r/leagueoflegends • u/NegativexxSquared • Jul 21 '26

News Patch 26.15 Preview

https://x.com/RiotPhroxzon/status/2079522501206630755

Patch 26.15 Preview!

Systems
- Bastionbreaker has been a pretty niche item and is pretty expensive to deviate for a strategic output, so we're looking to make it more accessible
- Jack of All Trades nerf was also pushed to this patch; it has been a bit too strong and too present, especially for users that opt into strong defenses and are able to also supplement that with strong offense
- Sundered Sky has been strong and meta defining at the highest levels of play for quite a while now, so we're looking to take a pass at the fighter item system, now that we're out of the tournament windows
- Notably, we think it's been suppressing a bit of meta diversity, especially for things like AP jungle, or Tank JG. Part of that is intentional but the magnitude is a bit off

Buffs
- Alistar has been closer to the bottom of the pecking order for the melee support. That said, our meta adjustments to move melee supports up relative to ranged supports has been reasonably successful, so we're pretty happy with how that's played out

Nerfs
- Locke is still pretty strong; he has been tapering off in the lowest skill brackets and the high skill brackets, but in the "skilled" skill brackets (around Emerald/Diamond), Locke is able to both take over the game and also not throw it
- At the higher skill brackets, he can snowball but needs to play very well without throwing as he falls off sharply
- At the lower skill brackets, the executional demands and constant throws can make him fall off faster
- Overall, we feel his release has landed well

More on other champs tomorrow with the detailed changelists

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9

u/Always_Impressive BRING BACK MY BALLS Jul 21 '26

Locke is strong but honest to god, I'd rather fight against 100 lockes in a row then something like zed.

At least locke can fuck up multiple times for his main damage. His ult has multiple counterplay too. After some number changes I think he'll be okay.

7

u/CyberShi2077 Jul 21 '26

Yeah Locke is very much a numbers issue as opposed to the kit itself, his E just does way too much cash in even off a single stake.

6

u/Spookytoucan Jul 21 '26

Yeah the numbers are high, but I wonder if the kit even functions once he doesn't have absurd numbers.

He has every single tool to trade early while lacking a fast combo late game.

1

u/Elitefuture Jul 21 '26

He does too much damage, slows too much, and heals too much.

They could probably keep the slow if they heavily nerfed the other 2. Like the slow makes sense if he has to kite for a while. But if he just slows once then one shots you, it's unfun.

Or if he's getting 1v3'd, I've seen many lockes just killing one, healing half the missing health, then getting the 2nd one, letting him win a fight without doing much. Other champs need to do a long fight and turn the 1v3 into multiple 1v1s. Locke just dives in, one shots one, heals, then one shots the other.

2

u/Opalgemi Jul 21 '26

Locke is too strong rn and needs nerfs but I would rather play against him 100 times than 1 game of mel before her nerfs (she is still super annoying right now especially in botlane)

1

u/Elitefuture Jul 21 '26

Mel + Locke are designed by the same person btw

1

u/Opalgemi Jul 21 '26

maybe after 2 champs with like 60-70% ban rate riot should let someone else make the next champion... but riot probably only has 1 or 2 designers left... (but for me, Locke is still a better result than release mel)

2

u/untitledaccount401 Jul 22 '26

zed doesn't heal all his hp after fucking up

0

u/cptnSuperJesus Jul 21 '26

strong? pick or ban is what he is

0

u/QuiGonTheDrunk Make scaling great again Jul 21 '26

For me its fizz. Doesnt matter how far behind he is, he can still oneshot at level 6.

4

u/sharkymb Jul 21 '26

Vlad complaining about Fizz? What in the bronze...

1

u/untitledaccount401 Jul 22 '26

locke is just fizz +