LoL Patch 26.16 Preview: ADC Magic Resist Changes, Roaming Support Nerfs

League of Legends Patch 26.16 is coming soon, and it’s bringing big shakeups to the current meta. Botlaners and roaming supports will want to see what’s happening before the balance changes hit them. Here’s a quick recap of the Patch Notes Preview.

League’s Patch 26.16 Preview is Here

In Patch 26.16, League of Legends is balancing ADCs and bot mages, buffing Nasus top, and stopping roaming supports in their tracks. Players can expect some major changes to Camille, Poppy, Gwen, and more Champions. Plus, there are a ton of item and systems changes on the horizon.

League of Legends Lead Gameplay Designer Matt “RiotPhroxzon” Leung-Harrison dropped an advanced Patch Notes preview on August 12, 2026, giving some additional insight into the new update. Let’s explore everything there is to know so far.

When is the League of Legends Patch 26.16 Release Date?

League of Legends Patch 16.16 will release on Wednesday, August 12, 2026. This follows Riot’s typical two-week update cycle. Exact patch times may vary depending on the player’s region and server location.

Restoring the Balance Between ADC and Bot Mages

Bot mages have taken over the rift since MSI. At first, these picks were extremely hard for the average player to counter. Now, Riot Phroxzon has noticed “a pretty sharp downtrend [this week…] Teams seem a lot better at playing against it.”

Still, the LoL team needs to make some tune-ups to ensure ADCs have the best possible potential to contest their lanes. Aside from basic power levels and meta shifts, Riot wasn’t the biggest fan of the roaming support and bot mage meta because “many ADCs weren’t designed with being duelists in mind, 1v1 is less exciting & lower depth of gameplay, players enjoy the 2v2 lane.”

Riot wants to preserve bot mage viability and the things that make the class special, like high mana, strong waveclear, and differentiated power spikes. Instead of directly nerfing them, Riot has decided to buff up the ADC class and create stronger counterplay opportunities. Specifically, the team will increase their early-lane survivability and buff up several key items.

• ADC Base Magic Resist: 30 > 33
• Magic Resist Growth: 1.3 > 1.1

Stopping Roaming Supports

Roaming supports have plagued the current competitive meta, frustrating teammates and enemies alike. Riot Phroxzon notes that “Roaming Support gameplay can be interesting when seeing it every few games, [but] the current state of it is a bridge too far.”

Originally, the roaming support strategy was confined to pro gameplay. However, it has slowly trickled down into almost every rank. Players who don’t actually have the game sense to attempt it are leaving their bot-laners stranded in 1v3 ganks, oftentimes contributing to match losses.

To fix this issue, Riot is adjusting the Support quest to encourage players to stay in their lane. The studio will also nerf several of the worst-offending Champions: Camille and Poppy, for example. Camille players can expect to see her power redirect into toplane, and Hail of Blades users will have to find another crutch to rely on.

Notably, Riot is “not looking to nerf the comeback XP.” The dev team understands this mechanic is extremely important to prevent snowballing. However, the out-of-lane punishments will probably have some indirect effects “at the relevant XP breakpoints.”

Big Nasus Adjustment

Good news, Nasus players: Nasus jungle is chilling out, and you can expect to keep playing him without any changes. The League of Legends team has actually thrown us an Uno reverse card, saying “his high win rates can be misleading” and “Nasus top is in need of a buff.” Riot Phroxzon confirms that “the current set of changes are targeted at giving a relative buff to Nasus top, while being power neutral on Jungle.”

Patch 26.16 Champion Buffs

Top-laners Kennen and Gwen are getting some love from Riot in this patch, with unknown buffs on the horizon. Azir tags along with some improvements.

• Kennen
• Gwen
• Azir

Patch 26.16 Champion Nerfs

Poppy and Camille are getting pummeled with nerfs to reduce their roaming support popularity. Camille’s power will shift towards top lane. Bel’Veth, who recieved a serious rework in Patch 26.15, needs a tune-up to decrease her current power levels.

Riot is not directly nerfing Brand and Swain, but Riot Phroxzon specifically mentioned these champions. The League team is giving ADCs more early-game survivability, which will make their kits less effective.

• Poppy
• Camille
• Bel’Veth
• Brand (indirect)
• Swain (indirect)

Patch 26.16 Item and System Changes

Buffs

Riot is buffing up a ton of ADC items and systems, for example, Berserker’s Greaves and Runaan’s Hurricane. Sunfire Aegis changes are coming to make it more duel-focused, but also more expensive so Champs have some motivation to try out Hollow Radiance.

• Sunfire Aegis
• Cost 2700 > 2800
• Armor 50 > 45
• Damage health ratio 1% bonus HP > 1.5%
• Minion Damage 160% > 150%
• Monster Damage 200% > 180%
• Eclipse
• Tiamat
• Sorcerer’s Shoes (T3)
• Berserker’s Greaves (T3, general)
• Jungle Pet
• Fleet Footwork
• Runaan’s Hurricane
• Sterak’s Gage

Nerfs

Riot is nerfing the Support role quest to force players out of roaming strategies. Sundered Sky and Merc Treads will also see some shake-ups.

• Sundered Sky
• Health 400 > 450
• Ruby Crystal removed from build
• Cost 3100 > 2700
• Heal AD ratio 100/50% base AD > 90/45% bonus AD
• Missing health ratio 6% > 4%
• Mercury’s Treads (T3)
• Support Role Quest

Adjustments

Hail of Blades, a popular item on roaming supports, is seeing adjustments to reduce the playstyle. ADCs will have magic resist adjustments that allow them to survive more early-game duels with mages.

• Hail of Blades
• ADC MR
• Black Cleaver
• At least one more unknown item/system

Stay tuned for more League of Legends esports and in-game news as the Patch Notes draw closer.