LoL: News, Patch Notes, Weekly Sale, Champ Rotation (2026)

Quick Patch Highlights (26.16) Buffs and Nerfs

Patch 26.16 has finally hit the Rift, and it’s brought a whole bunch of changes to the game. Of course, several champions have also undergone some buffs and nerfs. Here’s a quick rundown:

Patch 26.16 Champion Buffs

• Azir
• Gwen
• Kennen

Patch 26.16 Champion Nerfs

• Poppy
• Bel’Veth
• Camille

Patch 26.16 Adjustments

• Nasus – adjustments to his Q stack generation to make him more viable again in the top lane

Most of the changes here are general tweaks to balance out champions after the last patch update. Champions like Bel’Veth and Camille, who benefited significantly from the last round of buffs and the recent systemic changes, are being taken down a notch to allow for more counterplay. On the other hand, champions like Azir, Gwen, and Kennen, who have been underperforming thus far, have been given some much-appreciated buffs.

Riot has also implemented several item, rune, and system adjustments, including increasing magic resistance on ADC champions to help them survive against mages in the early game.

Another noteworthy change is the update to the support role quest. From now on, early game roaming will be heavily penalized, in part to encourage supports to stay (literally) in their lane and prioritize assisting their ADC over attempting game-throwing reckless plays.

Riot has also released various bug fixes, such as a bug where Tibbers would actually heal enemy champions (Rito?!).

League Classic Game Mode Launches

Ever dreamt about the good ol’ days? When you could point-and-click stun your enemy to death and conquer with the likes of Heart of Gold? And roam around on a map that was homely but clearly visually outdated? Well, you’re in luck. It’s time to relive your childhood. League has finally launched the classic game mode in the client. Hop in today and experience the nostalgia; the good, bad, and the ugly… And yes, I have been battling it out classic style every night. It’s hilariously awful, yet so, so heartwarming. Try it out.

Current Event Overview: S3 A1

Season 3 Act 1 is finally live in the client, and there’s a new Seasonal Battle Pass with plenty of missions to explore!

As you progress through the event, you’ll unlock mystery icons, emotes, champion capsules, and even Hextech Chests. The exact amount of rewards you unlock (and the quality) depends on whether you pay for a premium pass.

With a premium pass, you’ll have the opportunity to unlock goodies like the hilarious Burn It Up emote and the exclusive Magma Chamber Veigar mythic skin. There is a fair bit of grinding involved. However, most of the missions for this event are fairly easy and can be achieved by simply playing LoL. 

Season 3, Act 1 runs until October 6th, so you still have plenty of time to get started on the missions.

Latest Skins to Hit the Shop

Faerie Court

Want to feel like an ethereal baddy (aka equal parts enchanting and deadly?). Then you’re in luck. The design team at Riot have truly worked their magic on these latest skins!

Like the line’s Faerie Court name suggests, each skin here gives you that fantasy vibe with whimsical animations, otherworldly character models, and Spirit Blossom-esque sound effects. Of course, they also have a subtle, sinister undertone, and yes, Riot has captured this gorgeously without any awkward clashes or odd design choices.

I truly have to give Riot credit where it’s due: These skins are a significant improvement over the last release (Magma Chamber).

• Faerie Court Bel’Veth: 1350 RP
• Faerie Court Gwen: 1350 RP
• Faerie Court Lulu: 1350 RP

Magma Chamber Skins

I have mixed feelings about these latest skins. While I do love their overall vibe and color scheme, they genuinely just feel like Bewitching skins, but marketed as something “new” and “flashy.” To make matters worse? Magma Chamber Veigar honestly looks like Yuumi. It’s downright hilarious but also concerning; Riot, where’s the visual clarity? I would personally pass on these skins, unless you love the vibe of the Bewitching skin line and are looking for more.

• Prestige Magma Chamber Veigar (and Prestige Edition & Mythic available)
• Prestige Magma Chamber Jax

T1 Skins

Let’s be real: Has a T1 skin line ever not been a hit? This latest line lives up to expectations in every single way. Badass character models, flashy particle effects that make you feel like a pro, and plenty of fun tributes to T1. My only gripe? The bright, gold color palette strays a little too far from T1’s iconic colors for my liking. Still, it certainly gives you that empowering, reigning god-like feel.

• MVP T1 Miss Fortune: 1820 RP
• T1 Ambessa: 1350 RP
• T1 Galio: 1350 RP
• T1 Seraphine: 1350 RP
• T1 Xin Zhao: 1350 RP
• T1 Yunara: 1350 RP
• (Signature editions; priced at 3000+ RP each)

Broken Covenant Skins

The Broken Covenant skin line essentially feels like a darker version of the Spirit Blossom skin line — and honestly? I’m here for it. It’s a refreshing change after the lighter and more playful skins that have been hitting the Rift. Each skin is bursting with bold, flashy colors and ethereal, witchy goodness. My only complaint? Broken Covenant Aurora’s ult animation. It’s underwhelming and feels like something you’d see in a 750 RP skin. Still, the overall character model is gorgeous, so if you’re after style over substance, it may be worth the splurge.

• Broken Covenant Aurora: 1350 RP
• Broken Covenant Jhin: 1350 RP
• Broken Covenant Shen: 1350 RP

High Noon Skins

Yep, it’s another round of High Noon skins… And like usual, Riot has delivered on all fronts. Overflowing with demonic character models, fiery attack animations, killer sound effects, and a badass vibe that makes you feel like you can 1v5? What’s not to love! I have to particularly give Riot points for how they designed High Noon Locke’s ult ability. It’s genuinely the stuff of nightmares (and sure to scare your enemies to death).

• High Noon Akshan: 1350 RP
• High Noon Lock: 1350 RP
• High Noon Yorick: 1350 RP

Latest Champion: Locke

The latest champion to hit the Rift is Locke, an exorcist tied to Demacia who hunts corrupted souls and literally puts a “nail” in their coffins. Let’s get this out of the way first: His character design is absolutely badass and makes him look like an exorcist straight out of Fullmetal Alchemist.

But Locke isn’t all looks and no substance; his kit is also extremely fun to play. He’s an AP assassin with a ton of burst damage, an AoE execute, and mobility (despite being a melee). The combo of his passive and Q combined allows him to especially excel in all-ins; very few champions can contest him if he manages to pull this combo off.

I initially had concerns that these elements would make for little counterplay… but since his release, I’m actually seeing the opposite. He feels a bit too weak. His hard-hitting attacks don’t feel as weighty, slick, or as powerful as they should. Maybe it will take time to get used to, so I’ll hold my breath for now before I say anything further. He’s likely to be tweaked in the next few patches anyway (if Riot follows their usual process).

You can find an in-depth breakdown of his abilities right here.

Current Champion Rotation Pool

Owning every champion in the game is not an easy feat — unless you’re willing to fork out on RP or grind Blue Essence for hours on end. Luckily, Riot helps out us peasants with the champion rotation pool, a schedule of over 20 champions that are made available for everyone to play, regardless of whether you actually own them. 

As of August 18th, here are the champions that are currently free to play:

• Azir
• Bard
• Cassiopeia
• Corki
• Evelynn
• Fiora
• Jhin
• Jinx
• Karthus
• Lissandra
• Nami
• Neeko
• Nocturne
• Ornn
• Rakan
• Shaco
• Sion
• Tryndamere
• Twitch
• Veigar

I highly recommend taking the time to explore Nami if you haven’t done so already. She’s a support with an effective yet simple-to-master kit that can work well in practically any elo, and she’s fairly strong in the meta right now!

Weekly Sale (Skins and Champions)

Want to spruce up your main champion with a new, flashy skin? Then don’t fork out just yet; every week, Riot puts several skins on sale in the shop, with some skins even having a staggering 60% discount. 

As of August 18th, the current skins on sale are:

• Warhound Warwick
• Porcelain Darius
• Porcelain Miss Fortune
• Star Guardian Orianna
• King Viego
• Arcana Ahri
• Arcana Tahm Kench
• Cosmic Hunter Varus
• Black Scourge Singed
• Order of the Lotus Irelia
• Eternum Rek’Sai
• Full Metal Jayce
• Officer Caitlyn
• Groovy Zilean
• Marquis Vladimir

Happy bargain hunting!

Several champions also go on sale every week, though I don’t recommend ever spending RP on a champion unless you’re desperate. They can all be unlocked with Blue Essence, the free in-game currency that you earn while playing matches.

That said, the current champions on sale are:

• Zaahen
• Rell
• Vel’Koz
• Zed
• Riven

Ranked 2026 Season 3

Ranked 2026 Season 3 has officially hit the Rift! It’s time to get grindin n’ climbin once again! There were a few key adjustments to Ranked this season, including:

• Adjustments to Aegis of Valor to better focus around victory, with the aim of encouraging auto-filled players to play for the win rather than the grade
• Master players can now duo up with those similar to them in rank
• Grandmaster and Challenger ranked (or MMR equivalent) players will not be allowed to duo

There is no reset this time around, meaning your rank won’t change and you’ll retain all your progress from last season. End of Season 2 Ranked rewards will also be released shortly, likely within the next few weeks.

Season 3 will officially end on January 6th 2027.

What’s Coming Up in LoL

There’s a whole lot to look forward to over the next few months, with the most noteworthy being the introduction of thematic seasons instead of splits. Here’s a quick rundown of what you can expect to see coming to the Rift:

• Riot has teased that a major refreshed version of LoL — codenamed League Next — is set to go live in 2027. We’ll hopefully hear more information soon!
• Continued improvements to the Mythic Shop to enhance its interface and make it more rewarding and accessible.
• Your Shop will return five times this year, with a special “Legendary” Your Shop where you can unlock legendary skins for a significantly reduced price.
• Plenty of new skin releases, including new skin lines and the return of old favorites (like PROJECT)
• The Riot team are actively working on improving the griefing detection systems in League. Players can expect to see new updates rolled out regularly this season.