Patch 26.12 — Lee Sin & Varus Nerfs, Mid Marksmen Return, Teleport Rework
Patch 26.12 opens Season 2 Act 2 with buffs for Aatrox, Gwen, Hwei, Jax, Sylas, Syndra, Tristana, and Yuumi, nerfs for Lee Sin, Nocturne, Orianna, Ryze, Varus, and AP Xin Zhao, a Teleport shield rework, and big ARAM: Mayhem augment changes.
Patch 26.12 was published by Riot on June 9, 2026 and hit live servers June 10. It follows up the Season 2 support meta, trims dominant junglers and pro-play staples ahead of MSI, invites marksmen back into mid lane via Tristana, and reworks the Teleport shield. ARAM: Mayhem gets Ability and Quest Augments while the Trait system is removed.
Champion Balance
Q sweet-spot bonus damage rises from 70 to 75, rewarding the core skill check against tanks and squishies alike.
Q base damage and early E attack speed are buffed, restoring early-game power lost to the Dusk and Dawn rework.
Q ratios and the QE slow are increased and E cooldown drops, compensating for the 26.8 slow-stacking change that hit him harder than expected.
Q mana cost drops from 65 to 50 and E max-health damage rises to 4–8%, helping him threaten durable opponents.
AD growth drops from 3.7 to 3.4 and Q damage is reduced — paying for the outplay potential his recent kit-restriction removals added.
Q damage is reduced at later ranks, pulling power from his 1v1 and farming in high-level play.
Base health and passive damage drop while R shifts power into its AP ratio — less early bullying, more 3k-elo Shockwaves.
Base health and AD are trimmed after Deathfire Touch made his early trading unassailable for a scaling mage.
Q damage and W healing ratios rise, restoring the scaling that Season 2 quietly stripped from him.
Base health rises to 583 and Q gains base damage and AP ratio, pushing power into her highest-skill bread-and-butter ability.
AD growth jumps from 2.9 to 3.4 and Q mana costs are halved, reopening mid-lane marksman Tristana.
Q and W damage drop while passive stacking improves for on-hit builds — a targeted nerf to oppressive lethality Varus in pro play.
Passive healing is cut again and W/E mana costs rise, a straight nerf to AP Xin Zhao's mid-lane sustain.
Passive heal and E shield AP ratios rise as compensation for the Moonstone Renewer changes that hit her hardest.
Items, Runes, and Systems
- TeleportThe Enhanced Teleport shield changes from 30% max health for 30 seconds to 35% for 10 seconds, encouraging immediate cross-map action instead of long shielded standoffs.
- Normal DraftNormal Draft queue becomes available 24/7 in ME, OC, and SG regions after sustained queue-time improvements.
- Honor PanelHonor standing, active penalties, and progress toward redemption are now visible in the social panel.
Modes and Skins
- ARAM: MayhemAbility Augments and multi-tier Quest Augments arrive, the Trait system is removed, and the augment pool is heavily rotated with new Silver, Gold, and Prismatic options.
- ArenaAD assassins get major item buffs (Youmuu's, Prowler's, Voltaic, Profane Hydra and more), petricite bombs become untargetable while rolling, and Guests of Honor are tuned.
- SkinsPrestige Sinful Shores LeBlanc, Sinful Shores Brand, and Sinful Shores Hwei released June 10, 2026.
Patch 26.12 sets the stage for MSI: Lee Sin, Nocturne, Orianna, Ryze, and Varus all lose pro-play power while Aatrox, Gwen, Jax, and Syndra get room to re-enter the meta. Champion pages for Tristana, Varus, Lee Sin, and Orianna are the priority follow-ups for guide updates.