League of Legends Patch 26.5 Overview: New Battle Pass, Champion Changes, and Last Hit Assistance

For Demacia Battle Pass Act 2:: Launched on March 4, 2026, featuring new missions, rewards, and cosmetic items, including Corrupted Petricite Maokai, Corrupted Petricite Xerath, and Prestige Requiem Sona skins. Why this matters: Provides players with new goals and exclusive rewards to earn through gameplay.

Champion Balance Adjustments:: Numerous champions have received buffs and nerfs, including Akali, Azir, Garen, Kha'Zix, Lee Sin, Lillia, Mel, Neeko, Nocturne, Orianna, Samira, Taliyah, Varus, and Volibear. Why this matters: These changes aim to balance the meta, address overpowered or underpowered champions, and promote diverse team compositions.

Last Hit Assistance:: A new feature designed to help new players learn to last hit minions effectively. It visually indicates when a minion can be killed with an auto-attack. Why this matters: Increases accessibility for new players, helping them learn the fundamentals of the game more quickly.

ARAM Adjustments:: Tanks receive systematic buffs to Augments, with reworks to Wee Woo Wee Woo, and an upgraded Sword of Blossoming Dawn Augment introduced to provide more options for support players. Nexus and Nexus turret health are adjusted. Why this matters: Aims to improve tank performance and create more comeback opportunities in ARAM games.

Gameplay Bans for Disruptive Chat:: Riot Games will now issue gameplay bans for severely disruptive communication, including hate speech and threats of violence. Why this matters: Reinforces a positive and respectful community environment, ensuring players can enjoy the game without harassment.

Blue Essence

Orange Essence

Mythic Essence

Hextech Chests & Keys

Demacian and Corrupted Petricite Orbs

Champion Capsules

Exclusive Skins (Corrupted Petricite Maokai, Corrupted Petricite Xerath, Prestige Requiem Sona)

Akali:: Re-stealth timer on her Shroud adjusted to scale with levels instead of game time.

Azir:: Health growth reduced to provide more counterplay for assassins.

Garen:: Q and E abilities buffed to make traditional fighter items more viable.

Kha'Zix:: Base move speed and Q damage nerfed to reduce clear speed and damage to isolated targets.

Lee Sin:: Q damage increased to reward skilled players who land their abilities.

Lillia:: Reverted Q nerfs and ultimate buffs to improve sustained fight potential.

Mel:: Buffs to proactive damage to improve mid-lane performance.

Neeko:: W cooldown now starts on clone expiration to reduce vision control.

Nocturne:: Passive and Q abilities buffed to improve sticking power.

Orianna:: Q cooldown increased to create early game weaknesses.

Samira:: QoL changes to Q to improve reliability.

Taliyah:: Q base damage reduced, bonus monster damage increased to balance wave control and jungle viability.

Varus:: Q damage nerfed, W on-hit damage adjusted to balance lethality and on-hit builds.

Volibear:: Q, W, and E mana costs adjusted; Q and W damage increased to improve laning and bruiser builds.

New Content:: The For Demacia Battle Pass Act 2 offers a wealth of new content and exclusive rewards for dedicated players.

Champion Balance:: The extensive champion adjustments aim to create a more balanced and diverse meta.

Accessibility:: The Last Hit Assistance feature is a significant step towards making League of Legends more accessible to new players.

Community Standards:: The new gameplay bans for disruptive chat reinforce the importance of a positive and respectful community.