“Frankly, we underestimated how frustrating the play-against experience for Mel would be and are aiming to improve that with this change list.”
Riot Games has revealed the details for the next League of Legends (LoL) update. This patch gives Mel a major rework, buffs Briar, makes Bel'Veth more viable in the late game, and so much more. Read on for the LoL patch 26.3 notes and details.
LoL patch 26.3 release date
According to Riot Games, the release date for LoL patch 26.3 is Feb. 4. This is the third patch of the year, but it features the first major live follow-up for Season 2026 after reviewing gameplay and community feedback. Adjustments go to item balance, rune effects, vision mechanics, and a lot of balance changes like buffs to AD junglers.
ARAM Mayhem also gets over 40 new augments and sets plus a progression track. Ranked players, meanwhile, get an Aegis of Valor tweak. The next couple of chapters of Demacia Rising are also part of LoL patch 26.3.
LoL patch 26.3 notes
Mel, in particular, gets a major rework in LoL patch 26.3 to reduce player frustration and create more counterplay opportunities. Her reflect damage immunity becomes a shield, which means that when Fizz successfully lands his ultimate, she no longer completely negates the damage with a late W. Mel's Q and E are more visually clear as well, making it easier for opponents to dodge them.
"While we believe that champion agency can yield frustrating interactions, we also believe there should be avenues for counterplay to balance that out," Riot Games stated. "Frankly, we underestimated how frustrating the play-against experience for Mel would be and are aiming to improve that with this change list. And for players looking to play Mel we want her to be playable more consistently after the ban phase while making sure her core gameplay that her players have come to love isn't lost."
Riot Games aims to make Mel more fair by giving opponents more ways to outplay her while letting Mel players feel rewarded for skill, too. They expect that some players may still ban her, however, they want her to no longer be a must-ban for players.
Mel | LoL Patch 26.3 Notes |
|---|---|
| Attack Speed Ratio | 0.625 |
| Passive - Overwhelm | |
| Projectile Damage | 8-25 (+3% AP) |
| Total Projectile Damage | 24-75 (+9% AP) |
| Q - Radiant Volley | |
| Initial Hit | 60/90/120/150/180 (+60% AP) |
| Subsequent Hits | 5/6/7/8/9 (+5% AP) |
| Total Damage | 85/126/169/214/261 (+85-105% AP) |
| Mana Cost | 70/75/80/85/90 |
| Minion Damage | 100% |
| Cast Time | 0.35s |
| Projectile Speed | 3800 |
| Explosion Radius | 200 |
| Area Spread | 25 |
| Channel Time | 0.5s |
| Damage Type | DoT AoE |
| W - Rebuttal | |
| Shield | 80/110/140/170/200 (+60% AP) |
| Damage Immunity | Removed |
| Physical Damage Reflected | -30% |
| Projectile Interaction | Destroyed |
| Decaying Move Speed | 40% over 1.5s |
| E - Solar Snare | |
| Root Missile Radius | 70 |
| End Linger | 0.25s |
| DoT Radius | 230 |
| Cast Range | 1000 |
| Projectile Speed | 1100 |
| Cooldown | 11/10.5/10/9.5/9 |
| Root Duration | 1.5 |
| Damage | 60/105/150/195/240 |
| Damage per Second | 16/28/40/52/64 |
| R - Golden Eclipse | |
| Damage Per Stack | 4/7/10 (+4% AP) |
League of Legends patch 26.3 notes
Below are all of the LoL patch 26.3 notes and details for the rest of the champions. Briar, in particular, gets updates to increase her sustain and trading efficiency. This arrives in the form of 5 additional health growth, 0.3 more armor growth, and all Q, W, E, and R abilities costing 5% of her current health instead of 6%. Meanwhile, Bel'Veth's buffs improve her late game and synergy with high attack speed builds. The AD jungler gets 6 additional health growth and her R's true damage per attack stack becomes 6/10/14 (+12% Bonus AD).
Ahri
- W - Fox-Fire Cooldown: 9/8/7/6/5
Bel'Veth
- Base Stats - Health Growth: 105
- R - Endless Banquet True Damage per Stack: 6/10/14 (+12% Bonus AD)
Braum
- Base Stats - Health: 610
- Q - Winter's Bite Damage: 75/120/165/210/255 (+2.5% HP)
Briar
- Base Stats - Health Growth: 100
- Base Stats - Armor Growth: 4.5
- Q - Head Rush Health Cost: 5% current health
- W - Blood Frenzy / Snack Attack Health Cost: 5% current health
- E - Chilling Scream Health Cost: 5% current health
- R - Certain Death Health Cost: 5% current health
Diana
- Passive - Moonsilver Blade Monster Damage: 230%
Draven
- Base Stats - AD Growth: 3.4
Ekko
- Passive - Z-Drive Resonance AP Ratio: 90%
- Passive - Z-Drive Resonance Monster Damage: 270%
Ezreal
- Base Stats - AD Growth: 3.5
- E - Arcane Shift Damage: 80/130/180/230/280 (+60% Bonus AD) (+75% AP)
Hecarim
- Q - Rampage Damage per Hit: 60/90/120/150/180 (+90% Bonus AD)
- Q - Rampage Damage Amp per Stack: 3% (+3% per 100 Bonus AD)
Heimerdinger
- Base Stats - Health Growth: 105
- W - Hextech Micro-Rockets Initial Hit Damage: 50/75/100/125/150 (+55% AP)
Jayce
- Q - To the Skies! Damage: 60/110/160/210/260/310 (+135% Bonus AD)
- Q - To the Skies! Monster Bonus Damage: 10
- Q - Shock Blast Damage: 80/121/162/203/244/285 (+130% Bonus AD)
- Q - Shock Blast Monster Bonus Damage: 10
- R - Cannon Stance: Mercury Cannon Armor/Magic Resistance Shred: 20/25/30/35%
Kayn
- Q - Reaping Slash Damage: 75/105/135/165/195 (+85% Bonus AD)
Maokai
- Q - Bramble Smash Flat Damage: 75/120/165/210/255
Naafiri
- Passive - We Are More Packmate Monster Damage: 1.55x
Nilah
- Base Stats - Attack Damage: 58
- Base Stats - Armor Growth: 4.2
Nunu and Willump
- W - Biggest Snowball Ever! Maximum Damage: 180/225/270/315/360
- E - Snowball Barrage Base Damage per Hit: 15/22.5/30/37.5/45
Riven
- Passive - Runic Blade Total AD Ratio: 30-45%
- Q - Broken Wings Damage: 40/75/105/135/165 (+60/65/70/75/80% Bonus AD)
Ryze
- W - Rune Prison Damage: 60/90/120/150/180 (+60% AP) (+3% Bonus Mana)
Trundle
- Base Stats - Armor Growth: 4.5
- Base Stats - Attack Damage Growth: 4.5
Tryndamere
- Base Stats - Attack Damage Growth: 4.5
Varus
- Base Stats - Armor Growth: 4
- W - Blighted Quiver On-Hit Damage: 8/17/26/35/44 (+25% AP)
- W - Blighted Quiver Max Health Damage: 3/3.5/4/4.5/5% (+1.3% per 100 AP)
Vi
- Base Stats - Health Growth: 105
- Base Stats - Attack Damage Growth: 3.5
Volibear
- Q - Thundering Smash Bonus Physical Damage: 10/20/30/40/50 (+140% Bonus AD)
- E - Sky Splitter Cooldown: 16
- E - Sky Splitter Non-Champion Damage Cap: 150/265/380/495/610 (+70% AP)
Xin Zhao
- Passive - Determination Heal Every Third Hit: 3/4/5% max HP
- E - Audacious Charge Bonus Attack Speed: 40/50/60/70/80%
Yone
- Q - Mortal Steel Damage: 25/50/75/100/125 (+110% Total AD)
Zaahen
- Q - The Darkin Glaive Monster Modifier: 2x
- E - Aureate Rush Bonus Monster Damage: 75
Zed
- Passive - Contempt for the Weak Damage to Monsters: 0.5x
- Passive - Contempt for the Weak Maximum Damage to Epic Monsters: 100
That's all for now. Stick around on esports.gg for more LoL news and updates.
