League of Legends Patch 26.16 brings another major set of changes to Summoner’s Rift, with Riot Games targeting several meta trends that have become increasingly noticeable in recent games.
This update is not just about champion buffs and nerfs.
Patch 26.16 focuses heavily on early support roaming, bot-lane balance, jungle diversity and AD fighter itemization. Riot is attempting to reduce the effectiveness of supports leaving bot lane extremely early and functioning almost like a second jungler.
At the same time, the patch introduces changes designed to create more opportunities for AP and tank junglers, while also adjusting several popular AD fighter items.
Champions including Azir, Gwen, Kennen, and Nasus receive buffs, while Bel’Veth receives a follow-up adjustment after her major Patch 26.15 update. Camille and Poppy also receive significant changes that could affect their roles and build paths.
In this complete guide, we break down everything important in League of Legends Patch 26.16, including champion changes, items, runes, system updates, support changes, jungle changes and League Classic updates.
League of Legends Patch 26.16 Release Date
League of Legends Patch 26.16 was officially published on August 11, 2026.
The patch continues Riot’s Season 3 balancing work and focuses on correcting several strategies that have become increasingly popular in both regular and professional play.
Patch 26.16 at a Glance
| Category | Major Changes |
|---|---|
| Patch | 26.16 |
| Release Date | August 11, 2026 |
| Major System Focus | Support roaming |
| Bot Lane Changes | ADC Magic Resistance |
| Jungle Changes | AP and Tank Jungle Pets |
| Major Champion Adjustment | Poppy |
| Bel’Veth | Late-game scaling reduced |
| Camille | Support roaming nerfed |
| Fighter Items | Multiple adjustments |
| Rune Changes | Fleet Footwork and Hail of Blades |
| League Classic | Akali, Kennen and Shen added |
League of Legends Patch 26.16: What’s Changing?
Patch 26.16 has a clear direction.
Riot is responding to several meta patterns that have developed recently.
The most important are:
- Supports roaming extremely early.
- Supports behaving like a second jungler.
- Mage champions becoming increasingly powerful in bot lane.
- AD fighters relying heavily on a limited number of items.
- AP and tank junglers struggling to compete with AD fighters.
Instead of focusing entirely on individual champions, Riot is also changing the systems behind these trends.
That makes Patch 26.16 particularly important because the update could influence how entire roles are played, not just which champions have the highest win rates.
Champion Changes in League of Legends Patch 26.16
Patch 26.16 includes buffs, nerfs and several champion adjustments.
Champions Buffed
- Azir
- Gwen
- Kennen
- Nasus
Champions Adjusted
- Bel’Veth
- Camille
- Poppy
These adjustments have different goals. Some improve weak champions, while others attempt to move champions away from unhealthy playstyles.
Azir Buff
Azir receives a moderate improvement to his laning power.
Q – Conquering Sands
Damage:
60 / 80 / 100 / 120 / 140
→
75 / 95 / 115 / 135 / 155
The AP ratios remain unchanged.
What This Means for Azir
Azir has remained a champion with significant scaling potential, but his lane phase can often determine whether he reaches his strongest stages comfortably.
The additional Q damage gives him more pressure during trades and should improve his ability to control the lane.
This is particularly useful against opponents who previously had an easier time absorbing his early poke.
Patch 26.16 Analysis
The buff is relatively straightforward.
Riot is not redesigning Azir or dramatically changing his late-game potential. Instead, the goal is to make the journey toward his scaling power a little easier.
Azir players should feel the biggest difference during the laning phase.
Bel’Veth Adjustment
Bel’Veth receives a follow-up adjustment after her major Patch 26.15 changes.
In Patch 26.15, Riot shifted Bel’Veth’s identity significantly toward scaling.
However, her power curve increased faster than expected.
Her performance continued to grow across multiple skill levels, so Patch 26.16 reduces some of her late-game power.
Base Stats
Health Growth:
110 → 105
R – Endless Banquet
True Form total attack speed changes from:
5 / 15 / 25%
to:
6 / 13 / 20%
A new visual indicator has also been added.
Bel’Veth’s resource bar now turns purple when her True Form can spawn Remora.
What Does This Mean?
The Patch 26.15 update successfully strengthened Bel’Veth’s scaling identity.
Perhaps a little too successfully.
Patch 26.16 is therefore a correction rather than a complete reversal.
Her early game remains relatively weak, but Riot is reducing the sharpness of her late-game power curve.
Bel’Veth Patch 26.16 Analysis
This is an important example of Riot balancing a large rework.
The company doesn’t appear to be abandoning the new Bel’Veth direction.
Instead, Riot is trying to keep the champion’s late-game identity while preventing her from becoming one of the strongest scaling champions in every skill bracket.
The new Remora indicator is also a useful quality-of-life improvement.
Camille Changes: Support Roaming Nerfed
Camille receives one of the most interesting adjustments in Patch 26.16.
Her recent strength as a roaming support has become a major concern.
Riot wants to reduce her effectiveness in that role while improving her ability to function as a top laner.
That means the update contains both nerfs and compensation buffs.
Camille Base Mana Buff
Mana:
339 → 375
This gives Camille more resources for sustained trading and lane activity.
Passive – Adaptive Defenses
Her shield now scales with level.
Previously:
20% Maximum Health
Now:
10 / 15 / 20 / 25% Maximum Health
at levels:
1 / 7 / 13 / 19.
The cooldown also becomes shorter.
What Does This Change?
Camille loses a significant amount of early-game shield power.
This directly affects her ability to survive aggressive early engagements.
However, her shield becomes stronger as she levels.
That makes the change particularly relevant to the difference between:
- Low-level roaming support Camille
- Scaling solo-lane Camille
W – Tactical Sweep
Camille’s W receives several buffs.
Cooldown
15 / 14 / 13 / 12 / 11 seconds
→
12 / 11.5 / 11 / 10.5 / 10 seconds
Her outer-cone maximum-health damage also increases.
Patch 26.16 Camille Analysis
This is a very deliberate role-targeting adjustment.
Support Camille benefits heavily from early-game power and roaming potential.
Top-lane Camille, however, benefits more from:
- Mana
- Ability access
- Repeatable trades
- Level scaling
Riot is essentially trying to weaken the first pattern while improving the second.
Camille may become less oppressive as an early roaming support while becoming more comfortable in top lane.
Gwen Buff
Gwen receives a sustain buff.
Passive – A Thousand Cuts
Her healing against champions increases.
The healing percentage increases from 50% post-mitigation damage to 67% post-mitigation damage.
The healing cap also increases and her AP scaling improves.
Why Gwen Is Getting Buffed
Gwen has remained slightly weaker than Riot intended following earlier nerfs.
Her strength comes from extended fights, scaling and the ability to become difficult to deal with when she reaches her strongest items.
The sustain buff supports that identity.
What This Means for Players
Gwen should become more rewarding in favorable matchups and extended fights.
However, the changes are primarily focused on sustain rather than dramatically increasing her burst damage.
Kennen Buff
Kennen receives a significant ultimate buff.
R – Slicing Maelstrom
His bonus resistances increase:
20 / 40 / 60 → 25 / 50 / 75
His damage also increases.
Base Damage
40 / 75 / 110
→
40 / 80 / 120
AP Ratio
22.5% → 25%
His maximum ultimate damage also increases.
Patch 26.16 Kennen Analysis
Kennen’s identity revolves around finding the perfect flank.
When he successfully reaches the enemy backline, his ultimate should feel extremely dangerous.
The problem is that changes to popular mage items have made it harder for him to keep up with other AP champions.
This buff improves the reward for successful positioning.
If Kennen finds a good flank, Patch 26.16 makes his ultimate considerably more threatening.
Nasus Buff
Nasus receives an interesting adjustment to his Q stacking system.
Q – Siphoning Strike
Normal stack value:
3 → 4
Champion, large minion and monster stack value:
12 → 10
What Does This Mean?
Nasus receives more stacks from regular minions but fewer bonus stacks from high-value targets.
The goal is to bring his top-lane and jungle power closer together.
Nasus jungle has benefited significantly from access to monsters, while his top-lane performance has struggled.
Nasus Patch 26.16 Analysis
This adjustment rewards consistent farming.
Top-lane Nasus players should benefit from the increased normal stack value.
Meanwhile, Nasus jungle receives slightly less value from the special high-value stack targets.
This is a good example of Riot adjusting a champion without simply adding or removing raw damage.
Poppy Changes: Moving Away From AD Fighter Builds
Poppy receives one of the biggest adjustments in Patch 26.16.
Riot believes Poppy’s playstyle has moved too far away from her intended tank identity.
Instead of building primarily as a durable tank, some Poppy players have been using aggressive combinations involving:
- Hail of Blades
- Sundered Sky
- AD-focused builds
Patch 26.16 attempts to shift her back toward durability.
Poppy Base Stats
Attack Damage
60 → 56
Health Regeneration
8 → 9
Mana
280 + 40 per level
→
300 + 45 per level
The lower attack damage weakens her early AD fighter pattern.
Meanwhile, improved mana supports longer fights.
Poppy Q Changes
Poppy’s Q loses some bonus AD scaling.
However, its maximum-health scaling becomes more valuable as the ability ranks up.
The monster damage cap also increases.
This gives Poppy more jungle utility while reducing some of the benefits of stacking damage.
Poppy W Buff
Poppy’s bonus Armor and Magic Resistance increase.
12% → 16%
The effect still doubles when she falls below 40% maximum health.
Poppy Patch 26.16 Analysis
The message is clear.
Riot wants Poppy players to think:
“How durable can I become?”
rather than:
“How much burst damage can I build?”
The changes reward:
- Bonus health
- Armor
- Magic Resistance
- Tank items
- Extended fights
At the same time, they reduce the value of pure AD fighter builds.
This could be one of the most meta-relevant champion changes in Patch 26.16.
Item Changes in League of Legends Patch 26.16
Several items receive buffs and nerfs.
The major goal is to create more diversity in AD fighter builds.
Items Changed
- Berserker’s Greaves
- Black Cleaver
- Eclipse
- Runaan’s Hurricane
- Sterak’s Gage
- Sundered Sky
- Sunfire Cape
- Chainlaced Crushers
- Spellslinger’s Shoes
- Tiamat
Berserker’s Greaves Buff
Berserker’s Greaves receive an attack-speed buff.
Attack Speed: 25% → 30%
The Tier 3 version also receives more attack speed.
40% → 45%
Why It Matters
Berserker’s Greaves have been relatively weak compared with other boot options.
The buff should make them more appealing for:
- ADCs
- Attack-speed champions
- Certain on-hit builds
Black Cleaver Buff
Black Cleaver receives additional Attack Damage.
40 → 45 Attack Damage
Its movement-speed effect now has different values for melee and ranged champions.
Movement Speed
- Melee: 20
- Ranged: 10
Why This Change Matters
Black Cleaver had become increasingly popular among ranged champions such as Senna and Smolder.
Riot wants to create more room to buff the item for AD fighters without making it excessively powerful for ranged users.
This is another example of Riot using melee/ranged balance differences to target an item toward its intended users.
Eclipse Buff
Eclipse receives a damage buff.
Melee Damage
6% target maximum health
→
8% target maximum health
Ranged Damage
4% → 5%
Its shield is slightly reduced.
Patch 26.16 Eclipse Analysis
Eclipse had fallen behind other AD options.
The additional damage makes it more attractive for champions that want a strong early AD purchase without entering the lethality item path.
This could be particularly interesting for fighters who need damage but still value defensive effects.
Runaan’s Hurricane Buff
Runaan’s Hurricane receives two buffs.
Movement Speed
4% → 5%
Wind’s Fury Bolt Damage
55% Attack Damage → 65% Attack Damage
What This Means
Runaan’s Hurricane has struggled to maintain a strong group of core users.
The item is highly dependent on:
- Multiple nearby targets
- Positioning
- Attack speed
The stronger secondary bolts increase the reward when players successfully use the item’s unique mechanic.
Sterak’s Gage Buff
Sterak’s Gage receives more bonus Attack Damage.
45% of Base Attack Damage → 50%
The item has lost some of its position among juggernauts and divers.
This buff is designed to make Sterak’s Gage a stronger teamfight option.
Possible Winners
Champions that combine:
- High base Attack Damage
- Durability
- Extended fighting
could benefit most.
Sundered Sky Nerf
Sundered Sky has been one of the dominant AD fighter items for a long time.
Patch 26.16 reduces its healing.
Melee Healing
100% Base Attack Damage
→
90% Base Attack Damage
Ranged Healing
50% → 45%
The missing-health healing component also decreases.
The item gains additional health, but its sustain potential is reduced.
Why Riot Is Nerfing Sundered Sky
The item can generate an enormous amount of healing during extended fights.
In some situations, it has competed too effectively with items specifically designed around sustain.
Patch 26.16 reduces that extreme healing.
Meta Impact
This could be one of the most important item changes in the patch.
If Sundered Sky becomes less dominant, players may experiment more with:
- Eclipse
- Black Cleaver
- Sterak’s Gage
- Other fighter items
That is exactly the type of item diversity Riot appears to be targeting.
Sunfire Cape Changes
Sunfire Cape becomes more expensive but receives stronger PvP scaling.
Its bonus-health damage scaling increases.
However, its damage against minions and monsters is reduced.
What This Means
Sunfire Cape becomes more focused on fighting champions rather than simply clearing waves and jungle camps.
The increased cost also brings it closer to the price of comparable tank items.
Chainlaced Crushers Nerf
Chainlaced Crushers lose Magic Resistance.
30 → 25
The goal is to reduce how effectively defensive boot options can shut down mage champions.
This is particularly important because Riot wants to improve the balance between mages and other mid-lane champions.
Spellslinger’s Shoes Buff
Spellslinger’s Shoes receive additional Magic Penetration.
18 + 8% → 20 + 8%
The change supports AP champions, particularly those competing against defensive Magic Resistance options.
Tiamat Buff
Tiamat receives more Attack Damage.
20 → 25
This is primarily a component-quality improvement.
Riot wants Tiamat to feel like a worthwhile early purchase rather than something players delay until they have almost completed their final Hydra item.
Rune Changes in Patch 26.16
Two important runes are adjusted.
- Fleet Footwork
- Hail of Blades
Fleet Footwork Buff
Fleet Footwork receives a healing increase.
Its base healing changes from:
10–130 → 15–160
The bonus AD and AP scaling remain unchanged.
What Does This Mean?
Fleet Footwork becomes a stronger option for champions who want to survive lane harassment.
The buff should also increase its usefulness beyond the earliest stages of the game.
This could make Fleet more competitive with other Precision keystones.
Hail of Blades Changes
Hail of Blades receives an adjustment designed to reduce extreme early-game power.
Melee Attack Speed
120% → 90%
Ranged attack speed remains unchanged.
Its bonus true damage now scales more strongly with Bonus AD and AP.
Why This Matters
Hail of Blades has contributed to aggressive early-game strategies.
This includes some of the roaming patterns Riot is targeting in Patch 26.16.
The change moves some power away from immediate early-game strength and toward scaling.
ADC Magic Resistance Changes
One of the biggest system updates affects ADC champions.
Riot is increasing early-game Magic Resistance for a large group of marksmen.
Affected champions include:
- Akshan
- Aphelios
- Ashe
- Caitlyn
- Corki
- Draven
- Ezreal
- Graves
- Jhin
- Jinx
- Kai’Sa
- Kalista
- Kindred
- Kog’Maw
- Lucian
- Miss Fortune
- Quinn
- Samira
- Senna
- Sivir
- Smolder
- Twitch
- Varus
- Vayne
- Xayah
- Yunara
- Zeri
Magic Resistance changes from:
30 + 1.3 per level
to:
33 + 1.1 per level
Tristana receives a similar adjustment.
Why Are ADCs Getting More Magic Resistance?
Mage champions have become increasingly popular in bot lane.
Some mage picks have been powerful enough to compete with or outperform traditional ADCs.
The additional early Magic Resistance gives marksmen more protection against magic damage during lane.
Important Point
This isn’t simply an ADC buff.
It is part of Riot’s larger attempt to improve bot-lane class balance.
Mages should remain viable.
However, Riot doesn’t want them to become the clearly superior choice.
Jungle Pets Buff: AP and Tank Junglers Get Help
Jungle pets receive an important scaling buff.
Their damage now gains more value from:
- Ability Power
- Bonus Armor
- Bonus Magic Resistance
- Bonus Health
Previous Scaling
- 12% AP
- 20% Bonus Armor
- 20% Bonus MR
- 3% Bonus Health
New Scaling
- 16% AP
- 25% Bonus Armor
- 25% Bonus MR
- 4% Bonus Health
What Does This Mean for the Jungle Meta?
AD fighter junglers have been particularly dominant.
The new Jungle Pet scaling helps other champion classes compete.
Potential beneficiaries include:
- AP junglers
- Tank junglers
- Champions building high defensive stats
Patch 26.16 Jungle Analysis
This is one of the most important systemic changes in the patch.
Instead of buffing five or six individual tank junglers, Riot is improving a system used by the entire role.
That could create more diversity naturally.
Support Role Quest Changes
Early support roaming is one of the main targets of Patch 26.16.
Riot has observed supports leaving bot lane extremely early and operating similarly to a second jungler.
The company believes this strategy creates problems when it becomes the default way to play the role.
Patch 26.16 therefore increases the cost of roaming too early.
Outside Bot Lane Penalty Increased
The minion experience and gold penalty outside bot lane changes from:
-25% until Level 3
to:
-33% until Level 5
This makes early roaming significantly more expensive.
Support Quest Progress Changes
Riot is also adjusting how Support Role Quest progress works.
The differences between champion combat and creep score progression are being reduced.
Why?
Previously, aggressive champion interaction could provide an incentive structure that supported constant roaming.
Patch 26.16 attempts to reduce that advantage.
What This Means for Supports
Roaming is not being removed.
Supports can still roam.
The difference is that leaving bot lane extremely early should now involve a larger tradeoff.
Patch 26.16 Support Analysis
This is an important distinction.
Riot isn’t saying:
“Supports should never roam.”
Instead, the message is:
“Roaming should be a strategic decision, not the automatic default.”
That is likely to have a significant impact on competitive play.
League Classic Patch 26.16
League Classic receives its first major patch update.
The mode adds three famous champions.
New League Classic Champions
- Akali
- Kennen
- Shen
These are older versions designed around the classic League experience.
Classic Akali
Classic Akali brings back an older version of the champion.
Her kit includes:
- Twin Disciplines
- Mark of the Assassin
- Twilight Shroud
- Crescent Slash
- Shadow Dance
One of the biggest differences is her older ultimate system.
Shadow Dance can hold multiple dashes, allowing Akali to repeatedly jump between targets.
This makes her very different from modern Akali.
Classic Kennen
Classic Kennen can still function as:
- An AP teamfight champion
- An AD auto-attacker
His classic Slicing Maelstrom remains focused on applying marks and creating stuns during teamfights.
Classic Shen
Classic Shen retains his famous global ultimate.
His kit includes:
- Ki Strike
- Vorpal Blade
- Feint
- Shadow Dash
- Stand United
He can still target an allied champion anywhere on the map and teleport to them after granting a shield.
League Classic Balance Changes
Patch 26.16 also includes numerous Classic balance adjustments.
Several champions receive buffs or nerfs.
Notable changes include:
Buffs
- Alistar
- Amumu
- Dr. Mundo
- Garen
- Lux
- Miss Fortune
Nerfs
- Blitzcrank
- Heimerdinger
- Janna
- Jarvan IV
- Katarina
These changes are designed specifically for League Classic and should not be confused with Summoner’s Rift changes.
What Patch 26.16 Means for the Meta
Patch 26.16 could have a bigger impact on the meta than a normal champion balance update.
The reason is simple.
Riot is changing multiple systems at the same time.
1. Early Support Roaming Should Become Less Common
Supports now face a larger penalty for spending too much time away from bot lane early.
This could make traditional bot-lane structures more common.
2. Mage Bot Lanes Face More Competition
Traditional ADC champions receive additional early Magic Resistance.
At the same time, mid-lane anti-mage itemization is adjusted.
The goal is not to remove mages from bot lane.
Instead, Riot is trying to make the choice between an ADC and a mage more balanced.
3. Tank and AP Junglers Could Return
Jungle Pet scaling is now better for:
- Ability Power
- Armor
- Magic Resistance
- Health
This could create opportunities for a wider range of jungle champions.
4. AD Fighter Itemization Is Changing
Sundered Sky becomes less dominant.
At the same time:
- Eclipse gets stronger.
- Black Cleaver gets more AD.
- Sterak’s Gage gets stronger.
- Tiamat improves.
This could encourage players to experiment with different build paths.
5. Poppy Could Return to Her Tank Identity
Poppy is perhaps the clearest example of Riot’s intended direction.
Her AD-focused early game becomes weaker.
Her durability scaling becomes stronger.
Players may need to rethink:
- Runes
- Item builds
- Playstyle
Biggest Winners of Patch 26.16
Gwen
Her improved sustain could make her stronger during extended fights.
Kennen
His ultimate receives meaningful damage and resistance improvements.
Nasus
Top-lane stacking becomes more rewarding.
Eclipse Users
The item’s increased damage could make it a more competitive choice.
Tank Junglers
Improved Jungle Pet scaling benefits defensive builds.
AP Junglers
Additional AP scaling can help them compete with AD fighters.
Biggest Losers of Patch 26.16
Early Roaming Supports
The increased penalty outside bot lane makes extremely early roaming more expensive.
Camille Support
Her early passive shield becomes weaker, reducing part of her early all-in power.
Sundered Sky Users
The item’s sustain is reduced.
Hail of Blades Melee Users
Early attack speed is lower.
Bel’Veth Late Game
Her scaling curve is slightly reduced after Patch 26.15.
Read More: League of Legends Patch 26.15 Notes: All Champion Buffs, Nerfs, Item Changes & Season 3 Updates
Patch 26.16 FAQ
League of Legends Patch 26.16 was released on August 11, 2026.
The biggest changes focus on early support roaming, jungle diversity and AD fighter itemization.
Bel’Veth receives a follow-up adjustment after her Patch 26.15 update. Her health growth is reduced and her late-game True Form attack-speed scaling is lowered.
Riot wants to reduce Camille’s effectiveness as an early roaming support while improving her repeatable trading potential in top lane.
Many ADC champions receive more early Magic Resistance, helping them deal with mage opponents.
The main Summoner’s Rift buffs go to Azir, Gwen, Kennen and Nasus.
Poppy is being shifted away from an AD fighter playstyle and toward a more traditional tank identity.
Yes. Its healing is reduced, although the item receives additional health.
Yes. Jungle Pets now gain more damage scaling from AP, Armor, Magic Resistance and bonus Health.
No. Roaming remains possible, but early roaming now comes with larger progression penalties outside bot lane.
Akali, Kennen and Shen are added to League Classic in Patch 26.16.
Final Verdict: Is Patch 26.16 a Major Update?
Yes, especially from a meta perspective.
Patch 26.16 is not simply about making a few champions stronger or weaker.
Riot is targeting the systems behind several major gameplay trends.
Early support roaming is being discouraged.
ADCs receive additional protection against magic damage.
Jungle Pets become more useful for AP and tank champions.
Sundered Sky loses some of its dominance.
And Poppy is being pushed back toward her intended tank identity.
The most important thing to watch will be how these changes interact.
If AP and tank junglers become more competitive while AD fighters experiment with new item builds, the jungle meta could become significantly more diverse.
Similarly, the new Support Role Quest changes could alter how professional teams approach the first few minutes of the game.
Overall, League of Legends Patch 26.16 is a meta-shaping update focused on creating healthier role balance and more build diversity.
While Patch 26.15 was heavily defined by Bel’Veth and the beginning of Season 3, Patch 26.16 feels more focused on the bigger question of how League’s roles should function.
That makes it a patch worth watching closely.