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

Quick Patch Highlights (26.13) Buffs and Nerfs

Patch 26.13 has finally hit the Rift, and it’s brought a whole bunch of changes to the game, including updates to systems, items, and runes. Of course, several champions have also undergone some buffs and nerfs. Here’s a quick rundown:

Patch 26.13 Champion Buffs

• Aphelios
• Draven
• Kai’Sa
• LeBlanc
• Olaf
• Poppy
• Qiyana
• Vex
• Zaahen

Patch 26.13 Champion Nerfs

• Bard
• Brand
• Cassiopeia
• K’Sante
• Rek’Sai
• Rumble
• Senna
• Sion

Patch 26.13 Adjustments

• N/A

Most of the changes here are general tweaks to balance out champions after the last patch update. Champions like Brand and Sion, 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 Aphelios, Draven, and Kai’Sa, who have been underperforming thus far, have been given some much-appreciated buffs.

Riot has also introduced some new (and helpful) changes to the game, including:

• Enabling last hit indicators for Normal Draft games. This is a really controversial change, and one I’m not fully behind. While it does help make the game more beginner-friendly and accessible, it also takes away a core part of skill expression. I also have concerns about how reliable and accurate this indicator will be. Riot is continuing testing, however, so we’ll see how it plays out.
• Riot now allows players to report direct messages; another measure introduced to help reduce toxicity. Unlike the last hit indicator feature, this is a change I’m excited and relieved to see. My only concern here is privacy, since it gives Riot access to your message history. They do say the data is handled securely and solely used for moderation purposes… but you’ll still want to be more conscious of what you’re typing in your DMs.
• Measures to better integrate Discord support, including letting you invite your Discord friends straight to your party!

Current Event Overview: Pandemonium (S2 A2)

Season 2 Act 2 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 Too Hot to Handle emote and the exclusive Prestige Sinful Shores LeBlanc 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. 

Pandemonium: Season 2, Act 2 runs until July 29th, so you still have plenty of time to get started on the missions.

Latest Skins to Hit the Shop

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

Sinful Shores Skins

It’s summer, and you’re no doubt feeling the heat… But Riot has taken that heat up a notch with these latest skins. The Sinful Shores skins are essentially “Baywatch,” but make it demonic. It’s a mix that is equal parts fan service and badassery. After the release of the Day Job & Food Fight skins, I wasn’t expecting Riot to push out yet another joke skin line so quickly. And honestly? I’m here for it. These skins aren’t just “gag-worthy,” either, they feel polished and slick and come complete with extra-hot particle effects.

• Sinful Shores Brand: 1350 RP
• Sinful Shores Hwei: 1350 RP

Day Job & Food Fight Skins

Yep. Riot finally caved in and gave the LoL community exactly what we asked for: Stupidly hilarious skins. And guess what? They’re pure “chef’s kiss” perfection. Each skin is overseasoned with culinary chaos; Sion is now a pizza chef, Illaoi has mastered the art of pasta making, and Irelia’s new weapon is literal… Breadsticks. Yep.

But best of all?

They turned Vel’Koz into an actual flying spaghetti monster; a tribute to the parodic Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (or Pastafarianism). It’s by far one of the best and most ingenious skins that Riot has released in recent years. And with Legendary-tier animations and effects, it feels as good as it looks. Check it out and savor every moment. It’s a feast for the eyes.

• Breadsticks Irelia: 1350 RP
• Pasta Maker Illaoi: 1350 RP
• Pizza Chef Sion: 1350 RP
• Spaghetti alla Vel’Koz: 1820 RP

Eternal Aspect Skins

For those who prefer a more serious feel, the newly dropped Eternal Aspect skins may be more up your dark, dark alley. They essentially transform champions into otherworldly gods. Each skin features striking animations, a badass character design, and nightmare-inducing sound effects. Even the splash arts are god-tier and worth the RP in themselves.

• Eclipse Eternal Aspect Diana: (Sanctum Exclusive)
• Eternal Aspect Diana: 1820 RP
• Eternal Aspect Leona: 1820 RP

New Epic Skins

Riot has released two new epic skins into the game this patch: Rain Shepherd Ivern and PROJECT: Quinn. While they have different vibes, both skins are loaded with fun, flashy colors, thematically flattering animations, and unique design choices. PROJECT: Quinn will make you feel like a total badass as you hunt your prey, while Rain Shepherd Ivern will give you that comfy, tilt-relieving feel that Ivern’s champion is all about.

• PROJECT: Quinn: 1350 RP
• Rain Shepherd Ivern: 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 July 3rd, here are the champions that are currently free to play:

• Anivia
• Aurora
• Braum
• Cho’Gath
• Ezreal
• Graves
• Illaoi
• Katarina
• Kog’Maw
• Nami
• Neeko
• Nilah
• Ornn
• Riven
• Shaco
• Shyvana
• Twisted Fate
• Veigar
• Ziggs
• Zyra

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 July 3rd, the current skins on sale are:

• Battle Academia Briar
• Spirit Blossom Springs Yunara
• Fright Night Shaco
• Dragonmancer Rakan
• Cafe Cuties Rumble
• Old God Mordekaiser
• Snow Moon Ahri
• Winterblessed Zoe
• Ocean Song Zeri
• Coven Ashe
• Worldbreaker Trundle
• Rogue Admiral Garen
• Crime City Graves
• Bloodfury Renekton
• Volcanic Wukong

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:

• Milio
• Nami
• Viktor
• Kog’Maw
• Nidalee

Ranked 2026 Season 2

Ranked 2026 Season 2 has officially hit the Rift! It’s time to get grindin n’ climbin once again! There weren’t any particularly major adjustments to Ranked this season. For most players, rank status won’t change. However, Apex players (Master, Grandmaster, and Challenger) in the major regions will have their rank status reset to Master 0 LP. WASD controls are also now be enabled in Ranked.

End of Season 1 Ranked rewards will be released shortly, likely within the next week.

Season 2 will officially end on July 28th 2026.

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.