Riot Games has unveiled Patch 26.15, marking the start of Season 3 with a host of major changes. The headline act is Bel'Veth's transformative update, which shifts her from an early-game invader to a late-game scaling monster. Beyond the Void Empress, the patch delivers nerfs to several overperforming champions, buffs to tanky titans, and significant Ranked system adjustments, including the return of duo queue to Master tier. And if that wasn't enough, the long-awaited League Classic mode is finally arriving, letting players relive the glory days of the 2010s.
Bel'Veth Rework: Embracing the Evolution Fantasy
Bel'Veth's kit has been overhauled to emphasize her identity as a late-game hyperscaler. Her base stats have been lowered significantly (attack speed from 0.85 to 0.67, AD from 60 to 55, armor from 32 to 28, health from 610 to 580), but her scaling and evolution mechanics have been supercharged. Key changes include:
Q - Void Surge: Cooldown between casts increased at early ranks (4 seconds at rank 1) but scales down; damage now scales with 105% AD and deals full damage to minions (removed minion damage modifier).
W - Above and Below: Now scales purely with AP (150% AP) with a longer knockup duration at max rank (1 second).
E - Royal Maelstrom: Damage per strike increased, but damage reduction lowered at early ranks; lifesteal now scales with rank (20-40%).
R - Endless Banquet: True damage per stack reduced, but passive on-hit applies every attack; ultimate duration becomes infinite at 80 stacks, and attack range grows from 75 to 125 at max rank.
These changes aim to reduce Bel'Veth's oppressive early-game invades while rewarding players who stack Void Coral and reach her ultimate evolution fantasy. The infinite R duration at high stacks is a game-changer for her late-game teamfighting.
Champion Balance: Nerfs and Buffs
Several champions are receiving adjustments to address balance outliers. Nerfs target recent and persistent overperformers:
Locke: Health reduced (655 to 620), Q base damage lowered, and W movement speed flattened to 40% at all ranks.
Naafiri: Further nerfs to curb her snowball potential.
Riven, Sylas, Morde: Tuning down their effectiveness in the current meta.
On the buff side, tanky champions like Alistar get a movement speed increase (330 to 335) to compensate for the loss of Mobility Boots. Kai'Sa receives a late-game scaling boost to her passive (Caustic Wounds base damage increased to 4-30 per stack), helping her hyperscaling fantasy.
Ranked Season 3 Overhaul: Aegis of Valor and Duo Queue Changes
Season 3 launches on July 29 at 12 PM local server time, bringing major Ranked system updates. The Aegis of Valor system has been reworked: it no longer provides LP loss protection on defeats, and wins now grant double LP without requiring a minimum mastery score. This change eliminates the perverse incentive to play for grades rather than victory.
Duo queue is returning to Master tier, but with restrictions: players can only duo with others close in rank. Grandmaster and Challenger tiers, along with players who have GM/Challenger MMR, are excluded from duoing. Riot states this is a step toward improving match quality while maintaining competitive integrity.
League Classic Mode and Patch Highlights
The patch introduces League Classic, a nostalgic mode featuring 60 champions with their original kits from the early 2010s. Expect point-and-click stuns, Heart of Gold, and a focus on strategy over mechanics. The mode emphasizes resource management and careful play, with monsters that fight back. Prestige Magma Chamber Jax and Veigar skins will also be available starting July 29.
Additional updates include ARAM: Mayhem and Arena changes, item and rune adjustments, and the end-of-Season 2 rewards distribution. The shard transfer service will be temporarily disabled until Season 2 rewards are granted.
Source: Patch 26.15 Notes by Erika "Riot Cashmiir" Haas, Steven "Riot sternest" Earnest, and Yina "Riot Yina" Wen. Originally published on Riot Games' League of Legends website.
