LoL Patch 26.15: League Classic is Here, Bel’Veth Rework

League of Legends Patch 26.15 is here. Alongside the usual balance tweaks, this patch kicks off Ranked Season 3, brings back nostalgic vibes with the launch of League Classic, and delivers a massive rework to Bel’Veth that reshapes how the champion plays from top to bottom. Let’s recap everything players should expect.

League of Legends Patch 26.15: What to Expect

League of Legends just released its newest Patch, and this is one of the game’s biggest updates yet. A major Bel’Veth rework is completely reshaping her playstyle, shifting her from an early-game invade menace to a calculated late-game powerhouse. Several of the current meta’s most frustrating Champions, like Locke and Riven, are getting nerfs. A new Ranked season is here, most high-level players can no longer duo-queue, and Aegis of Valor will not protect from LP losses. Plus, and perhaps most importantly, League Classic has fully arrived.

Patch 26.15 Releases League Classic

League Classic has finally fully released in Patch 26.15. This mode “features 60 champions using classic versions of their gameplay across League’s early history and is an experience that emphasizes strategy over mechanics and stronger consequences, both positive and negative, for your actions.”

For more information, check out our guide to the format here! Notably, League Classic skins are now free for all Champions. Riot Games is also hosting an esports tournament, GO4LoL, for Classic Mode players.

With all that said, the studio wants League Classic to remain a nostalgic, chill experience. Riot is not publicizing match data in its API. The team noted on X.com that “to preserve the spirit of the mode, we ask that League Classic data not be aggregated or displayed to users in any form.” However, it encourages tournament setups and organized plays.

Patch 26.15 Bel’Veth Rework

Patch 26.15 brings one of the biggest overhauls Bel’Veth has seen since she first launched. Riot’s goal is pretty clear: put a firm stop to the oppressive level-one jumpscare playstyle and push her toward becoming a late-game scaling monster. Bel’Veth’s early stats see significant nerfs, with lower base health, armor, and attack damage, plus a slower cooldown between her Q casts at rank one. That means she won’t dominate the laning phase anymore, and enemies can chill out with less fear of early jungle invades. Her Q also now prioritizes dueling instead of harsh bursts.

Specifically, Riot Games states that the update is “aimed at making [Bel’Veth’s] gameplay pattern a bit less focused around her early game, in order to allow her to fulfill her fantasy as a late game scaling champion.”

Now, let’s recap a full explainer of all Bel’Veth changes coming players’ way.

Be warned: this list is LONG! The Bel’Veth rework affects her entire kit.

Base Abilities

• Base Attack Speed: 0.85 > 0.67
• Base Attack Speed Ratio: 0.85 > 0.67
• Base Attack Damage: 60 > 55
• Basic Attack Damage Modifier: 75% > 100%
• Base Attack Cast Time: 0.25 > 0.22
• Base Total Attack Animation: Adjusted to feel better at lower Attack Speeds
• Base Armor: 32 > 28
• Base Armor Growth: 4.7 > 5
• Base Health: 610 > 580
• Base Health Growth: 105 > 110
• Base Model Size: 100% > 95%

Passive

• Attack Speed After Spell Cast: 20% minimum / 40% maximum for 2 attacks > 20% for 3 seconds
• Attack Speed per Stack: 0.28% minimum / 1.1% maximum > 0.1% minimum / 2% maximum

Q

• Speed: 800 / 850 / 900 / 950 / 1000 > 850
• Time Between Casts: 1 > 4 / 3.25 / 2.5 / 1.75 / 1
• Monster Damage Modifier: 55 / 65 / 75 / 85 / 95 > 70
• Minion Damage Modifier: 60 / 70 / 80 / 90 / 100% > Removed
• Damage: 0 / 5 / 10 / 15 / 20 (+100% Attack Damage) > 12 / 14 / 16 / 18 / 20 (+105% Attack Damage)
• Attack Speed to Ability Haste Conversion: 0.25 > 0.2

W

• Damage: 70 / 110 / 150 / 190 / 230 (+100% Bonus AD) (+125% AP) > 80 / 140 / 200 / 260 / 320 (+150% AP)
• Slow Duration: 1.25 / 1.5 / 1.75 / 2 / 2.25 seconds at 50% slow > 2 seconds at 30% slow
• Knockup Duration: 0.75 seconds > 0.6 / 0.7 / 0.8 / 0.9 / 1 second

E

• Damage per Strike: 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 (+8% AD) (+8% On-Hit effects), increased up to 300% based on missing Health > 10 / 12 / 14 / 16 / 18 (+12% AD) (+12% On-Hit effects), increased up to 100% based on missing Health
• Number of Strikes: 6 + 1 per 33% bonus Attack Speed > 6 + 1 per 40% bonus Attack Speed
• Damage Reduction: 35 / 40 / 45 / 50 / 55% > 20 / 30 / 40 / 50 / 60%
• Lifesteal: 20% > 20 / 25 / 30 / 35 / 40%
• Lifesteal Scaling: 100% > Removed
• Cooldown: 20 / 19 / 18 / 17 / 16 > 24 / 21 / 18 / 15 / 12
• Monster Damage Modifier: 150% > 200%

R

• Passive On-Hit Application: Every other attack > Every attack
• Passive True Damage: 6 / 10 / 14 (+12% Bonus Attack Damage) > 2 / 4 / 6 (+3% Bonus Attack Damage)
• Target Swapping: Passive removed when swapping targets > Passive no longer removed when swapping targets
• Maximum Epic Monster Stacks: 10 > 8
• Passive Application Requirement: E and Q required Bel’Veth to have attacked the target first > E and Q no longer require Bel’Veth to have attacked the target first
• Explosion Damage: 150 / 200 / 250 (+100% AP) (+25% missing Health) > 150 / 200 / 250 (+150% AP) (+20% missing Health)
• Heal per Bonus Health: 100 / 150 / 200 (+120% Bonus AD) (+90% AP) > 100 / 250 / 400 (+150% Bonus AD) (+150% AP)
• Basic Attack Range Bonus: 75 > 25 / 75 / 125
• Total Attack Speed: 10 / 15 / 20% > 5 / 15 / 25%
• Size: 10% ⇒ 10 / 15 / 20%
• Unempowered Buff Duration: 60 > 45 / 90 / infinite at 0 / 40 / 80 stacks
• Empowered Buff Duration: 180 > 45 / 90 / infinite at 0 / 40 / 80 stacks
• Post-Cast Lockout: 0.5 seconds > 0.25 seconds
• Out of Combat Move Speed: Removed

More Champion Nerfs

Riot’s Champion Nerf list remains relatively unchanged from the Patch Notes preview @RiotPhroxzon shared earlier this month. The nerfs mostly prioritize top-laners and junglers. Locke and Riven, two particular pain points in the community, are both getting power reductions. This might help combat the former’s massive ban rate.

• Locke:
• Q Nail Base Damage: 50 / 58 / 66 / 74 / 82 (+20% AP) > 40 / 48 / 56 / 64 / 72 (+20% AP)
• Q Three Nails Damage: 150 / 174 / 198 / 222 / 246 (+60% AP) > 120 / 144 / 168 / 192 / 216 (+60% AP)
• W Move Speed: 40 / 45 / 50 / 55 / 60% (+2% per 100 AP) > 40% (+2% per 100 AP)
• W Grey Health Base Value: 40 / 70 / 100 / 130 / 160 (+120% AP) > 40 / 60 / 80 / 100 / 120 (+100% AP)
• Mordekaiser
• E Cooldown: 18 / 16 / 14 / 12 / 10 > 16 / 14 / 12 / 10 / 8
• R Stolen Stats: 13% > 10%
• Naafiri
• R Damage: 150 / 225 / 300 (+120% AD) > 125 / 200 / 275 (+100% Bonus AD)
• R Damage per Packmate 15 / 22.5 / 30 (+12% AD) > 12.5 / 20 / 27.5 (+10% Bonus AD)
• Riven
• R Bonus AD Ratio: 25% > 20%
• R Bonus AD Ratio: 60% minimum / 180% maximum > 55% minimum / 165% maximum
• Sylas
• Q First Lash Damage: 40 / 65 / 90 / 115 / 140 (+45% Ability Power) > 40 / 60 / 80 / 100 / 120 (+40% Ability Power)

More Champion Buffs

Kai’Sa has suffered as one of the worst botlaners for a while, so this update will spike her power levels a little bit. Meanwhile, Alistar and Maokai will have an easier time zooming around the map. The devs note that Volibear “has been hibernating from dusk till dawn for a couple patches,” so the team is giving him a better chance to pull ahead in lanes with a shorter Q cooldown.

• Alistar
• Base Move Speed: 330 > 335
• Kai’Sa
• Passive: Caustic Wounds: 4 – 24 (Level) (+12% AP), +1 – 6 (Level) (+3% AP) per prior stack > 4 – 30 (Level) (+12% AP), +1 – 8 ( Level) (+3% AP) per prior stack
• Maokai
• Q Monster Damage Modifier: 140 / 150 / 160 / 170 / 180 > 150 / 160 / 170 / 180 / 190
• Q AP Ratio: 40% > 50%
• Volibear
• Q Cooldown: 14 / 13 / 12 / 11 / 10 > 12 / 11.5 / 11 / 10.5 / 10
• Zac
• Base Armor Growth: 4.7 > 5.2
• E Cooldown: 22 / 19 / 16 / 13 / 10 > 21 / 18 / 15 / 12 / 9

League Patch 26.15 Item and System Changes

League is buffing up three major items in this patch: Bastionbreaker, Terminus, and Yun Tal Wildarrows. The changes mostly focus on cost and damage distribution. The team notes that Bastionbreaker “has been near bottom pickrate since release […] We’re making it both more accessible and slightly stronger […] because we find that lethality users putting more of their gold into utility and progressing the team game is healthy in the long term.” The Terminus and Yun Tal changes focus on providing better scaling options for the late game.

• Bastionbreaker
• Cost: 3200g > 3000g
• Shaped Charge Damage: (30 + 150% lethality) true damage > (50 + 150% lethality) true damage
• Terminus
• Unique – Shadow: 30 Magic Damage On-Hit > 30 (+10% bonus Attack Damage) (+10% Ability Power)
• Yun Tal Wildarrows
• Cost: 850g > 750g
• Attack Speed: 40% > 45%
• Jack of All Trades
• Adaptive Force at 5 / 10 stat breakpoints: 10 / 25 > 8 / 20

New Ranked Season 3

League of Legends’ 2026 Ranked Season 3 is here. The new Season brings rank resets, fresh competition, and an ever-evolving meta. The Ranked release date is July 29, 2026, at 12 PM server time. This means update rollouts will stagger based on the player’s location and individual region.

• Players will receive Season 2 Ranked rewards after Season 3 starts.
• “Victorious Ranked Mission (15 Ranked Games won) will be refreshed with season start.”

Aegis of Valor Changes

Riot Games is reworking its Aegis of Valor mechanic, which rewards players for Autofill and high-priority games. The studio has noticed that some players play selfishly to get the Aegis of Valor grade protections. To combat this, Riot is shifting the Aegis of Valor protections to prioritize winning and overall team value.

“Aegis of Valor has helped make autofill games feel worth playing out, but its loss protection and Mastery requirement created a secondary objective: play for the grade, not necessarily for the win. That’s the opposite of what a Ranked incentive should ask of you. We want every Ranked teammate to share the same goal, which is trying their very best to win the game.“

• Aegis of Valor will no longer protect from LP losses. Wins will award double LP, without a minimum mastery score.

Apex Duo Restrictions

In recent months, users at League’s highest ranks have been able to play together in duo queues. However, Riot Games is now partially reverting the changes. The studio notes that “In Master, duos were generally manageable, but we still saw enough impact on match quality to warrant tighter limits. In GM and Challenger, smaller player pools and extremes of skill give duos an outsized impact on game outcomes […].”

Riot Games does intend to find a way for GM and Challenger players to play in duos in the future: “As our matchmaking systems improve, we’ll keep looking for ways to bring duo queue back to GM and Challenger, but only once we can do so without compromising the fairness and competitive integrity they’re meant to represent.”

It’s important to note that these changes don’t just affect players currently in GM and Challenger: anyone with GM and Challenger MMR will be affected.

• Masters players can only duo with others extremely close to them in rank.
• GM and Challenger players can no longer duo queue in Ranked.

Patch 26.15 Skins: Prestige Magma Chamber Jax and Veigar

Patch 26.15 brings the Prestige Magma Chamber skins for Jax and Veigar. Jax sports glowing lava cracks across his body, flickering blue and orange flames, and a redesigned lamppost fitted with a lava lantern. Veigar has glowing crystal wings, a flaming crown, and a new staff. Players can grab these skins in the Sanctum.

ARAM Mayhem and Arena Changes

This patch has a ton of ARAM and Arena updates as well! There are also many bug fixes. However, the list is extremely long, so we recommend checking out Riot Games’ original Patch Notes here.

Stay tuned for more League of Legends in-game and esports news.