League of Legends is making another round of targeted balance changes in Patch 26.17, with Vayne and Xerath getting under the nerf hammer. The brothers Yasuo and Yone are getting buffs designed to make critical-strike builds more attractive, while LeBlanc receives a long-overdue attack-speed ratio buff.
Nasus is also being nerfed again after the developer’s changes in the previous League patch had a larger impact than expected, while several other champions, including Cho’Gath, Irelia, Qiyana, Trundle, and Aurelion Sol, are receiving buffs. Roaming supports are settling down, with the developer seeing positive movement in pro play while keeping an eye on whether the strategy remains too strong in solo queue.
Quick Summary
- Vayne and Xerath are getting nerfed after performing too well in top and bot lane.
- Yasuo and Yone are getting buffed to encourage more critical strike builds.
- LeBlanc gets a long-awaited attack speed buff, alongside AP ratio increases.
- Roaming supports are moving in the right direction, with Riot continuing to monitor the strategy.
When does LoL Patch 26.17 release?
League of Legends is following a bi-weekly patch cadence as usual, and this means that LoL patch 26.17 is scheduled to come out on August 26, 2026.
Release time zones usually differ somewhat, but you can expect the patch to be released around these times:
- 3 pm CT (NA)
- 5 am GMT (EU West)
- 3 am CET (EU North East)
- 8 am KR (Korea)
What’s in LoL Patch 26.17?
Patch 26.17 focuses heavily on champion-specific tuning, with Riot targeting several champions that have become problematic in certain roles while giving weaker picks a chance to return to the meta. Vayne top and Xerath are receiving broad nerfs, while Nasus loses some of his sustain after becoming stronger than intended in top lane.
Yasuo and Yone are going in opposite directions, with Riot specifically trying to encourage them to build more critical strike items rather than alternatives like Blade of the Ruined King and Kraken Slayer. LeBlanc is also getting back an attack speed ratio that was previously removed because of her synergy with Statikk Shiv. Alongside this, the Heartsong Seraphine skin, along with Ocean Song Jinx and Soraka skins, is also hitting the stores.
Champion Buffs
The following champions are receiving buffs in League Patch 26.17:
Cho’Gath
Cho’Gath is getting a damage increase on his E, giving him stronger trading and scaling as he builds up Feast stacks.
[E] Vorpal Spikes
Damage increased from 20-100 (+30% AP) (+2.5-3.9% (+0.5% per Feast Stack) target max HP) to 30-110 (+30% AP) (+2.5-3.9% (+0.5% per Feast Stack) target max HP).
Irelia
Irelia is receiving a straightforward buff to her Q, giving her more damage when using Bladesurge.
[Q] Bladesurge
AD ratio increased from 70% AD to 80% AD.
LeBlanc
Riot is restoring an attack speed ratio that LeBlanc lost when Statikk Shiv was an extremely powerful waveclear option. With Shiv now focused more heavily on on-hit effects, Riot believes the old nerf is no longer necessary.
Base Stats
- Attack speed ratio increased from 0.4 to 0.625.
- Attack speed growth reduced from 2.35% to 1.5%.
[W] Distortion / [RW] Mimic
AP ratio increased from 80% to 90%.
Qiyana
Qiyana is getting more damage on her Q, strengthening her burst and helping her compete more effectively as an assassin.
[Q] Elemental Wrath
Damage increased from 70-190 (+85% bonus AD) to 80-200 (+90% bonus AD).
Yasuo
The developer wants Yasuo to have stronger incentives to purchase critical strike items, particularly as his first major item, rather than defaulting to options such as Blade of the Ruined King or Kraken Slayer.
[P] Way of the Wanderer
Critical strike damage reduction reduced from -10% to -5%.
Yone
Yone receives the same critical strike adjustment as Yasuo, encouraging him to lean further into crit-based builds.
[P] Way of the Hunter
Critical strike damage reduction reduced from -10% to -5%.
Trundle
Trundle is getting a significant attack speed boost on Frozen Domain, giving him more power when fighting around his W.
[W] Frozen Domain
Attack speed increased from 30-90% to 30-120%.
Aurelion Sol
Aurelion Sol gets a small quality-of-life buff through lower Q mana costs and a shorter W cooldown.
[Q] Breath of Light
Mana cost reduced from 35-55 to 25-45.
[W] Astral Flight
Cooldown changed from 22-16 seconds to 22-14 seconds.
Champion Nerfs
The following champions are receiving nerfs in League Patch 26.17:
Graves
Graves is losing some of the bonus AD scaling on both his Q’s initial and return damage, reducing his overall burst.
[Q] End of the Line
- Initial damage bonus AD ratio reduced from 65% to 55%.
- Return damage changed from 0/125/170/215/260 (+55/70/85/100/115% bonus AD) to 80/125/170/215/260 (+45/60/75/90/105% bonus AD).
Nasus
The developer is following up on last patch’s Nasus changes after seeing a larger impact than expected. The goal is to make high Q stack counts harder to reach in top lane without affecting jungle Nasus as heavily.
[P] Soul Eater
Life steal reduced from 12/18/24% to 10/15/20%.
Nocturne
Nocturne’s base durability is being reduced with cuts to both his armor and health.
Base Stats
- Armor reduced from 38 to 36.
- Health reduced from 655 to 640.
Thresh
Thresh’s E is losing some damage and AP scaling, reducing the payoff from aggressive builds.
[E] Flay
Active damage reduced from 75-255 (+70% AP) to 65-245 (+60% AP).
Vayne
Vayne top has become a strong pick at higher levels of play, with Riot particularly concerned about her combination of lane strength, scaling, and durability. The goal is to give opponents more room to trade against her and set up ganks.
Base Stats
- Health changed from 550 + 103 per level to 580 + 98 per level.
- Health regeneration increased from 3.5 + 0.55 per level to 4 + 0.5 per level.
Attack Speed
- Attack speed ratio increased from 0.658 + 3.3% per level to 0.67 + 2.8% per level.
[Q] Tumble
Mana cost increased from 30 to 46-30.
[W] Silver Bolts
- True damage changed from 6-10% of target’s max HP to 4-10% of target’s max HP.
- Maximum target max HP damage unchanged at 4-10%.
[W] Minimum Damage
Minimum damage reduced from 50-110 to 40-100.
Xerath
The developer says Xerath is performing well in both mid and bot lane, particularly among average players. Despite supporting AP bot carries as a source of long-term role diversity, the champion is receiving a broad nerf.
Base Stats
- Base armor reduced from 22 to 20.
[Q] Arcanopulse
- Damage reduced from 75-235 (+90% AP) to 70-230 (+90% AP).
System Buffs
Stormrazor is receiving an attack speed increase, making it a more attractive option for champions looking for additional attack speed.
Stats
- Attack speed increased from 20% to 25%.
System Nerfs
Sundered Sky is losing some of its raw stats, reducing its overall efficiency for bruisers.
Stats
- Attack damage reduced from 45 to 40.
- Health reduced from 450 to 400.
