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League of Legends Patch 26.12 Preview: Ryze Nerfs, Jax Buffs, and More Ahead of MSI!
League of Legends Patch 26.12 is right around the corner, and it looks to shake things up. The new LoL update will deliver important changes to priority picks and power rankings for both Solo Queue and pro play ahead of MSI 2026, particularly in the Mid and Top Lanes.
With several buffs and nerfs coming our way, let's take a look at some of the most important notes of LoL Patch 26.12 before it releases on June 10!
Mid Lane Shake-Up in LoL Patch 26.12
The new LoL update is bringing a large wave of buffs and nerfs to several staples of the Mid Lane. As a result, we may see Mid priority picks rise and fall in the pecking order once Patch 26.12 goes live.
The Winners
First up we have Syndra, who is getting buffs to her base HP as well as the base damage of her [Q] Dark Sphere; two changes that should see her laning phase become particularly oppressive. Sylas, meanwhile, is receiving buffs to the AP ratio of his [Q] Chain Lash damage and his [W] Kingslayer healing. Once these go live, Sylas' mid-to-late-game should become a lot more reliable and explosive.
Among the other Mid Lane winners of this patch we have Hwei, who is getting several AP ratio buffs, and Tristana, who will receive small changes that will make her laning and late game slightly stronger whether she is picked in the Mid Lane or the Bot Lane.
The Losers
Where some will rise, others must fall. While several mages get buffs, Orianna and Ryze will receive important nerfs.
Orianna is getting tweaks to her passive damage, her base HP, and the base damage of her [R] Command: Shockwave. In combination, all of these changes should see Orianna's laning phase and mid-game take a real hit.
And then there's Ryze. For a champion that scales as well as he does, Riot wanted to make sure Ryze didn't get a free pass early on. For that reason, his base AD and base HP are being nerfed, meaning Ryze players will need to be far more mindful in lane before his items and levels start to kick in.
When it comes to pro play, all of these changes should amount to some real shifts in Mid Lane priority picks ahead of MSI 2026. Whoever manages to adapt the quickest might have a real advantage heading into the second international tournament of the year.
Exciting Changes for Top Lane Mains
Like with the Mid Lane, Top will also see several champions buffed in order to build a more even battleground.
A true fan-favorite of the role, Jax is getting a few small buffs to his [Q] Leap Strike and [E] Counter Strike in LoL Patch 26.12. More than anything, these changes should affect the effectiveness of his short trade patterns in lane, making him even more difficult to deal with in a 1v1.
Likewise, Gwen will receive buffs to the base damage of her [Q] Snip Snip! and the attack speed bonus of her [E] Skip 'n Slash. These changes will strengthen her dueling power in the Top Lane considerably, all while buffing her early Jungle clear speed as well.
Last but not least, there's Aatrox, whose [Q] The Darkin Blade sweetspot will hit even harder than before once League of Legends Patch 26.12 goes live.
Overall, all of the Top Lane changes on this update will aim to power up some of the more dynamic and exciting picks in the role. When it comes to MSI, some good ol' Top Lane 1v1s between some of the best players in the world is all we want to see, and Patch 26.12 is looking to deliver!
Prepping for South Korea
MSI 2026 is heading to South Korea, and Patch 26.12 is clearly laying down the groundwork for an exciting tournament of League of Legends. Though there will be one more patch before the event, the coming update aims to bring new faces to the Top and Mid Lanes, hopefully making for a fresh meta at the highest level before teams fly out to Daejeon.
All information about LoL Patch 26.12 was taken from an X (Twitter) post made by Matt "Phroxzon" Leung-Harrison, Lead Gameplay Designer for League of Legends. If you'd like to have a look at the complete list of changes, make sure to check out the post!
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Featured image credit: Riot Games
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