League of Legends Lead Gameplay Designer Matt “Riot Phroxzon” Leung-Harrison posted a preview of the LoL patch 26.09 notes on X on April 21, 2026.
Heading into Patch 26.09, the team wasn’t just looking at numbers—they were looking at how the game actually feels to play. A lot of the focus landed on systems and champion roles that weren’t quite hitting the mark, whether in satisfaction or strategic depth.
From there, the goal became clearer: carve out stronger identities, create more distinct gameplay paths, and give players more room to experiment with what’s possible, wrote Riot Phroxzon.
Some underdeveloped gameplay patterns stood out early, and those became the starting point for meaningful changes this patch.
LoL patch 26.09 introduces new starting items
It’s been a while since League of Legends last introduced new starting items, but patch 26.09 is finally changing that. This time, the focus isn’t just on variety—it’s about giving players more meaningful choices right from level one.
Doran’s Bow slots into greedier lanes, where you’re willing to give up some safety in exchange for stronger, consistent trades—especially if you can stay on your opponent.
On the other hand, Doran’s Helm is more situational. It’s aimed at champions who don’t really need the sustain from Doran’s Shield, opening up a different kind of flexibility in lane.
The idea here is pretty straightforward: more ways to push small advantages early. Whether it’s squeezing out better trades or leaning into specific matchups, these additions should make laning feel a bit deeper—and a bit less solved, Riot Phroxzon explained.
LoL patch 26.09 notes
LoL patch 26.09 champion buffs
| LOL PATCH 26.09 CHAMPION BUFFS |
| Gragas |
| Tahm Kench |
| Taliyah |
| Warwick |
LoL patch 26.09 champion nerfs
| LOL PATCH 26.09 CHAMPION NERFS |
| Ambessa |
| Briar |
LoL patch 26.09 champion adjustments
| LOL PATCH 26.09 CHAMPION ADJUSTMENTS |
| Ezreal |
| Kennen |
| Shyvana |
| Teemo |
| Udyr |
| Xin Zhao |
| Zeri |
| Zoe |
LoL patch 26.09 system buffs
- Endless Hunger
LoL patch 26.09 system nerfs
- Hubris
LoL patch 26.09 system adjustments
| LOL PATCH 26.09 SYSTEM ADJUSTMENTS |
| Arcane Comet |
| Axiom Arc |
| (New) Deathfire Touch |
| (New) Doran’s Bow |
| (New) Doran’s Helm |
| Dusk and Dawn |
| (New) Gluttonous Greaves |
| Hail of Blades |
| Staff of Flowing Water |
| Statikk Shiv |
| (New) Stormradier’s Surge |
| Voltaic Cyclosword |
Statikk Shiv
Statikk Shiv is being used as a testing ground in patch 26.09, especially for AD on-hit builds that haven’t really been in a great spot for a while.
The item itself hasn’t seen much play either, so this was a chance to give it something extra—namely, having its lightning apply on-hit effects, Riot Phroxzon shared.
That said, some of the early versions went a bit too far. Riot has since adjusted it so the lightning no longer applies on-hits to the primary target, only to secondary ones. It tones things down without removing the core idea.
There’s still some uncertainty around how sustainable this is long-term, but that’s part of the approach here. This is one of those changes where Riot is willing to take a bit of risk just to see what players do with it.
Riot Phroxzon for one, is looking forward to seeing what kind of builds come out of it once players start experimenting.
Keystones get reshuffled to better define mage playstyles in LoL patch 26.09
Patch 26.09 is also reworking how Keystone Runes fit into different mage archetypes.
Arcane Comet, in particular, has been trying to do too much for a while now. It’s been the go-to for DoT mages, but never really excelled there, while also stepping into Aery’s space. Instead of continuing to stretch it thin, Riot is splitting those roles more cleanly.
Comet is “more about long range poke,” while Deathfire Touch is more suited for DoT and sustained damage champions.
Phase Rush is also being phased out in favour of Stormraider’s Surge, which Riot sees as a healthier version of the same idea.
Phase Rush has always been tricky to balance—especially on control mages who can proc it too easily with low-damage spells just to disengage. The result was a rune that had to be heavily nerfed for most champions, but still remained too strong on a few.
Stormraider’s Surge shifts that dynamic by asking for more commitment before rewarding players with movement speed, making it both more satisfying to use and easier to tune overall, Riot Phroxzon explained.
