Riot Games has revealed the main balance adjustments planned for Patch 26.11 of League of Legends, an update expected to shake up the competitive meta over the coming weeks. Among the most significant changes are nerfs targeting the AP build of Xin Zhao, alongside buffs for popular champions and updates to support items and runes.
The primary target of the patch is AP Xin Zhao, a strategy that recently gained popularity due to its strong health regeneration during extended fights. With the new update, Riot will reduce the passive healing scaling based on ability power, lowering it from 50/65/90% AP to 45/55/80% AP.
At the same time, the champion will receive increased AP damage scaling on his passive. According to the preview shared by Riot, the goal is to reduce excessive sustain without completely removing the alternative build currently used in ranked queues.
In addition, champions such as Diana, Ekko, and Kassadin will receive important buffs. Diana will gain increased damage against jungle monsters, while Ekko will receive a reduction to his passive cooldown per target. Kassadin, meanwhile, is set to receive improvements to his Q ability and the passive damage on his W.
On the other hand, Smolder, Teemo, and Brand are included in the Patch 26.11 nerf list. Smolder will lose part of the bonus magic damage scaling from his passive, while Teemo will see reduced bonus damage on his E ability. Brand will receive a decrease to his base armor.
The patch also introduces adjustments to defensive items and support runes, including changes to Heartsteel, Knight’s Vow, Guardian, and Aftershock.
In addition, players looking for better stability in online matches can use the NoPing Game Booster, a lightweight platform designed to reduce high ping and improve connection quality in competitive games. New users can test the tool for free.
Riot Games has not yet confirmed the official release date for Patch 26.11.
