en
League of Legends Patch 26.15 Preview: Locke Nerfs, Bel'Veth Rework, and More
22 Jul, 2026, 15:48
|Last updated: 22 Jul, 2026, 15:48
Patch 26.15 will launch the third and final League of Legends season of the year, marking an important update as players continue to adapt to the meta. LoL Patch 26.15 will launch Season 3 of 2026 on Wednesday, July 29, so let's go ahead and have a look at some of the biggest changes expected to arrive with the new update.
Bel'Veth Rework in LoL Patch 26.15
One of the biggest talking points of the new patch will no doubt be the Bel'Veth overhaul that Riot has prepared for us. Virtually every single base stat, stat growth, and ability in Bel'Veth's kit is getting a numbers change. The list is very long, but the changes essentially aim to do the following:
- Weaker early game
- Much stronger scaling and late game
- Less powerful invades and early dueling
- Stronger benefits from items
- Infinite duration on [R] Endless Banquet at level 16
- Deeper connection to champion fantasy
Bel'Veth's pick rate and win rate in Solo Queue have been nothing to write home about for some time now, while in pro play the champion is practically inexistent. Hopefully, these changes will see a spike in Bel'Veth's popularity. As for how strong she will land on the Rift on LoL Patch 26.15, that remains to be seen.
You can find the complete list of Bel'Veth changes here.
Locke and Mordekaiser Receive Much Needed Nerfs
Locke's win rate, particularly among the highest tiers of play, has been too high for comfort. To fix this, Patch 26.15 is setting out to nerf Locke's base HP, the damage of his [Q] Ritual Nails, and considerably lower the effectiveness of his [W] Soul Ignition, both in terms of movement speed and potential healing.
Overall, Locke's burst and execution power should remain relatively untouched. Instead, the changes aim to make it a little easier for players to punish Locke for misplaying or overstepping, granting more room for counterplay.
And then there is Mordekaiser. Just last patch, Mordekaiser received a substantial buff to his ultimate; one which apparently hit harder than expected. Now, Patch 26.15 is reverting the buff entirely. To compensate a little, Mordekaiser will receive a small buff to the cooldown of his [E] Death's Grasp instead.
Right now, Mordekaiser is looking like the single strongest champion in the Top Lane, and the nerfs were certainly warranted.
Kai'Sa and Alistar Rise in the Bot Lane
Over on the list of incoming champion buffs with LoL Patch 26.15, Kai'Sa and Alistar stand out. For the minotaur, Alistar is getting a +5 movement speed buff with the new update; and we all know how important this kind of buff is for any melee champion.
As for Kai'Sa, she will be getting buffs to the on-hit damage of her [P] Second Skin - Caustic Wounds. This will essentially let Kai'Sa's strong DPS shine a little brighter, particularly in the late game.
While these changes are more than welcome, the question has to be asked: will anything be done anytime soon to fix the issue of mages taking over the Bot Lane?
Lost Items Found?
One interesting point of Patch 26.15 is that it will deliver buffs to three of the most underused items in League of Legends.
Bastionbreaker's passive damage is being buffed, making it a more attractive buy for poke champions in particular. Additionally, it's total gold cost is being reduced.
The on-hit damage on Terminus is getting a new scaling buff (with both AD and AP) where it had none before. This change pairs up rather nicely with the incoming Kai'Sa buffs, too.
And last but not least, we have Yun Tal Wildarrows. AD carries haven't really been building this item as much as Riot would like, so now they're giving it a +5% Attack Speed buff to its stats, as well as lowering the item's total cost by 100 gold. This should once more make Yun Tal Wildarrows an attractive first buy for several AD carry champions.
A Small Patch to Kick Off the New Season
If we look past the Bel'Veth changes, LoL Patch 26.15 doesn't really look to reinvent the wheel ahead of the start of Season 3. More than anything, the new update aims to correct some of the most glaring champion issues in Solo Queue, while allowing for some of the more forgotten picks to rise at the same time. A relatively small patch, certainly, but one that looks to aim in the right direction.
All information about LoL Patch 26.15 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!
Follow Strafe Esports for the latest League of Legends news, and our X account for the latest content and coverage. Also, stay tuned to Strafe's YouTube channel for exclusive interviews, press conferences, and more.
Featured image credit: Riot Games
Read more:
LoL Classic Kicks Off with Legends Showmatches Around the Globe
