League of Legends Patch 26.10 Preview: All Buffs, Nerfs, Changes, and More

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League of Legends Patch 26.10 is already shaping up to be a pretty important follow-up to Patch 26.9, especially after Riot’s latest round of system changes caused plenty of discussion across the community. According to Riot’s official patch schedule, Patch 26.10 is expected to go live on May 13, 2026.

This preview is not the full patch notes yet, so exact numbers for champion and item changes are still missing. However, Riot has now shared the early change list, and it includes champion buffs, champion nerfs, champion adjustments, system tuning, Arena updates, and another look at Apex Ranked after the regional MMR reset.

LoL Patch 26.10 Release Date

League of Legends Patch 26.10 is scheduled for May 13, 2026, based on Riot’s official 2026 patch calendar. It will arrive two weeks after Patch 26.9, which introduced several major Season 2 gameplay updates, including new runes, item changes, alternate build support, and Ranked WASD controls.

Since this is currently only a preview, Riot may still adjust the final list before the update hits live servers.

LoL Patch 26.10 Champion Buffs

Patch 26.10 Preview!

Arena
– We're really excited that Patch 26.10 will be 6 teams of 3!!
– We're really excited to see how y'all like this

Patch 26.9
– There's been a lot of cool and fun things coming out of 26.9 social media
– We've seen AP Statikk Shiv Xin Zhaos, people… pic.twitter.com/Au0TmhrCqF

— Matt Leung-Harrison (@RiotPhroxzon) May 5, 2026

Patch 26.10 currently has four champions listed for buffs: Ambessa, Galio, Wukong, and Zeri.

Ambessa getting buffed is interesting because she has been one of the newer and more closely watched champions in League. Riot has not shared the exact numbers yet, so it is unclear whether this will be a direct damage boost, survivability improvement, or a more targeted adjustment to one of her abilities.

Galio and Wukong being on the buff list also suggests Riot may be trying to give certain engage and skirmish champions a bit more room in the current meta. Zeri is another big name here, especially because even small Zeri changes can quickly affect both solo queue and pro play.

LoL Patch 26.10 Champion Nerfs

The current nerf list includes Anivia, Ashe, Naafiri, Shyvana, and Zed.

Anivia and Ashe being nerfed point toward Riot targeting champions that may be performing too well in their current roles. Ashe has often been a flexible pick because of her utility, long-range engagement, and ability to work in both carry and support-focused situations.

Naafiri, Shyvana, and Zed, also being nerfed, suggest Riot is looking at damage-heavy champions that may be overperforming after the recent system updates. Zed, in particular, is always a sensitive champion to balance, since even small buffs or nerfs can change how oppressive he feels in mid lane.

LoL Patch 26.10 Champion Adjustments

Lee Sin and Quinn are listed under champion adjustments rather than straight buffs or nerfs.

That usually means Riot is not simply trying to make them stronger or weaker overall. Instead, these changes may be aimed at shifting how they play, smoothing out certain builds, or changing where their power sits across the game.

Quinn’s adjustment also stands out because Riot previously mentioned PROJECT: Quinn as one of the skins coming during the Season 2 update cycle.

LoL Patch 26.10 System Buffs

The system buff list currently includes Lich Bane and Stormraider’s Surge.

Riot said one of its goals with the recent Dusk and Dawn changes was to better separate that item from Lich Bane. With Patch 26.10, Lich Bane is now expected to receive an upward adjustment, likely to help it feel more distinct and valuable for champions who want that spellblade burst pattern.

Stormraider’s Surge is also getting buffed after landing weaker than expected. Riot brought back Stormraider’s Surge in Season 2 as part of its wider rune and gameplay update, with the rune replacing Phase Rush as an alternative movement speed option.

LoL Patch 26.10 System Nerfs

Deathfire Touch and Gluttonous Greaves are both listed for nerfs in Patch 26.10.

Deathfire Touch has been one of the biggest talking points since Patch 26.9. Riot said the rune looked a little too strong, especially in lane, although the team also seemed happy with the type of champions using it. After the recent micropatch nerfs, Riot believes the power level is now more reasonable, so Patch 26.10 is expected to bring only a smaller follow-up adjustment.

Gluttonous Greaves is also being toned down. The boots have found a strong user base among fighters and AD assassins, especially champions that want an offensive boot option outside of Ionian Boots of Lucidity. Riot believes they are too strong in non-mid roles and also too strong in mid when upgraded.

Arena Gets 6 Teams of 3 in Patch 26.10

One of the biggest parts of Patch 26.10 is Arena moving to 6 teams of 3.

Riot previously explained that 3×6 means three players on each team with six total teams in the lobby. The goal is to open up more champion diversity in Arena, since the old 2v2 format naturally pushed certain champions and duos ahead of others.

More players per team means more team comp variety, more combo potential, and probably a lot more chaos. Riot has also said Arena Season 2 includes Events, Augment Levels, a new Petricite Grove map, changes to Ancestral Woods, over 30 new-to-Arena augments, and more than 20 new or reworked Guests of Honor.

Apex Ranked Will Stay Under Watch

Riot also addressed Apex Ranked after the regional reset. The Duo queue will not be re-enabled yet, as Riot wants to let Apex MMR settle for another patch before making another call.

The team also looked into cases where Emerald players were appearing in Masters lobbies. According to Riot, these cases generally came from players who had not played much before the reset, fresh accounts climbing with very high win rates, or Emerald players duoing with high MMR Diamond or Emerald teammates.

Riot’s current stance is that these games do not appear to be broken from an MMR or LP perspective, even if the visible ranks can look strange.

LoL Patch 26.10 Preview Change List

Category	Champions and Systems
Champion Buffs	Ambessa, Galio, Wukong, Zeri
Champion Nerfs	Anivia, Ashe, Naafiri, Shyvana, Zed
Champion Adjustments	Lee Sin, Quinn
System Buffs	Lich Bane, Stormraider’s Surge
System Nerfs	Deathfire Touch, Gluttonous Greaves
Arena Update	6 teams of 3
Ranked Update	Apex MMR reset still being monitored

Patch 26.9 brought a lot of new toys to League, and Patch 26.10 looks like Riot’s first real pass at cleaning up the biggest balance outliers. Deathfire Touch and Gluttonous Greaves are clearly the headline system nerfs, while Lich Bane and Stormraider’s Surge are being pushed up to make them feel more competitive.

On the champion side, the preview is still missing exact numbers, so it is too early to call winners and losers with confidence. Still, with Zeri, Zed, Ashe, Lee Sin, Quinn, and Ambessa all on the list, Patch 26.10 already has enough names to make players pay attention.

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