League of Legends Patch 26.18 Shifts Power Back to Scaling Champions

League of Legends Patch 26.18 arrived in September 2026 with a focused balance pass built around two goals: helping several scaling champions regain relevance and reducing the strength of reliable picks that had become too influential in professional play. The update buffs Ekko, Kassadin, Master Yi, Viego, and Zaahen, while Bard, Nautilus, Seraphine, Syndra, and Zeri receive nerfs. Cassiopeia gets a broader adjustment intended to narrow the performance gap between professional competitors and regular players.

The patch also launches a Hall of Legends celebration for Rasmus “Caps” Winther, adds new cosmetics, expands the Classic roster with several Demacian champions, and improves how augments are offered in ARAM Mayhem. For ranked players, however, the champion changes are the most immediately relevant part of the update.

Patch 26.18 Takes Aim at Reliable Pro-Play Picks

Rather than introducing a large mechanical overhaul, Riot Games has concentrated on champions whose dependable utility or lane control made them particularly valuable in coordinated matches. Bard and Nautilus are being weakened after performing strongly as professional supports, while Seraphine and Zeri receive targeted reductions in the bottom lane.

The other side of the update focuses on champions that have struggled to maintain enough influence. Ekko receives lower mana costs and stronger AP scaling, Kassadin gains earlier damage, and Viego gets improvements that support both conventional and bruiser-oriented builds. Master Yi also receives compensation after an earlier Guinsoo’s Rageblade interaction affected him more heavily than most other users of the item.

Ekko Can Create Mid-Lane Tempo More Efficiently

Ekko’s Timewinder now costs 40, 50, 60, 70, or 80 mana depending on rank, down from 50, 60, 70, 80, or 90. The AP ratio on the returning portion of the ability has also increased from 60 percent to 70 percent.

The reduced mana cost should make it easier for Ekko to manage waves without exhausting his resources as quickly. Because the additional scaling applies to the returning part of Timewinder, players still need to position the ability carefully if they want to receive the complete benefit. Riot Games specifically described the change as an attempt to improve Ekko’s mid-lane performance without strengthening his Hail of Blades attack pattern.

For opponents, the practical response is to avoid standing directly in the return path of Timewinder. Ekko will now receive greater value when both portions connect, especially after completing AP items.

Kassadin Gets More Agency Before His Late-Game Peak

Kassadin’s Null Sphere AP ratio has increased from 70 percent to 80 percent. Riftwalk also deals more base damage at its first two ranks, moving from 70, 90, and 110 damage to 80, 95, and 110. The final rank remains unchanged.

These changes do not remove Kassadin’s identity as a scaling champion. Instead, they make successful early and mid-game Riftwalk usage more rewarding while giving AP purchases additional value through Null Sphere. Riot Games stated that the intention was to provide more early agency without substantially increasing his established late-game power.

Kassadin players should still manage Riftwalk’s stacking mana cost carefully. The higher initial damage does not make repeated, poorly planned casts sustainable, but it can help him finish a vulnerable opponent or contribute more effectively during an early skirmish.

Master Yi Receives Durability and Mobility Improvements

Master Yi’s armor growth has increased from 4.5 to 5 per level. Highlander now provides 40, 50, or 60 percent bonus movement speed, up from 35, 45, or 55 percent.

The armor increase gives Master Yi slightly better durability as a match progresses, while the Highlander buff improves his ability to pursue retreating opponents or reposition during a team fight. The update follows an earlier Guinsoo’s Rageblade bug correction that had a greater effect on Master Yi because of his double-strike interactions.

The change does not directly increase his basic attack damage. Master Yi will still depend on timing, target selection, and successful resets, but he should have an easier time remaining close to opponents after activating his ultimate.

Viego Gains Support for Bruiser Builds

Viego’s attack damage growth has increased from 3.5 to 4. His passive healing now also gains 0.4 percent scaling for every 100 bonus health, adding value to builds that include more defensive or bruiser-oriented items.

This is a notable change because it expands Viego’s build flexibility instead of simply increasing damage on one ability. Bonus-health purchases can now contribute directly to the healing received through Sovereign’s Domination, potentially making possession sequences safer in extended fights. The patch also corrects an audio bug that could create a looping sound when Viego possessed Kled.

Players using conventional damage-focused builds still benefit from the higher attack damage growth. Bruiser players, meanwhile, receive a clearer connection between their item choices and Viego’s passive sustain.

Zaahen’s Resurrection Interaction Becomes Less Punishing

Zaahen’s The Darkin Glaive now enters cooldown immediately if the ability is active when he enters a resurrection state. Although that wording can appear negative, the adjustment prevents the ability from consistently being unavailable after resurrection because of how it previously interacted with his passive and other revival effects.

The recast’s base damage has also increased from 25, 50, 75, 100, and 125 to 30, 60, 90, 120, and 150. The new values make the second activation exactly twice as strong as the first in terms of base damage, creating a clearer reward for completing the ability sequence.

This is partly a quality-of-life improvement and partly a direct buff. Zaahen should return from resurrection with a more predictable ability cycle, while successful recasts will produce greater damage at every rank.

Bard Loses Some of His Unusual Durability

Bard’s base armor has been reduced from 34 to 32, and his armor growth has fallen from 5 to 4.7 per level. Riot Games explained that Bard’s durability was too high when considered alongside his mobility and the long-range utility of his ultimate.

The nerf should be most noticeable when Bard takes physical damage during the laning phase. Enemy marksmen and supports with frequent basic attacks will be able to punish unsuccessful trades more effectively, while Bard players may need to be more selective when leaving the safety of the minion wave.

The update does not reduce his roaming tools or ultimate range. Bard retains the utility that made him valuable, but mistakes during direct exchanges should carry a greater cost.

Cassiopeia Trades Lane Strength for Better AP Scaling

Cassiopeia receives the most extensive champion adjustment in Patch 26.18. Her passive movement-speed bonus has been reduced, and Noxious Blast loses base damage while gaining a higher AP ratio. Twin Fang costs more mana and shifts part of its scaling from the empowered hit into its standard damage, while Petrifying Gaze deals less base damage but scales more strongly with ability power.

More specifically, Noxious Blast’s base damage drops from 75–215 to 65–205, while its AP ratio rises from 65 percent to 75 percent. Petrifying Gaze falls from 150, 250, and 350 base damage to 125, 225, and 325, but its AP ratio increases from 50 percent to 75 percent.

The overall direction is clear: Cassiopeia should have less lane control from base values but recover more power through completed AP items. This may reduce the effectiveness of defensive professional builds that rely on her strong early numbers while preserving a meaningful scaling path for players who invest heavily in offensive power.

Patch 26.18 Also Expands Classic and ARAM Mayhem

Outside Summoner’s Rift, Patch 26.18 adds Fiora, Galio, Poppy, Shyvana, and Xin Zhao to Classic. The mode also receives balance changes and the outcome of its first Council vote, giving players additional options within its older-style gameplay environment.

ARAM Mayhem receives adjustments to its augment pools so that offered choices are more appropriate for the champion being played. The purpose is to reduce situations in which a player receives several options with limited practical value for the selected champion.

The patch additionally introduces new Hall of Legends content honoring Rasmus “Caps” Winther, the third player inducted into the program and its first Western professional. The event includes a 100-level battle pass, themed rewards, and new Tristana and Orianna cosmetics developed as part of the celebration.

The Real Winners Are Mid-Lane Scaling Picks

Patch 26.18 is unlikely to overturn every part of the ranked meta, but it creates better conditions for several champions that need time and resources to become effective. Ekko gains more efficient wave control, Kassadin receives stronger early ultimate damage, and Cassiopeia shifts away from base power toward AP scaling.

Master Yi and Viego should also become more dependable during extended matches, although neither champion receives a simple early-game damage increase. Their buffs reward progression, itemization, and successful positioning rather than immediately removing their existing weaknesses.

For most players, the patch’s biggest practical lesson is that familiar damage estimates may no longer be reliable. Cassiopeia has weaker early base values, Ekko’s returning Q is more dangerous, and Kassadin can produce more damage with early Riftwalk casts. Support players should also expect Bard to be easier to punish when he takes an unfavorable physical-damage trade.

League of Legends Patch 26.18 is therefore less about introducing a completely new game plan and more about redistributing when champions are powerful. Reliable professional picks lose some safety, while scaling champions receive clearer opportunities to influence a match before it has already been decided.