Patch 26.20 has arrived, and for Summoner's Rift this is the update the entire competitive season has been building toward. This is the patch Worlds 2026 will be played on, so Riot has been careful with its adjustments: trimming down the most reliable pro-play picks, nudging weaker champions toward viability, and reworking a few items that have been quietly warping the meta. The patch also introduces a major change to how replays work, plus a wave of new skins and Classic-mode content.

Pro Staples Take a Hit Ahead of Worlds

Riot has targeted several champions whose reliability in coordinated play has made them near-permanent fixtures in draft. Ambessa's passive damage is being trimmed, reducing her late-game output for high-mastery players across all ranks. Ashe loses attack damage per level, reflecting her status as the highest-utility marksman in the game. K'Sante's early mana costs and W damage reduction are both getting hit, making him less of a blind-pick safety valve in pro drafts. Cassiopeia also loses base health and mana as Riot continues to rein in her dominant early laning phase.

Buffs for Champions on the Edge of Viability

On the other side of the ledger, several champions are getting meaningful help. Kennen gains bonus attack speed on Lightning Rush, offsetting his less enthusiastic relationship with the Rocketbelt changes. Kindred receives buffs to Wolf's Frenzy monster damage and Mounting Dread slow duration, though small-monster targeting on E is being removed. Diana's bruiser build gets a stronger shield, Lillia's ultimate duration scales up at later ranks, and Lucian gets a bot-lane compensation buff after last patch's adjustment landed as a net nerf. Mordekaiser, Neeko, Smolder, Swain, Tahm Kench, and Vayne all receive targeted improvements as well.

Item Shakeups: Rocketbelt, Hexplate, and Runaan's

Hextech Rocketbelt is the headline item change. Riot wants it to feel like a risky engage tool rather than a purchasable Flash for immobile mages, so ability haste is being cut and active damage increased. Experimental Hexplate is getting a significant nerf for ranged users, dropping from 70% to 50% of its value. Runaan's Hurricane also loses a bit of attack damage per bolt after being slightly overbuffed.

  • Hextech Rocketbelt: Ability Haste 20 → 10; Active Damage 100 (+10% AP) → 135 (+15% AP)
  • Experimental Hexplate: Ranged Mod 70% → 50% of value
  • Runaan's Hurricane: Attack Damage per Bolt 65% → 60%

Private Replays and Scoreboard Cleanup

Starting with this patch, replays are becoming private. You will only be able to access matches you personally played in, and third-party apps and sites will lose replay download access entirely. Riot says this change, alongside new restrictions on third-party game memory access, is meant to close security vulnerabilities that cheat developers have been exploiting. Your own VOD review workflow inside the League client is unaffected. Separately, the scoreboard is getting a cleanup pass: most item icon counters, including Death's Dance and Liandry's Torment, will be hidden to reduce noise, while strategically relevant items like Tear of the Goddess and Mejai's Soulstealer keep their counters.

Skins and Classic Content

Prestige Classic Baron Kog'Maw and the Prestige HEARTSTEEL Live My Life line — featuring Sett, Ezreal, Kayn, Aphelios, Yone, and K'Sante — arrive on October 7, 2026. Classic mode also continues to expand with more returning old champions, and Mayhem mode gets its own set of fun additions.

Source: Riot Games — League of Legends Patch 26.20 Notes (https://www.leagueoflegends.com/en-us/news/game-updates/league-of-legends-patch-26-20-notes)