Patch 26.13 lands on the live servers on June 24, 2026, and it doubles as the final balance pass before Mid-Season Invitational 2026 wraps up. Most of the changes are small, targeted tweaks aimed at widening the pool of champions teams can draft at the highest level rather than reshaping the whole meta. The headline addition is Locke, the newest champion, who joins the roster during this cycle.
Quick answer: Patch 26.13 goes live on June 24, 2026. It buffs Aphelios, Draven, Kai’Sa, LeBlanc, Qiyana, Vex, Kindred, Olaf, Poppy, and Zaahen, nerfs Sion, K’Sante, Rumble, Senna, Brand, Cassiopeia, Bard, and Rek’Sai, reduces Doran’s Helm power, and buffs Imperial Mandate. Locke also releases this patch but is unavailable during MSI 2026.
Patch 26.13 release date and MSI context
The update is scheduled to hit live servers on June 24, 2026, and it is the build that will be used at MSI 2026. Because of that, the design intent leans toward high-level competitive play. Riot has chosen to avoid drastic systemic shifts before the tournament concludes, instead nudging numbers to encourage more pick/ban variety in pro drafts.
For most ranked players, several of these tweaks will feel subtle. The goal is to lift underused picks into viability rather than gut the strongest champions outright, so the broader meta should stay recognizable while a few new options open up.
New champion Locke joins in Patch 26.13
Locke arrives at some point during the patch cycle after a tuning period on the PBE. Lead designer Matt “Phroxzon” Leung-Harrison has said the team is still locking down several ability timings and adjusting his power budget, with the strength packed into his W and how “normal versus elite skewed” he is among the main dials being fine-tuned.
Note: While Locke releases on this patch, he will not be available during MSI 2026, so you will not see him on the competitive stage in this cycle.
Champion buffs in Patch 26.13
The buff list spreads across bot lane, mid lane, and the jungle. Aphelios, Draven, and Kai’Sa are getting bumped up so they can hold their own as a team’s win condition. In mid lane, LeBlanc, Qiyana, and Vex are receiving buffs aimed at rewarding aggressive play. The jungle sees Kindred, Olaf, Poppy, and the newcomer Zaahen pushed upward.
| Role | Champions buffed |
|---|---|
| Bot lane | Aphelios, Draven, Kai’Sa |
| Mid lane | LeBlanc, Qiyana, Vex |
| Jungle | Kindred, Olaf, Poppy, Zaahen |
Champion nerfs in Patch 26.13
The nerfs target the oppressive pro top lane along with a few overperforming utility and scaling picks. K’Sante, Rumble, and Sion are being toned down to loosen their grip on the top lane meta. Senna, Brand, and Cassiopeia lose some of their scaling and utility, while Bard and Rek’Sai take smaller cuts to round out the patch.
| Focus | Champions nerfed |
|---|---|
| Top lane meta | K’Sante, Rumble, Sion |
| Scaling and utility | Senna, Brand, Cassiopeia |
| Smaller adjustments | Bard, Rek’Sai |
Doran’s Helm nerf and the bot lane resist meta
Doran’s Helm has crept into bot lane on certain marksmen because its resists pair so well with specific kits. Senna gains from the healing and effective health the item layers on top of those resists, and Jhin benefits because much of his early damage sits in base values. Riot wants to keep that directional incentive intact while making the item a little more balanced for those users, and the change is also meant to grow the pool of champions who reach for it.
The adjustment is a numbers nerf rather than a rework, so the item should still suit resist-friendly carries without feeling like a default safe pick.
Imperial Mandate buff for support champions
Imperial Mandate is getting an efficiency buff on the systems side. Recent tuning had pulled in some mid lane users such as Galio, fringe Twisted Fate, and Lissandra rather than the supports the item is built around. The change repositions it to feel more fantasy-forward for support champions and gives it a modest power increase. As Phroxzon put it:
It is not really the best item on any support at current tuning, and for an item with as strong kit synergies as this it probably should be if it is appropriately powerful.
With the buff in place, expect more enchanter and utility supports to consider Mandate as a core pickup heading into MSI play.
A fuller preview with exact numbers and per-ability details follows the initial reveal, and the complete patch notes will be posted on leagueoflegends.com ahead of the June 24 rollout. Until then, the shape of the patch is clear: a light touch designed to broaden draft choices for the closing stretch of MSI 2026, with Locke waiting in the wings for the rest of the player base.
