Patch Preview
The MSI 2026 patch - every confirmed change
This is the big one. Patch 26.13 is the version teams take to the Mid-Season Invitational, so Riot is balancing for two crowds at once: the MSI stage in Korea and the rest of us grinding solo queue. That means widening the pro pick pool, knocking down the picks that have been suffocating the meta, and finally letting new champion Locke off the leash.
It goes live on June 24, 2026, and MSI play-ins kick off June 28. Below is every confirmed champion change. Some exact numbers are still being tuned on PBE, so where Riot hasn't locked a value yet we've called out the ability and the direction rather than guessing a number.
Champion Buffs
The headline is bot lane. Three marksmen who fell out of favour this year are all getting pushed back toward relevance, plus a batch of mid and jungle picks to fatten the pro pool.
- [Q] Active-ability damage increased on the Green, Red, Blue, and White weapons - more reward for hitting your gun-specific actives
- [E] Stand Aside cooldown reduced
- [R] Whirling Death deals more damage when it strikes more than one target - a real teamfight reset for a champ built around early bot dominance
- [W] Void Seeker buffed
- [R] Killer Instinct buffed - small nudges to coax her back out of the shadows for MSI
- Buffed to push her further up the priority list - she's already trending and Riot expects her impact to climb in this meta
- Buffed - part of the push to reward aggressive, skill-expression mid laners at MSI
- Buffed - another control/burst mid option getting a bump into the viable range
- Buffed - carry jungler getting help to compete in the pro jungle pool
- Buffed - already a rising pick, Riot expects his impact to climb further in the upcoming meta
- Buffed - a situational anti-dash counter-pick getting nudged toward MSI viability
Champion Nerfs
The nerf side is all about the picks that have been too safe or too dominant - especially the top lane trio that's been a headache in pro play, and the Senna problem that's been brewing in both solo queue and competitive.
- Nerfed - one of the perennial pro-meta tops getting reined in so he isn't a forced pick/ban at MSI
- Nerfed - the AoE flex pick gets trimmed alongside the rest of the oppressive top group
- Nerfed - the splitpush/frontline staple comes down a notch
- Soul drop rate from minions and monsters she kills: 10% → 5%
- Soul spawn rate on creatures she does NOT last-hit: 28% → 32%
- The Statikk Shiv soul-generation interaction has been removed
- Nerfed - he's been everywhere in both competitive and solo queue, so he loses a little power
- Nerfed to cut into how reliably she's been a first-pick mid, especially in the LCK region
System Changes
Two item touches, and both are aimed squarely at bot lane.
Imperial Mandate
Efficiency buff
- Made more gold-efficient so it's a stronger, smoother buy on the supports built around it
Doran's Helm
Nerfed - too safe on marksmen
- The defensive starting item has been a no-risk pick-up for ADCs who want a safe lane; this nerf pushes marksmen back toward the riskier, higher-ceiling starts the buffs above are designed to reward
New Champion: Locke
Locke arrives in 26.13
Locke is the only new champion Riot has shipped in 2026, and he becomes available this patch - which means he debuts on the exact version teams play at MSI. Expect a flood of solo queue games as everyone rushes to learn him, plus the usual launch-window winrate chaos before the meta figures him out. A High Noon Locke skin lands alongside the release.
How This Plays Out
If you're climbing, the marksmen buffs are the obvious thing to chase. Aphelios, Draven, and Kai'Sa all go from "off-meta" to "worth a look," and the Doran's Helm nerf nudges the whole ADC class toward the aggressive lane starts those buffs reward. On the flip side, Senna mains should brace - the soul economy nerf plus the Statikk Shiv removal is a real dent in how she snowballs.
Top lane gets less oppressive with K'Sante, Rumble, and Sion all coming down, which opens the door for more varied top picks. And if you want a fresh project, Locke is going to be everywhere week one.
Once 26.13 goes live, check our tier list - it refreshes with live winrate, pickrate, and banrate data every patch so you can see exactly who's actually up and who's down once the games roll in. You can also browse the patch notes archive for the full history.
MSI patch, fresh meta
Test the 26.13 marksmen buffs and learn Locke on a smurf instead of risking LP on your main.
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When does LoL Patch 26.13 come out?
Patch 26.13 deploys to live servers on June 24, 2026. It's the official patch of the 2026 Mid-Season Invitational, with MSI play-ins starting June 28 in Korea.
Which champions are getting buffed in Patch 26.13?
Buffs are going to Aphelios, Draven, and Kai'Sa (bot lane), LeBlanc, Qiyana, and Vex (mid lane), and Kindred, Olaf, Poppy, and Zaahen (jungle).
Which champions are getting nerfed in Patch 26.13?
Nerfs are hitting K'Sante, Rumble, and Sion (top lane), Senna (bot lane), Bard (support), and Cassiopeia (mid lane).
Is the new champion Locke available in Patch 26.13?
Yes. Locke, the only new champion Riot has released in 2026, becomes available in Patch 26.13, debuting on the same version teams use at MSI. A High Noon Locke skin releases alongside him.
Why is Patch 26.13 a big deal?
It's the MSI 2026 patch, so the balance changes are tuned to widen the competitive pick pool and rein in the most oppressive picks. The same changes shape solo queue, with several bot lane marksmen becoming viable again.
