Arriving on January 8, the LoL patch notes 26.1 introduces new role quests, item changes, ranked adjustments, and much more.
Welcome to the League of Legends (LoL) 2026 season. The LoL patch notes 26.1 bring a wave of new mechanics, balance changes, item updates, and new features. With so much packed into this opening patch, there’s plenty to break down. Let’s dive right in.
LoL patch notes 26.1: Overview
LoL patch 26.1 live on Jan. 8, 2026. With many updates on the way, follow us to stay up to date throughout the journey.
You can find detailed information on Arena, ARAM Mayhem, and other game modes, as well as bug fixes, in Riot Games’ official LoL patch notes 26.1.
LoL patch notes 26.01: Patch summary
For those who don’t want to read long patch notes, don’t worry. In 2026, we welcome a brand new season in League of Legends, opening with a Demacia-themed Summoner’s Rift map and skins for Morgana, Taliyah, Cho’Gath, and Nautilus.
Riot Games brought us new gameplay updates toward turret pushing, taking away so much pressure to make objectives. Each role will have quests, and the vision has been reinvigorated from a strategic point. New items will help fill some gaps in the building process, and some champions will also be updated due to an increase in every champion’s base crit damage.
The ranked system was also updated, making the auto-filling process less unpleasant. The game is faster, the minions’ waves have been updated to make them more worth your time farming, and the turrets have also been changed to prioritize the wave pushing.
Overall, Riot Games has introduced numerous new systems and gameplay changes, making them worth exploring.
System and gameplay updates
Role Quests
In 2026, each role will have assigned quests as part of Riot’s strategy of balancing role agency. To complete them, you only need to play the game normally, by killing minions, champions, getting plates, hitting towers, and killing neutral objectives. All of the role quests will have specific rewards for the players.
These quests won’t be available in Swiftplay and rotating game modes. Those will retain the same jungle and support quest rules as before, when applicable.
Epic Monsters and Jungle updates
Atakhan will be completely removed from the game. The remaining epic monsters (Dragons, Baron, Rift Herald, Voidgrubs) will be 15% more durable and more resistant to physical and magic damage. Since junglers are under constant pressure to perform, their Smite was buffed to help them complete objectives with less fear of an Ezreal’s ultimate or Lux’s E will steal it.
Vision changes
The vision system will also be improved. Riot is introducing the Faelights, a “powered ward” that gives you extra vision beyond a typical ward range. They will spawn in certain locations at the beginning of the matches and then respawn later in the game. However, they have a limited duration, giving junglers some space to gank and even supports to roam around the map.
New items
In 2026, players will have 10 new items to learn and incorporate into their builds. Some classic items are also returning to the Rift with refreshed visuals and updated designs. Together, these changes aim to create a healthier, more satisfying item pool for champions and improve the item system as a whole. Check out all the stats and best champions to use them here.
Ranked system and game pacing
For ranked, Riot Games is introducing some changes to the auto-filling position, making it more rewarding for players who end up in that situation. Penalties for dodging will be worse, especially if you are from higher ranks. Overall, games will be faster in 2026. Riot is reducing the time in the selecting champion phase, as well as homeguard, and is making changes to the minion waves, which will now spawn earlier.
The S3 Ranked 2025 season will end on local server time Jan. 7 at 23:59:59. Ranked Queues (Solo/Duo and Flex) will be disabled briefly as the season ends. S3 2025 Ranked Reward Mission will end at around the same time.
The Ranked Season 1, 2026, will start on local server time Jan. 8 at 12:00:00. Ranked Queues (Solo/Duo and Flex) will be re-enabled on season start. Season 1 2026 Ranked Reward Missions will start at the same time. When the new season starts in 2026, player ranks will reset, and after playing 5 provisional games, players will be assigned a starting rank for the season to climb with.
Season 3 Ranked 2025 rewards
The end-of-season year rewards will include not only the Victorious Draven skin and chromas, but also accessories that celebrate your highest rank achieved during 2025. Additional accessories include:
- Victorious Skin Border that is compatible with all 3 Victorious Skins of 2025 (requires owning all 3 Victorious skins of the year)
- 2025 Ranked Emote
- 2025 Ranked Icon
In order to receive rewards, players must have an honor level of 3 or above.
LoL patch notes 26.01: Champions updates
In the 2026 season, every champion’s base crit damage will be increased back to 200%. With this update, the champions that get at least 25% crit chance in the average game will receive some preemptive balance changes.
Additionally, Cassiopeia will be able to buy boots in 2026. Her passive is being updated due to the addition of a more boot-based system, especially now with the role quests. Her passive will be updated to a movement-based effect.
Passive: P second shot crit damage: 30% of bonus crit damage (1.225/1.345x) ⇒ 100% of bonus crit damage: 2/2.3x. Fixed a bug where the second shot could bypass blind if it didn’t crit.
Q: Damage: 5/25/45/65/85 (+80% total AD) ⇒ 45/75/105/135/165 (+70% bonus AD)
E: Damage: 15/30/45/60/75 (+15% total AD) ⇒ 8/16/24/32/40 (+25% total AD)
E: Crit Scaling: 1.575/1.935x ⇒ 50% of bonus crit damage: 1.5/1.65x. Clarified that damage scales with attack speed in the tooltip.
R: Crit Scaling: 1.5/1.7x ⇒ 30% of bonus crit damage: 1.3/1.42x
Calibrum: Bonus Damage per Mark: 15 (+ 20% bonus AD) ⇒ 15 (+10% bonus AD)
Severum: Onslaught Damage per Hit: 10/15/20/25/30/35/40 (+22/25/28/31/34/37/40% bonus AD) ⇒ (+19/22.5/26/29.5/33/36.5/40% total AD);
Still critically strikes for 100% crit damage (1.75/2.15x ⇒ 2.0/2.3x)
Infernum: Duskwave Active Damage: 25/31.67/38.33/45/51.67/58.33/65 (+56/60/64/68/72/76/80% bonus AD) ⇒ 20/35/50/65/80/95/110 (+10/11/12/13/14/15/16% bonus AD)
Crescendum: Sentry Active Damage: 35/50/65/80/95/110/125 (+ 42/45/48/51/54/57/60% bonus AD) ⇒ 35/50/65/80/95/110/125 (+ 30/32/34/36/38/40/42% bonus AD)
Moonlight Vigil: Follow-Up Attack Critical Damage: 1.2/1.6x with IE ⇒ 30% of bonus critical strike damage: 1.3/1.39x with IE
Base Stats: Attack Speed Growth: 3.33% ⇒ 3%</strong>
Base Stats: Attack Damage Growth: 3.45 ⇒ 3
Passive: Crit Scaling: 100% (up to 1.75/2.15x) ⇒ 100% (up to 2/2.3x)
W: Damage: 60 / 95 / 130 / 165 / 200 (+110% Bonus AD) ⇒ 60 / 95 / 130 / 165 / 200 (+100% Bonus AD)
Passive: Crit Scaling: 0-148.75/182.75% total AD ⇒ 100%*Bonus Crit Damage (0-100/130% total AD)
R: Crit Scaling: Up to 1.5x ⇒ 30% of bonus critical strike damage: up to 1.3/1.39x with IE
Base Stats: Base Movement Speed: 328 ⇒ 335
Passive: Passive Rework: Gain 4-72 Movement Speed (Based on level), but she cannot purchase boots. ⇒ Increased effectiveness of all Movement Speed buffs by 6-40% (based on level)
W: Damage per second: 40 / 55 / 70 / 85 / 100 (+40% bonus AD) (+30% AP) ⇒ 30 / 45 / 60 / 75 / 90
Base Stats: AD Growth: 3.6 ⇒ 3
W: Attack Speed: 30/35/40/45/50% ⇒ 20/25/30/35/40%
Q: Monster Damage Cap: 75/100/125/150/175 ⇒ 65/85/105/125/145 (+ 90% AP)
Passive: Damage: 50-250 (based on level) (+100% bonus AD) (+200% Crit Chance) ⇒ 50-250 (+ 100% bonus AD) (+0% crit scaling)
E: Bonus Champion Damage: 75 / 105 / 135 / 165 / 195 ⇒ 75 / 95 / 115 / 135 / 155. Timer no longer reduces to 0.25 seconds at level 19. No longer deals 5% more damage on critical strike.
E: E Crit Ratio: 80% of total (1.4/1.72x) ⇒ 30% of bonus (1.3/1.39x)
Base Stats: Crit Damage: 45% of bonus (33.75/51.75%) ⇒ 35% of bonus (35/45.5%)
Base Stats: Total Damage on Crit: 250-357% total AD ⇒ 252-360% total AD
Passive: Now gains an additional 1.5% attack speed per stack at level 19.
Base Stats: Attack Speed Growth: 1.4% ⇒ 1%
R: Maximum Flat Damage: 250/400/550 (+ 130% bonus AD) ⇒ 200/350/500 (+120% bonus AD)
Base Stats: Multiplicative Crit Damage Mod: 86% ⇒ 75% (1.505x ⇒ 1.5x)
E: Missing Health Crit: 1.5/1.9x if target is below 25-75% (based on crit chance) Health ⇒ 50% of bonus crit chance and crit damage always (up to 1.5/1.65x)
Pounce Damage: 1.75/2.15x on crit ⇒ 50% of bonus crit chance and crit damage always (up to 1.5/1.65x)
E: Monster Damage Cap: 300, including base damage and bonus AD ratio ⇒ 200 to only the %HP portion
Base Stats: Attack Damage Growth: 2.9 ⇒ 2.5
Base Stats: Attack Speed Growth: 3.3% ⇒ 2.5%
Q: Damage: 85/115/145/175/205 (+60/75/90/105/120% bonus AD) ⇒ 80/115/150/185/220 (+100% bonus AD)
R: Extra Bolts from Crit Chance: Up to 25 ⇒ 100% of bonus crit damage: Up to 22/28
R: Total Bolts: 22-47 (based on critical strike chance) ⇒ 22-44/50 (based on critical strike chance and damage)
Q: Active Critical Damage: 1.75/2.15x ⇒ 50% of bonus crit damage (1.5/1.65x)
R: Damage: 80% total AD (+25% AP) ⇒ 20 / 30 / 40 (+60% Total AD) (+25% AP)
R: Crit Scaling: 1.2/1.28x ⇒ 30% of bonus crit damage (1.3/1.39x)
Base Stats: Attack Speed Growth: 2.25% ⇒ 2%
Q: Active Damage: 5/10/15/20/25 (+ 90/95/100/105/110% total AD) ⇒ 0/10/20/30/40 (+100% total AD)
Crit Scaling: Up to 2x ⇒ 80% of bonus crit damage: 1.8/2.04x;
Q: Armor Penetration Crit Scaling: 0-33% ⇒ 0-30%
R: Mana Cost: 80 ⇒ 100
Passive: Damage: 10-95 (based on level) (+16-50% (based on level) total AD) ⇒ 15-120 (based on level) (+ 40% bonus AD)
Q: Q is now consumed on plants. It is no longer always considered a critical strike. The Q damage no longer deals up to 101.25% total AD bonus damage based on crit chance and damage. The Q now deals 100/130% total AD bonus damage if Rengar crits the attack.
Q: Non-Crit Damage: 5/10/15/20/25 (+ 95/102.5/110/117.5/125% total AD) ⇒ 0/5/10/15/20 (+110% total AD)
Q: Critical Strike Damage: 1.25/1.65x with IE ⇒ 50% of bonus crit damage: 1.5/1.65x with IE
R: Non-Crit Damage: 5/15/25 + 45% total AD ⇒ 20/40/60 + 30% total AD
R: Critical Strike Damage: 1.75/2.15x with IE ⇒ 100% of bonus crit damage: 2.0/2.3x with IE
Base Stats: Crit Damage: 100% of total crit damage (1.75/2.15x) ⇒ 90% of total (1.8/2.07x)
Passive: Damage: 20-35 (based on level) (+25% bonus AD) ⇒ 20-35 (based on level) (+20% bonus AD)
Passive: Crit Modifier: 100% (1.75/2.15x) ⇒ 100% (2.0/2.3x)
Q: Backstab Modifier: 1.55/1.95x ⇒ 60% of bonus crit damage (1.6/1.78x)
Q: Backstab on Crit: 100% (1.75/2.15x) ⇒ 100% (2.0/2.3x)
Q: Damage: 60/85/110/135/160 (+ 85% bonus AD) ⇒ 60/85/110/135/160 (+70% bonus AD);
Q: Crit Scaling: Up to 1.5x ⇒ 40%: 1.4/1.52x
Q: Crit Scaling: Up to 1.75/2.15x ⇒ 50% of bonus crit damage (Up to 1.5/1.65x) (also affects passive Q stacks)
E: Non-Crit Damage: 60/70/80/90/100 (+100/110/120/130/140% bonus AD) ⇒ 60/85/110/135/160 (+ 80% bonus AD)
E: Crit Scaling: 100%: Up to 1.75/2.15x with IE ⇒ 40% of critical strike damage: 1.40/1.52x with IE
Q: Attack Damage: 5 / 10 / 15 / 20 / 25 (+0.15 / 0.25 / 0.35 / 0.45 / 0.55% missing HP) ⇒ 0 (+0.2 / 0.35 / 0.5 / 0.65 / 0.8% missing HP)
Q: Maximum Bonus AD: At 0% remaining HP ⇒ At 10% remaining HP. Clarified the per-fury and maximum heal in Q’s tooltip.
W: No longer slows enemies who are facing away when cast for 4 seconds. Now slows any enemy while they’re facing away from Tryndamere during the 2.5-second debuff.
W: Slow: 30 / 37.5 / 45 / 52.5 / 60% ⇒ 30 / 35 / 40 / 45 / 50%
Enemy attack damage is still reduced by 4 seconds.
E: Damage: 75 / 105 / 135 / 165 / 195 (+130% Bonus AD) ⇒ 70 / 105 / 140 / 175 / 210 (+100% Bonus AD)
Base Stats: Attack Speed Growth: 3.38% ⇒ 3%
Base Stats: Attack Damage Growth: 3.1 ⇒ 3
Q: Bonus Attack Speed: 45 / 50 / 55 / 60 / 65% ⇒ 40 / 45 / 50 / 55 / 60%
E: Damage: 55/65/75/85/95 (+60% bonus AD) ⇒ 50/65/80/95/110 (+40% bonus AD)
E: Crit Scaling: Up to 75% ⇒ Up to 50% of bonus crit damage: 1.5/1.65x
Q: Current HP Crit Scaling: 100% of total (1.75/2.15x) ⇒ 50% of bonus (1.5/1.65x)
Second Strike Crit Scaling: 100% of total (1.75/2.15x) ⇒ 100% of bonus (2/2.3x)
Q: Active Crit Mod: 100% of total (Up to 1.75/2.15x) ⇒ 50% of bonus (Up to 1.5/1.65x)
R: Crit Scaling: Up to 2x ⇒ 70% of bonus (Up to 1.7/1.91x)
Base Stats: Crit Damage: 1.75/2.15x ⇒ 90% (1.8/2.07x)
Base Stats: Crit Damage: 1.75/2.15x ⇒ 90% (1.8/2.07x)
Q: Attack Speed: 25/35/45/55/65% ⇒ 20/30/40/50/60%
R + W: Damage: 175/350/525 (+150% bonus AD) ⇒ 160/320/480 (+120% bonus AD)
W: Damage: 30/70/110/150/190 (+130% total AD) ⇒ 30/70/110/150/190 (+120% total AD)
Through-Wall Damage: 1.75x, 2.15x with IE ⇒ 75% of bonus critical strike damage: 1.75/1.975x
W: Tooltip now shows the enhanced damage. Damage now cosmetically critically strikes its targets when shot through a wall
E: Damage: 20/22/24/26/28 (+12% bonus AD) ⇒ 17/19/21/23/25 (+ 10% bonus AD)
E: Crit Scaling: Up to 1.85x every hit ⇒ 100% of bonus crit damage on crit: 2.0/2.3x
R: Active Damage: 200/300/400 (+100% bonus AD) ⇒ 150/250/350</strong> (+100% bonus AD)
LoL patch notes 26.1: Item updates
And because a season is not only about the new things, some items were also updated in the LoL patch notes 26.1.
Without Unending Despair, Aegis, as an epic item, doesn’t build into anything and doesn’t have any items that it makes sense to build into. As such, it’s being removed.
Kindlegem + Bandleglass Mirror + 500g (2200g)
35 Ability Power
200 Health
125% Base Mana Regen
20 Ability Haste
Soul Siphon: Gain 35% of pre-mitigation damage dealt to champions as Soul Charges, up to (80-250 [based on level]) charges. Healing or shielding an ally consumes all Soul Charges to restore 100% of that value as health.
Build Path: Pickaxe + Caulfield’s Warhammer + Cloak of Agility + 375g ⇒ Sheen + Caulfield’s Warhammer + Cloak of Agility + 350g
Total Gold Cost: 2900g (unchanged)
Attack Damage: 60 ⇒ 55
25% Crit Chance
Ability Haste: 15 ⇒ 20
Spellblade (1.5s cooldown): After using an ability, your next attack deals (125% base AD + [50 * crit chance]) bonus physical damage and grants 50% of the damage value as mana on-hit.
Essence Drain passive is removed.
Build Path: Fiendish Codex + Fiendish Codex + Blasting Wand + 200g ⇒ Fiendish Codex + Fiendish Codex + Amplifying Tome + 600g
Total Gold Cost: 2750g ⇒ 2700g
Ability Power: 125 ⇒ 75
Ability Haste: 25 (unchanged)
Hypershot: Dealing ability damage to champions at 600 range or more units away from the cast position reveals them for 6 seconds ⇒ Dealing ability damage to champions at 600 range or greater reveals them for 6 seconds. Deal 10% increased damage to enemies revealed by Hypershot.
Focus (30s cooldown): When Hypershot is triggered, reveal all other enemy champions within 1400 range of them for 3 seconds.
Build Path: B.F. Sword + Pickaxe + Cloak of Agility + 675g ⇒ B. F. Sword + Pickaxe + Cloak of Agility + 725g
Cost: 3450g ⇒ 3500g
Attack Damage: 65 ⇒ 75
Critical Strike Damage: 40% ⇒ 30%
Build Path: Last Whisper + Noonquiver + 350g ⇒ Last Whisper + Noonquiver + 550g
Cost: 3100g ⇒ 3300g
Armor penetration: 40% ⇒ 35%
[NEW] Giant Slayer: Deal up to 15% bonus damage against champions based on their bonus health. The maximum damage bonus is reached at 1500 bonus health.
Guns are cool, but so are staves. We’re bringing this back to the old name.
Name: Luden’s Companion ⇒ Luden’s Echo
Icon: Reverted to the staff
Build Path: Executioner’s Calling + Last Whisper + Cloak of Agility + 450g ⇒ Executioner’s Calling + Last Whisper + Cloak of Agility + 150g
Cost: 3300g ⇒ 3000g
Armor penetration: 35% ⇒ 30%
Build Path: Kindlegem + Forbidden Idol + 900g ⇒ Fiendish Codex + Forbidden Idol + 850g
Total Gold Cost: 2300g ⇒ 2250g
Health: 200 ⇒ 0
[NEW] 30 Ability Power
Attack Damage: 40 ⇒ 45
Lightshield Strike: Critical strike damage decreased from 100% ⇒ 80%
Lightshield Strike Cooldown: 8s ⇒ 10s
Tear (Manaflow items) Unique >>> Semi-unique
You can now have one stacking Tear item in your inventory at any given time. Once your Tear item transforms, you can get a new Tear and stack all over again!
Muramana: Mana: 860 ⇒ 1000
Fimbulwinter: Mana: Mana: 860 ⇒ 1000
Build Path: Serrated Dirk + Caulfield’s Warhammer + 450g ⇒ Serrated Dirk + Caulfield’s Warhammer + 750g
Total Gold Cost: 2500g ⇒ 2800g
Attack Damage: 55 ⇒ 60
Ability Haste: 10 ⇒ 15
Lethality: 15 ⇒ 18
Nightstalker: After being unseen by enemies for 1 second, your next attack against a champion deals an additional (50 + 150% lethality) true damage.
Blackout (90s cooldown): When you are near enemy Stealth Wards and traps, reveal them for 8 seconds. While revealing wards, your attacks deal 3 (melee) / 2 (ranged) damage to them.
Extinguish is removed. (It’s rolled into the above Blackout)
Build Path: Aegis of the Legion + Giant’s Belt + 800g ⇒ Chain Vest + Kindlegem + Ruby Crystal + 800g
Total Gold Cost: 2800g (unchanged)
Armor: Increased from 25 ⇒ 50
Magic Resistance: 25 ⇒ 0 (REMOVED)
Ability Haste: Increased from 10 ⇒ 15
Build Path: B. F. Sword + Scout’s Slingshot + Long Sword + 750g ⇒ B.F. Sword + Scout’s Slingshot + Long Sword + 850g
Cost: 3000g ⇒ 3100g
Attack Damage: 55 ⇒ 50
Attack Speed: 35% ⇒ 40%
[NEW]: Cryocombustion: Gain 15 Ultimate Ability Haste.
LoL 2026 Season 1 theme and skins
New year, new season, and new theme. Demacia will enter the Rift with its iconic Petricite look. As it happened last year, the Battle Pass and skins will be integrated into the seasonal theme. Morgana will be getting the Prestige skin, while Cho’Gath and Taliyah will have epic ones in the pass. As for Nautilus, you can buy it in the game store. You can check all the Battle Pass paid and free rewards here.
These first weeks might be difficult to learn everything new, so best of luck in your matches! That’s all for now. Stick around for more League of Legends news, guides, and updates on esports.gg.