Patch 26.21 Nerfs Rammus and Reworks Itemization for Ranged Champions
Rammus takes a step back while Sion and Nunu & Willump get stronger
After Rammus’s recent surge in popularity, Riot has trimmed several of his most reliable abilities. Sion and Nunu & Willump are buffed, yet opponents can still target their long-standing weak points. Champions in a number of other roles are also touched, among them Azir, Orianna and Ryze.
These changes take effect in standard live games rather than the professional World Championship. Worlds stays on Patch 26.20, so competing teams won’t have to adjust to a new balance version mid-tournament. As a result, Worlds balance will differ from what players see in the live client.
Bastion Breaker drops in raw power but keeps its bonus damage against objectives
Bastion Breaker now grants 18 lethality, down from 22. Shaped Charge damage falls from 50 to 40 for melee users and from 25 to 20 for ranged users, before lethality scaling is applied. On the other hand, the Sabotage mark no longer lapses after 90 seconds, so stored bonus damage against an objective can be spent later.
Riot also raises the cost of Gluttonous Greaves from 1,000 to 1,100 gold, since marksmen were gaining too much value early in matches. Hubris now splits its bonuses by range: melee champions receive more base attack damage, while ranged champions get less attack damage from the item and its stacks. Dawncore gains extra ability power from base mana regeneration, making it a more appealing late-game pick for enchanters.
| Topic | Confirmed change |
|---|---|
| Tournament version | Worlds 2026 stays on Patch 26.20 |
| Champions | Rammus is nerfed; Sion and Nunu & Willump are buffed |
| Bastion Breaker | 18 lethality; reduced Shaped Charge damage; Sabotage no longer expires |
| Ranged items | Gluttonous Greaves costs more; ranged Hubris users get smaller bonuses |
| Other modes | Fresh ARAM: Mayhem Headliners plus standalone League Classic changes |
ARAM: Mayhem kicks off its Journey to Stardom update
Headliner effects arrive in ARAM: Mayhem, tied to groups including K/DA, HEARTSTEEL, True Damage and Pentakill. Every Headliner alters the rules of the match it appears in. New Augments come along as well, together with a progression track featuring missions, Superstar ranks and rewards.
League Classic gets its own balance adjustments and bug fixes. Because Classic and Mayhem follow different rules, changes aimed only at those modes do not carry over to regular ranked games on Summoner’s Rift.
True Damage comes back as a music group and skin line
True Damage is the fictional League of Legends music act. Patch 26.21 introduces Know My Name skins for Akali, Qiyana, Senna and Yasuo, along with a Prestige edition for Ekko. These cosmetics deal no true damage and leave champion statistics untouched.
The patch caps replay downloads at ten per hour. Riot says the cap aims to block automated bulk downloading while keeping standard replay access intact. Players can still download their own matches and games their friends played.
