LoL Patch 26.23 Preview: Annie's Tibbers and Mel Buffs, Cyclosword Changes, and More

League of Legends Patch 26.23 is scheduled to release on November 18, 2026, bringing another round of balance changes. Riot Games' preview includes buffs for Mel following her mid-scope update in the previous patch, alongside new buffs for Annie, Azir, K'Sante, and Ezreal.

On the other hand, LeBlanc, Master Yi, and Syndra are set to receive nerfs. The Cyclosword item will also be adjusted after proving too strong.

Have You Seen My Bear Tibbers? 

Annie is receiving buffs to Tibbers, increasing his base HP and adding a 150% Bonus HP scaling. This will make him considerably tankier, especially with health-focused builds. 

His aura damage and basic attack damage are also increasing, giving Tibbers more damage potential and making Annie's ultimate stronger in teamfights.

Overall, these changes strengthen Tibbers as both a damage source and a durable presence in teamfights.

If you enjoy playing ARAM, these changes might also encourage you to experiment with new builds!

Annie Buff:

• [R] Summon: Tibbers HP: 1150-3500 (+50% AP) → 1275-4000 (+50% AP) (+150% Bonus HP)
• [R] Summon: Tibbers Aura DPS: 8-16 (+4% AP) → 10-20 (+4% AP)
• [R] Summon: Tibbers AA Damage: 30-60 (+10% AP) → 30/50/70 (+10% AP)

Tibbers will receive some buffs in Patch 26.23 (Photo by Riot Games)

Strengthening Azir's Core Build

Azir is receiving buffs to his attack range, making him safer and easier to play, especially during the laning phase.

His W on-hit AD ratio is also increasing, strengthening builds that rely on on-hit effects such as Nashor's Tooth and Lethal Tempo. These changes aim to improve his flexibility with different rune and item choices.

Azir Buff:

• Base AA Range: 525 → 550
• [W] Arise! On Hit AD Ratio: 50% → 67%

Azir's on-hit item interactions will be stronger in Patch 26.23 (Photo by Riot Games)

The "W" Men: Ezreal and K'Sante Buffs

Ezreal is set to deal more damage when players land his preferred ability combo. These changes should particularly benefit regular players, as hitting a [W] Essence Flux - [Q] Mystic Shot combo is a reliable way to maximize his damage output.

His ultimate will also deal more damage, especially in the later stages of the game.

Ezreal Buff:

• [W] Essence Flux Damage: 80-300 (+100% bonus AD) (+90% AP) → 80-300 (+115% bonus AD) (+100% AP)
• [R] Trueshot Barrage Damage: 350-750 (+100% bonus AD) (+110% AP) → 350-850 (+110% bonus AD) (+120% AP)

As for K'Sante, these buffs should make him more impactful, particularly for regular players.

Despite being one of the strongest picks in the competitive scene, he remains less popular among casual players, so these changes could make him more appealing outside of professional play.

Since [W] Path Maker is often his second ability to max, these changes aim to give him more power, particularly for regular players, who are more likely to land the ability than higher-skilled opponents.

K'Sante Buff:

• [W] Path Maker Mana: 45-65 → 45
• [W] Path Maker Damage: 45-165 → 45-205
• [W] Path Maker All Out Chargertime Damage Increase: 10-80% → 10-75%

Both Ezreal and K'Sante are set to receive buffs to their W abilities in Patch 26.23 (Photo by Riot Games)

Mel Gets Another Round of Buffs

Mel is receiving adjustments for the second consecutive patch, as Riot looks to restore some of her power following her mini-rework.

The buffs will focus on her [Q] Radiant Volley and [W] Rebuttal, with increased damage on her Q and a stronger shield and retaliation damage on her W. 

These changes should make her more threatening during trades and teamfights. Riot is specifically targeting the scaling potential of maxing W rather than [E] Solar Snare, aiming to improve her mid-lane performance without giving her additional advantages in the bot lane.

Mel Buff:

• [Q] Radiant Volley Subsequent Bolt Damage: 5-25 (+8% AP) → 6-26 (+9% AP)
• [Q] Radiant Volley Max Damage: 85/120/165/220/285 (+65/73/81/89/97% AP) → 90/126/172/228/294 (+70/79/88/97/106% AP)
• [W] Rebuttal Shield: 50-170 (+50% AP) → 50-210 (+50% AP)
• [W] Rebuttal Retaliation: 35-55 (+10% AP) → 35-75 (+10% AP)

Following her mid-scope update, Mel is set to receive another round of buffs in Patch 26.23 (Photo by Riot Games)

Cyclosword Updates

Cyclosword is getting a slight nerf to its Firmament bonus damage, reducing the percentage of the target's current HP dealt.

However, Riot is deliberately keeping the adjustment small, as the item is meant to give assassins a strong early-game spike and help them compete with champions from more scaling-focused classes.

Cyclosword Nerf:

• Firmament Bonus Damage: [9%|7%] target's current HP → [8%|6%] target's current HP

Other Changes in LoL Patch 26.23

Here are the other changes currently planned for the patch:

Champions Buffs

Bard:

• [Q] Cosmic Binding Damage: 80-240 (+80% AP) → 80-260 (+100% AP)

Galio:

• [W/R] Shield of Durand Shield Amount: 7.5-13.5% Max HP → 8-20% Max HP

Gnar:

• [Q] Boomerang Throw / Boulder Tosse Mini Damage: 5-165 (+125% AD) → 5-165 (+135% AD)
• [Q] Boomerang Throw / Boulder Tosse Mega Damage: 45-225 (+140% AD) → 45-225 (+150% AD)

Vel'Koz:

• [R] Life Form Disintegration Ray Total Damage: 450/700/925 → 450/700/950 (Bug Fix)

Vi:

• [E] Rentless Force Damage: 10-90 (+110% AD) (+100% AP) → 10-110 (+110% AD) (+100% AP)

Champions Nerfs

LeBlanc:

• [Q] Sigil of Malice AP Ratio: 40% → 35%

Master Yi:

• [Q] Alpha Strike Damage: 20-100 (+70% AD) → 20-100 (+60% AD)
• [Q] Alpha Strike Max Single Target Damage: 35-175 (+122.5% AD) → 35-175 (+105% AD)

Syndra:

• [E] Scatter The Weak Mana Cost: 50 → 60
• [E] Scatter The Weak Cooldown: 15 → 17/16.5/16/15.5/15

Riot's Matt "Phroxzon" Leung-Harrison shared the changes above on X, along with brief explanations of the key changes coming in Patch 26.23.

All changes are part of Riot Games' current preview and may still be adjusted before the patch officially goes live.

When Does LoL Patch 26.23 Release?

LoL Patch 26.22 is scheduled to go live on November 18, 2026. 

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Featured Image Credit: Riot Games

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