Patch 26.20, the Worlds patch, and ranked: what to copy from pro play and what to skip

For the full list of changes, see our patch 26.20 notes. For the patch ranked is on now, see our patch 26.21 notes. For the quarterfinal schedule and draw, see our Worlds 2026 quarterfinals guide.

What changed most in 26.20?

Riot's goal in the notes is clear: tone down picks that were too reliable in pro play and give champions on the edge of viability a push.

• Nerfs: Ambessa (passive damage from 5-30 +25% bonus AD to 5-25 +20% bonus AD), Ashe (AD per level from 3.5 to 3), Cassiopeia (base health 630 to 610, base mana 480 to 450), K'Sante (higher W mana cost, W damage reduction from 30%/75% to 25%/70%) and Yunara (lower Q on-hit damage, W slow no longer stacks with other slows).
• Buffs: Diana, Kennen, Kindred, Lillia, Lucian, Mordekaiser, Neeko, Smolder, Swain, Tahm Kench and Vayne.
• Items: Hextech Rocketbelt's Ability Haste dropped from 20 to 10 and its active damage went from 100 (+10% AP) to 135 (+15% AP). Experimental Hexplate now gives ranged champions 50% of its value instead of 70%. Runaan's Hurricane AD per bolt went from 65% to 60%.

What it means for ranked: four takeaways

1. Rocketbelt is no longer a purchasable Flash. Riot did not like immobile mages buying it purely as an escape. Halving its Ability Haste slows down mages who rush it, while the higher active damage rewards AP bruisers who use it to engage. That is why Kennen and Neeko received compensation buffs in the same patch.

2. Ranged Hexplate in top lane got weaker. Riot called out ranged champions rushing Experimental Hexplate in top lane, becoming too hard to burst and too deadly in all-ins. If you play a ranged top laner, rethink your first item.

3. Ambessa and K'Sante are still playable, just less forgiving. Both were nerfed because they were too reliable in coordinated play. Ambessa loses some late-game output, K'Sante loses early mana and some W damage reduction. In solo queue these are small changes. If you have mastered either champion you do not need to drop them, but mistakes cost a bit more.

4. Ashe and Yunara, two pro favorites, were pulled back. Riot described Ashe as one of the premier marksmen in pro play, dealing too much raw damage for the highest-utility marksman in the game. The 0.5 AD per level loss adds up late. With Yunara, Riot's concern was different: it did not want a meta where teams do nothing early and simply scale. In solo queue, that makes a pure "wait for late game" plan a little riskier, and lane matchups where you can apply early pressure a little more valuable.

Before you copy a Worlds pick: what 26.21 changed

Patch 26.21 arrived on October 21 and is the patch you play ranked on. These differences from 26.20 matter most when you copy pro picks:

• Bot lane: Caitlyn (lower Headshot damage, higher Q damage) and Jinx (lower AD and health) were nerfed. Tristana's early Q attack speed went down. Miss Fortune got buffs to her E and R. Varus's Q and W were rebalanced.
• Jungle: Lee Sin (W cooldown 7 to 8 seconds, lower R damage), Wukong, Nidalee and Rammus were nerfed. Taliyah and Xin Zhao were buffed.
• Mid lane: Azir, Orianna and Ryze were buffed; Viktor and Qiyana were nerfed. Nunu & Willump's ultimate was buffed to make up for earlier Rocketbelt nerfs.
• Items: Gluttonous Greaves went from 1000 to 1100 gold. Hubris got weaker for ranged champions and stronger for melee. Dawncore gives a bit more AP.

In short: if a Lee Sin or Caitlyn performance at Worlds impressed you, that champion is slightly weaker in ranked now. If you liked what you saw from Orianna or Azir, they are slightly stronger.

A quick check for your own champion pool

A new patch, or Worlds season, is a good moment to review your pool. Five steps:

1. Check whether your top three champions changed in either patch. If they did, retest items and runes over your first 10 games.
2. Check your first item. If you build Rocketbelt, Hexplate, Gluttonous Greaves or Hubris, try alternatives; all four changed across these two patches.
3. Don't drop a nerfed champion right away. Small number changes matter less than your game knowledge. Look at 10 to 15 games before deciding.
4. Try a buffed champion in normals first. Learning a champion in ranked is usually expensive.
5. Look at your post-game data. Deaths and CS in the first 15 minutes decide far more games than patch changes do.

Frequently asked questions

Which patch is Worlds 2026 played on? All Summoner's Rift games are played on 26.20. Riot calls it the Worlds patch in the notes.

Which patch is ranked on right now? 26.21, since October 21, 2026. The next one is 26.22.

Can I use a Worlds build in ranked? Yes, but first check whether the champion and items changed in 26.21. Pro teams play coordinated, so some picks are worth less in solo queue.

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Sources

• Riot Games, League of Legends Patch 26.20 Notes
• Riot Games, League of Legends Patch 26.21 Notes

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