Patch 26.20 is the Worlds 2026 patch. Riot clipped some pro-play staples and gave a few fringe picks another shot. The same changes hit your ranked games, so check the updated tier list before copying a Worlds draft into solo queue. These are the shipped changes from Riot's official 26.20 notes, not a PBE preview.
The short version: Ambessa, Ashe, K'Sante, Cassiopeia and Yunara get cut. Kindred, Lillia, Kennen and several others get help. Rocketbelt trades Ability Haste for more active damage, and ranged Experimental Hexplate users take a real hit. Riot also made replays private to the players in each match. If you follow pro play, the Worlds 2026 schedule and format guide covers when this patch hits the stage.
Patch 26.20 tier list: first Emerald+ results
The 26.20 tier list now has 159 champion-role entries from Emerald+ games. This is an early patch sample, filtered to at least 1% pick rate and 500 games in each role. Read the percentages with that timing in mind. One day's data can spot a big move, but it cannot settle every matchup.
Patch numbers are early. The ranking uses a minimum sample, but one day is still too short to call a champion permanently S or D. Check the tier list again once the patch has more games.
The clearest bot lane move so far is Yunara falling to B tier at 50.09% win rate after her Q on-hit cut. Ashe is C at 51.01%. On the buff side, Smolder is B at 50.73% and Vayne is C at 50.10%. It is tempting to see a buff beside a champion's name and instantly lock them in; the first sample says you still need a reason to pick them.
In jungle, Lillia is A at 52.69% after her second straight sleep buff, while Kindred is D at 49.93% despite extra monster damage and longer E slow. Mordekaiser top is A at 52.01%. Kennen top is D at 50.88% in a smaller sample. Keep the pro draft and solo queue board separate: the team coordination that makes a champion valuable on stage does not arrive in your ranked lobby just because you pinged once.
Patch 26.20 nerfs for the Worlds meta
Ambessa loses passive damage later in the game: the base range goes from 5-30 to 5-25, and the bonus AD ratio falls from 25% to 20%. That takes repeatable damage off her without changing how her dashes work. Riot says her high mastery output, especially in pro play, was too reliable.
Ashe loses attack damage growth, from 3.5 to 3 per level. The slow and arrow still make her a strong utility draft, but she has less damage for free in long fights. If your team drafted her to start fights, that job is intact. If you expected her to carry every late teamfight too, there is a bill to pay now.
Cassiopeia loses 20 base health (630 to 610) and 30 base mana (480 to 450). This attacks the early lane that still looked too stable after her 26.18 adjustment. You have to spend more carefully before the first recall.
K'Sante pays five more mana on W at every rank, and its damage reduction falls from 30/75% to 25/70% in base and All Out forms. He is still a flexible tank with a lot of tools, but the safe blind-pick trade window gets smaller.
Yunara loses two Q on-hit damage at every rank on both passive and active hits. Her W slow no longer stacks with other slows. The on-hit cut is small per attack and large over a full late fight; the slow change also matters when a coordinated team keeps someone pinned for her. Her first 26.20 bot results have dropped out of S.
Patch 26.20 buffs worth testing
Kindred deals more W damage to monsters, with the modifier rising from 150% to 165%. E slow duration increases from one second to 1.5 seconds, and E no longer targets small monsters. That should smooth the clear and make a marked target easier to finish. The first solo queue sample has not rewarded the pick yet, so give it time before calling this a comeback.
Lillia gets another R sleep buff. It was a flat 2.5 seconds; now it scales 2.5/2.75/3 seconds. Her level 6 sleep is unchanged, while later teamfights give her team more room to set up. She is already A tier in the first jungle data.
Kennen gains ten percentage points of E bonus attack speed at every rank, from 40/50/60/70/80% to 50/60/70/80/90%. Riot also calls out Rocketbelt's item adjustment as a reason for compensation. This helps longer trades, especially when you can keep attacking after the stun, but it is not a direct AP burst buff.
Diana gets a better W shield bonus-health ratio, 11% to 14%. That is aimed at bruiser builds rather than her full AP one-shot. Mordekaiser gains more Q scaling from level 10 onward and a shorter R cooldown at ranks one and two, 140/120/100 to 120/110/100 seconds. You can threaten more isolated fights before level 16.
Lucian gains AD growth, 2.5 to 2.9 per level, after the last patch's passive and Q trade landed too hard on bot lane. Neeko gains ten E base damage at every rank and a slightly longer empowered root at early ranks. Smolder gets better crit-linked passive damage and a stronger R self-heal at ranks two and three.
Swain trades two base armor for three base magic resist, while W gains damage and loses two seconds of cooldown at every rank. Riot is pushing mid Swain without buffing every bot matchup equally. The early tier list has him in S as an ADC on only 1.01% pick rate, so do not mistake that for a universal bot lane answer. Tahm Kench Q base healing increases at ranks two through five, ending at 50 instead of 25. Vayne gets better health regeneration and Q mana cost returns to a flat 30 at every rank, undoing a painful early-lane cost.
Patch 26.20 item and system changes
Experimental Hexplate now gives ranged champions half its effect instead of 70%: the attack speed portion falls from 35% to 25%, and the move speed portion from 14% to 10%. That is directed at ranged top laners rushing it for a safe all-in.
Hextech Rocketbelt loses ten Ability Haste, from 20 to 10, while its active damage rises from 100 plus 10% AP to 135 plus 15% AP. If you used Rocketbelt mostly to get out or reposition, you lost generic value. If you commit to an engage, the button hits harder. Runaan's Hurricane bolts fall from 65% to 60% AD damage.
Riot is also making match replays private. You can still download and review games you played in through the client, but other players and third-party sites can no longer download your replay files. This is a platform change, not a champion balance tweak. Riot says it is part of closing security issues tied to unauthorized access to game data.
League Classic adds Aatrox, Caitlyn, Irelia, Karma and Quinn. Its balance changes are separate from the live ranked tier list. The 26.20 skin lineup includes HEARTSTEEL Live My Life skins and Prestige Classic Baron Kog'Maw; the Season 3 Act II Battle Pass is slated for 26.21, so do not go looking for it in the 26.20 client.
Worlds patch versus your ranked games
Worlds begins October 15 with Play-Ins. The tournament runs through the November 14 final on 26.20. Watch what teams prioritize, but do not copy a pick just because it went through a pro draft. Ambessa, K'Sante and Ashe still bring coordination tools that are worth more with five players on voice. Kindred and Kennen still need the right lane and matchup. The Worlds 2026 event hub tracks the stage dates, and the tier list tracks what is happening in ranked.
If your own games feel different after the patch, the MMR checker gives you a read on where your account actually sits. For practice picks and lane counters, the matchup tool is more useful than guessing from a Worlds broadcast.
Patch 26.20 FAQ
Is 26.20 the Worlds 2026 patch?
Yes. Riot identifies 26.20 as the patch used for Worlds 2026 competitive play. Play-Ins begin October 15.
Which champions were nerfed in 26.20?
Ambessa, Ashe, Cassiopeia, K'Sante and Yunara received direct champion nerfs. Experimental Hexplate is weaker for ranged users, and Runaan's Hurricane bolts deal less damage.
Which champions were buffed in 26.20?
Diana, Kennen, Kindred, Lillia, Lucian, Mordekaiser, Neeko, Smolder, Swain, Tahm Kench and Vayne received buffs or mixed adjustments. Check the notes above for which part of each kit changed.
Can I still watch my own League replays?
Yes. You can still download and watch replays of matches you played through the League client. Other players and third-party sites can no longer download your replay files.
Where is the 26.20 tier list?
The AussyELO tier list shows Emerald+ role rankings for 26.20. Early patch percentages can move as more matches are played.
