Riot Games has rolled out Patch 26.16 for League of Legends, bringing a wave of changes aimed at reshaping the bot lane meta, rebalancing key champions, and promoting item diversity across the jungle and fighter roles. This patch addresses the rise of early roaming supports, the dominance of mage bot laners, and the over-reliance on certain AD fighter items, all while delivering buffs to underperforming champions and tweaking several core items.

Bot Lane Meta: Roaming Supports and Mages Under Fire

One of the biggest shifts in recent months has been the emergence of supports roaming early and acting as a second jungler. While this can be a fun strategic option, Riot feels it's become too prevalent, leading to a lack of meaningful bot lane presence. To counter this, they're adjusting role quest progress for supports and directly nerfing champions like Camille who have thrived in this playstyle. The goal is to make roaming a riskier choice without eliminating it as a viable strategy.

Additionally, mages have become a prominent pick in the bot lane, both in pro play and regular games, often outshining traditional ADCs. Riot is stepping in to equalize the power balance, ensuring mages remain viable but not clearly dominant. These changes are part of a broader effort to keep the bot lane dynamic and fair for all classes.

Champion Adjustments: Buffs and Nerfs Across the Rift

Patch 26.16 brings a mix of buffs and nerfs to several champions, with a focus on fine-tuning their power curves and playstyles.

  • Azir: His Q, Conquering Sands, gets a damage buff early on (from 60-140 to 75-155 base damage) to improve his laning phase, especially as Press the Attack gains popularity.
  • Bel'Veth: Her late-game scaling is being toned down slightly, with reduced health growth (from 110 to 105 per level) and lower True Form attack speed at later ranks. A new indicator shows when she can spawn Remora.
  • Camille: Her support roaming power is nerfed, but her top lane gets buffed. Her passive shield now scales with level (10-25% max health) and has a lower cooldown, while her W, Tactical Sweep, also gets a cooldown reduction and increased damage.
  • Gwen: Her passive healing is buffed to 67% post-mitigation with a higher cap, making her more of a threat in sustained fights.
  • Kennen: To compensate for the Hextech Rocketbelt rework, his ultimate, Slicing Maelstrom, now grants more bonus resistances and deals increased damage.
  • Nasus: His Q stacking is adjusted to 4 stacks (10 on champions/large minions) to make his jungle and top lane power more comparable.
  • Poppy: Her early-game AD fighter pattern is being shifted toward tank play. Her base AD is lowered, but her mana pool and regeneration are increased, while her Q and W scale better with health and resistances.

    • Item Reworks: Promoting Diversity and Counterplay

    A significant part of this patch is dedicated to item adjustments, targeting both overperforming and underused items to create a healthier meta.

  • Sundered Sky: Its healing is reduced (100% to 90% for melee, 50% to 45% for ranged) and its recipe is simplified, while its health is increased to 450. This aims to curb its dominance as the go-to AD fighter item.
  • Black Cleaver: The move speed buff is now split between melee (20) and ranged (10) users, allowing Riot to buff the item's AD to 45 without making it too strong for ranged champions like Smolder or Senna.
  • Eclipse: The damage is increased for both melee (8% max health) and ranged (5%), while the shield is slightly reduced. This brings it back as a viable early AD item outside of lethality builds.
  • Runaan's Hurricane: Its bolt damage is increased to 65% AD and move speed to 5%, making it more rewarding for champions who can position well.
  • Sterak's Gage: The bonus AD is increased to 50% of base AD, reinforcing its role as a teamfight item for divers and juggernauts.
  • Sunfire Cape: Its cost is increased to match Hollow Radiance, but its damage now scales better with bonus health and is more effective against champions, while being less efficient for waveclear.
  • Berserker's Greaves: Attack speed is buffed to 30% (45% for T3), giving ADCs a much-needed boost.

    • Mid Lane Counterplay and Boot Adjustments

    The patch also tweaks defensive boots and mage shoes to shift power dynamics in mid lane. Chainlaced Crushers now provide less magic resistance (25 instead of 30), making them less punishing for mages, while Spellslinger's Shoes receive a buff to encourage more aggressive mage play. These changes are designed to open up more action in mid lane and complement the mage bot lane adjustments.

    With these changes, Riot aims to create a more balanced and diverse meta across all roles. Whether you're a support player looking to roam, an ADC trying to keep up with mages, or a jungler exploring new builds, Patch 26.16 offers something for everyone. As always, the team is eager to see how the meta evolves and is ready to make further adjustments based on player feedback.

    Source: Riot Games, 'League of Legends Patch 26.16 Notes', available at https://www.leagueoflegends.com/en-us/news/game-updates/league-of-legends-patch-26-16-notes