LoL Patch 26.18 Release Notes Detail Major Balance Changes and Cassiopeia Adjustments

Riot Games has officially released the patch notes for League of Legends (LoL) Patch 26.18. The latest update was delayed by a single day due to a bank holiday in the United States, but it is now live with a substantial suite of balance changes, quality-of-life adjustments, and the introduction of Rasmus ‘Caps’ Winther’s Hall of Legends skins alongside a dedicated Battle Pass. Additionally, Riot has confirmed that team-wide voice chat will soon be integrated into the game, starting with Patch 26.20 on select servers.

Among the major highlights of Patch 26.18 are extensive adjustments directed at Cassiopeia. Aimed at curbing her pro-play dominance while returning some power back to her scaling, her passive speed bonus, Noxious Blast, Twin Fang, and Petrifying Gaze have all been altered to tone down early laning power where defensive purchases thrive.

The update also delivers several champion nerfs to trim down the power of dominant meta picks. Bard receives a durability hit with reduced base armor growth, while Nautilus sees cuts to his base attack damage and Dredge Line damage to encourage more champion variety in support roles. Seraphine bot lane frustrations are targeted via a fixed cooldown on Beat Drop, and Syndra faces adjustments to her Transcendent Splinter passive and Force of Will cooldowns. Furthermore, Zeri's Ultrashock Laser damage is pulled back following recent item-driven win rate climbs.

Conversely, several struggling champions receive direct buffs. Ekko benefits from lowered Timewinder mana costs and a higher return damage AP ratio, while Kassadin gains a punchier Null Sphere AP ratio and increased base damage on Riftwalk. Master Yi sees improvements to his armor growth and Highlander movement speed to help him scale better as a melee carry. Viego's attack growth and Sovereign's Domination sustain are also improved to assist his alternate bruiser builds, and Zaahen receives a quality-of-life cooldown behavior change alongside boosted Q2 damage.

Players can dive into the updated rift now to experience these changes firsthand, while competitive fans keep an eye on upcoming features like team-wide voice communication slated for future patches.