and Neeko and Diana get small buffs.
• Jungle: Kindred is stronger. Lillia's ultimate lasts longer at ranks 2 and 3.
• Bot lane: Ashe loses growth damage and Yunara's slows no longer stack. Lucian and Vayne are buffed, and Smolder's crit builds get more damage and a much stronger ultimate heal.
• Supports: Tahm Kench heals more on Q.
• AP bruisers with a Rocketbelt: the item is weaker as an escape and hits harder when you go in.

The patch doesn't change how LP works. Your gains still come from MMR relative to the lobby, which our LP and MMR explainer covers. Worlds doesn't reset your rank either, because Season 3 runs into January 2027, as our Season 3 end date guide explains. If you duo, our duo role and champion guide is a good place to start.

What a LoL Boost Costs on October 9, 2026

If you'd rather not spend the Worlds weeks learning a new item, Pairly's boosters play the games for you. The table below shows today's price for one full tier on the League of Legends boost page, taken from the same price engine the checkout uses and checked on October 9, 2026. Each total includes the automatic 20% campaign discount and the card service fee.

Iron IV to Bronze IV

Solo€12.36

Duo€17.19

Bronze IV to Silver IV

Solo€14.65

Duo€20.37

Silver IV to Gold IV

Solo€18.70

Duo€26.07

Gold IV to Platinum IV

Solo€31.30

Duo€43.71

Platinum IV to Emerald IV

Solo€49.66

Duo€69.41

Emerald IV to Diamond IV

Solo€74.64

Duo€103.50

Climb	Solo	Duo
Iron IV to Bronze IV	€12.36	€17.19
Bronze IV to Silver IV	€14.65	€20.37
Silver IV to Gold IV	€18.70	€26.07
Gold IV to Platinum IV	€31.30	€43.71
Platinum IV to Emerald IV	€49.66	€69.41
Emerald IV to Diamond IV	€74.64	€103.50

Solo means a booster plays on your account. Duo means you play every game yourself with a booster in your party. Add-ons such as Express Priority change the total, and the calculator shows the exact price for your own ranks before you pay. If you just want a ranked partner rather than a paid climb, Pairly's Duo Finder matches you with one for free.

Boosting on your account breaks Riot's Terms of Service, and Riot runs boosting detection. Read our guide to LoL boosting risks and account security before you order.

LoL Patch 26.20 FAQ

When does LoL patch 26.20 come out?

Patch 26.20 went live on October 7, 2026, the date on Riot's patch schedule. Riot published the patch notes on October 6.

Is patch 26.20 the Worlds patch?

Yes. Riot calls it the patch "we'll be seeing our year-defining competitive play on." Worlds 2026 starts October 15.

Who is nerfed in patch 26.20?

Ambessa, Ashe, Cassiopeia, K'Sante and Yunara are nerfed on Summoner's Rift, along with Hextech Rocketbelt's ability haste, Experimental Hexplate's ranged effect and Runaan's Hurricane's bolt damage.

Can I still download replays in patch 26.20?

Only for matches you played in. Other players can no longer download your replays, and third-party apps and sites lose access to replay downloads entirely. You can still watch your own replays in the League client.

Will I be banned for using a third-party app after 26.20?

Riot says the game memory change "does not result in bans by itself." It blocks unknown third-party apps from interacting with the game client, and approved apps have a grace period until April 2027. Riot doesn't promise that any specific app will keep working, so ask the app's developer.

Which champions are coming to League Classic?

Aatrox, Caitlyn, Irelia, Karma and Quinn, in versions from the early years of the game. The Act II Battle Pass arrives with patch 26.21.