Arena Patch 26.21 Notes: Combo Nerfs and AP Hybrids

One-augment high rolls lose their edge, and weak augments plus off-meta champions get the power. Here is what changed in Arena and which duos to queue now.

By the MID.GG editorial team

Patch 26.21 21 October 2026 13 min read

Arena Patch 26.21 takes power out of single-augment high rolls and spreads it across weak augments and underplayed champions. Expect fewer rounds decided by one Prismatic pick and more room for hybrid AP builds on champions who never had them. Revive and burst combos built on Nesting Doll and Trueshot Prodigy lose the most, along with protect-the-carry duos leaning on Yuumi, Renata Glasc and Morgana.

TL;DR

Prismatic combo augments are nerfed: Nesting Doll loses a revive at every tier, Trueshot Prodigy’s attack damage ratio drops from 100% to 50%, and Dual Wield and Courage of the Colossus are nerfed too.
Weak augments are buffed: Rite of the Forge God’s item stat amplification rises from 40% to 60%, and Hive Mind, Flashy, Spin to Win and several Gold picks become real options.
Enchanter duos lose ground: Yuumi, Renata Glasc and Morgana are nerfed, while Milio gets mixed changes that trade uptime for damage.
AD champions gain AP ratios: Lee Sin’s E and Varus’s E (both buffed) and Fiora’s Q (adjusted) open hybrid builds.
Early picks: Ezreal and Gangplank, both buffed with much shorter ultimate cooldowns.

Full changes in Arena Patch 26.21

Champions

Riot’s reasoning
Ezreal’s ultimate gains scaling and uptime so he has more impact outside a single augment combo.

RTrueshot Barrage

Bonus Attack Damage Ratio: 100%changed to 150%
Cooldown: 50 / 40 / 30schanged to 40 / 30 / 20s

MID.GG analysis

Ezreal was 3.3 points above the Arena average before this buff, so he likely climbs. The Trueshot Prodigy nerf removes one high-roll route, but Rite of the Forge God’s buff suits his item-driven build.

Riot’s reasoning
Gangplank sits well below the field, so his W and R come back faster and W scales harder with AP.

WRemove Scurvy

Ability Power Ratio: 90%changed to 135%
Cooldown: 22 / 20 / 18 / 16 / 14schanged to 18 / 16 / 14 / 12 / 10s

RCannon Barrage

Cooldown: 130 / 110 / 90schanged to 100 / 80 / 60s

MID.GG analysis

Gangplank was 4.1 points below average, and much shorter W and R cooldowns raise both his sustain and his barrage uptime. He pairs well with a frontliner who keeps enemies inside Cannon Barrage.

Riot’s reasoning
Katarina’s ultimate gains AP scaling per dagger while its on-hit ratio becomes a flat value.

RDeath Lotus

On-Hit Ratio: 20 / 25 / 30%changed to 25% flat
Ability Power Ratio per Dagger: 26%changed to 35%

MID.GG analysis

Katarina sat 0.8 points above average, and the higher AP ratio rewards full AP builds. The flat 25% on-hit helps early ranks and slightly trims rank 3 on-hit builds.

Riot’s reasoning
Lee Sin’s E gains an AP ratio to give him a non-standard build path.

ETempest

Ability Power Ratio: 0changed to 75%

MID.GG analysis

At 0.5 points above average, Lee Sin now has a reason to try hybrid or AP items alongside his usual kit. Watch for augments that boost ability damage to make the new ratio count.

Riot’s reasoning
Miss Fortune’s Q and R gain AP scaling to support AP builds.

QDouble Up

Ability Power Ratio: 55%changed to 70%

RBullet Time

Ability Power Ratio: 35%changed to 40%

MID.GG analysis

At 1.3 points below average, Miss Fortune gets a modest push toward AP builds. Duos with a frontliner who locks enemies in Bullet Time get the most out of it.

Riot’s reasoning
Nidalee’s traps and cougar abilities return faster to raise her uptime.

WBushwhack

Trap Cooldown: 14 / 13 / 12 / 11 / 10schanged to 8s

RAspect of the Cougar

Cougar Ability Cooldowns: 6schanged to 4s

MID.GG analysis

Nidalee sat 1 point below average, and shorter trap and cougar cooldowns make her far more active in each round. Burst-focused duos benefit from her higher spell rotation.

Riot’s reasoning
Rengar sits well below the field, so his W gains AP scaling.

WBattle Roar

Ability Power Ratio: 95%changed to 120%
Empowered Ability Power Ratio: 105%changed to 120%

MID.GG analysis

Rengar was 5 points below average, and this AP ratio boost only helps if you build some AP. It is a small buff; do not expect him to jump into the top tier from it alone.

Riot’s reasoning
Skarner’s Q and W gain scaling and his W returns faster, rewarding damage-oriented builds.

QShattered Earth

Bonus Attack Damage Ratio: 90%changed to 150%

WSeismic Bastion

Cooldown: 10 / 9 / 8 / 7 / 6schanged to 8 / 7 / 6 / 5 / 4s
Ability Power Ratio: 80%changed to 120%

MID.GG analysis

Skarner was 1.7 points below average, and the bigger Q bonus AD ratio rewards bruiser items over pure tank. Pair him with a ranged carry who benefits from his frontline.

Riot’s reasoning
Teemo’s Toxic Shot doubles its attack damage scaling on both the hit and the damage over time.

EToxic Shot

Initial Hit Attack Damage Ratio: 5%changed to 10%
Damage over Time Attack Damage Ratio: 10%changed to 20%

MID.GG analysis

Teemo was 0.8 points below average, and AD or on-hit builds gain the most. The Dual Wield nerf trims part of that upside at high augment tiers.

Riot’s reasoning
Urgot’s W applies on-hit effects more fully to support on-hit builds.

WPurge

On-Hit Effectiveness: 50%changed to 75%

MID.GG analysis

Urgot sat 1.2 points below average, and stronger on-hit application makes on-hit items far more appealing. The Dual Wield nerf offsets part of the gain if you planned around that augment.

Riot’s reasoning
Varus’s Hail of Arrows returns faster and gains an AP ratio to open hybrid builds.

EHail of Arrows

Cooldown: 18 / 16 / 14 / 12 / 10schanged to 14 / 12 / 10 / 8 / 6s
Ability Power Ratio: 0changed to 50%

MID.GG analysis

At 0.4 points above average, Varus gets a clean buff with more E uptime and a hybrid path. Partners who keep enemies grouped make his zone far more punishing.

Riot’s reasoning
Yone’s ultimate gains bonus AD scaling and a shorter cooldown.

RFate Sealed

Bonus Attack Damage Ratio: 80%changed to 100%
Cooldown: 70 / 60 / 50schanged to 60 / 50 / 40s

MID.GG analysis

Yone was 1.3 points above average, and more frequent, harder-hitting ultimates suit engage-heavy duos. Pair him with a partner who can follow his R into the backline.

Riot’s reasoning
Bel’Veth’s attack damage scaling feeds one-augment high rolls, so her Q and R ratios come down.

QVoid Surge

Attack Damage Ratio: 105%changed to 95%

REndless Banquet

Bonus Attack Damage Ratio per Stack: 1%changed to 0.5%

MID.GG analysis

Bel’Veth was already 5.5 points below the Arena average, so this nerf targets her stacking ceiling rather than her typical game. Expect her to drop further out of rotation unless a strong early-round partner carries her to late stacks.

Riot’s reasoning
Galio’s crowd control and passive shield are too strong, so taunt and knockup durations and shield scaling drop.

WShield of Durand

Passive Shield Health Ratio: 7.5–15%changed to 6–10%
Fully-Channeled Taunt Duration: 1.5schanged to 1s

RHero’s Entrance

Knockup Duration: 1.5schanged to 1s

MID.GG analysis

Galio was 2.9 points above average as a CC enabler, and shorter taunt and knockup windows hurt duos that chain burst onto him. With Courage of the Colossus also nerfed, CC tanks take a double hit.

Riot’s reasoning
Morgana’s Dark Binding and Black Shield are too available, so both cooldowns rise.

QDark Binding

Cooldown: 12schanged to 14s

EBlack Shield

Cooldown: 26 / 23.5 / 21 / 18.5 / 16schanged to 30 / 27.5 / 25 / 22.5 / 20s

MID.GG analysis

Morgana was 2.3 points above average, and longer cooldowns on her root and spell shield cut her peel for a carry. Duos that relied on Black Shield every fight should expect more deaths.

Riot’s reasoning
Renata Glasc’s Bailout and Hostile Takeover are too available, so both cooldowns rise.

RHostile Takeover

Cooldown: 150 / 130 / 110schanged to 170 / 150 / 130s

WBailout

Cooldown: 28 / 27 / 26 / 25 / 24schanged to 32 / 31 / 30 / 29 / 28s

MID.GG analysis

Renata Glasc was 2.7 points above average, and longer cooldowns on her save and her teamfight ultimate weaken protect-the-carry duos. She stays useful but loses round-to-round consistency.

Riot’s reasoning
Yuumi’s bonus to heal and shield power is too strong for her partner, so it drops sharply.

WYou and Me!

Heal and Shield Power: 10–25%changed to 4–8%

MID.GG analysis

Yuumi sat 0.3 points above average, and this nerf hits the attach-to-a-hypercarry duo hardest. Expect her partners to feel noticeably less durable.

Riot’s reasoning
Zaahen’s passive bonus AD per stack scales too high, so it becomes a flat 1%.

PassiveCultivation of War

Bonus Attack Damage per Stack: 1–2%changed to 1%

MID.GG analysis

Zaahen was 4.8 points above average, and capping his stack value lowers his late-round ceiling. He remains strong, but long fights no longer snowball as hard.

Riot’s reasoning
Briar’s Q stun is shortened while her fully charged E gains far more AP scaling, pushing her toward AP builds.

QHead Rush

Stun Duration: 0.85schanged to 0.5s

EChilling Scream

Full Charge Ability Power Ratio: 100%changed to 150%
Full Charge Wall Hit Ability Power Ratio: 240%changed to 350%
Total Maximum Ability Power Ratio: 340%changed to 500%

MID.GG analysis

Briar loses reliable lockdown but her charged E scales much harder, so AP builds and partners who can set up wall hits gain. She sat 1 point above average, making this a direction change more than a power swing.

Riot’s reasoning
Elise trades Cocoon cooldown scaling for a flat 10s cooldown and twice the spiderlings, shifting power into sustained spider-form fights.

ECocoon

Cooldown: 8 / 7.5 / 7 / 6.5 / 6schanged to 10s

WSkittering Frenzy

Spiderlings: 2 / 3 / 4 / 5changed to 4 / 6 / 8 / 10
Old Spider Damage Buff: Removed

MID.GG analysis

Stun-chain duos lose some Cocoon uptime at high ranks, while extended brawls favor her doubled spiderlings. She was 3 points below average, so these mixed changes give her a different shape rather than a clear lift.

Riot’s reasoning
Fiora’s passive scales less with bonus AD while her Q gains an AP ratio, opening hybrid builds.

PassiveDuelist’s Dance

Bonus Attack Damage Ratio: 3% per 100 bonus ADchanged to 2% per 100 bonus AD

QLunge

Ability Power Ratio: 0changed to 25%

MID.GG analysis

Pure AD Fiora loses some passive damage, while hybrid or spellblade builds gain a new outlet on Q. At 1.4 points above average she stays playable; experiment with hybrid items before writing her off.

Riot’s reasoning
Gnar’s W speed boost becomes a shorter, much stronger burst while his R scales more with AP.

WHyper

Duration: 4schanged to 2s
Movement Speed: 20 / 40 / 60 / 80changed to 40 / 80 / 120 / 160

RGNAR!

Ability Power Ratio: 100%changed to 150%

MID.GG analysis

At 5.1 points below average, Gnar gets mixed changes that favor short engages and AP builds over long kites. Partners who follow up on a GNAR! wall stun gain the most.

Riot’s reasoning
Kayn’s transformation is too slow for short Arena rounds, so it progresses faster.

PassiveThe Darkin Scythe

Transformation Progress: Increased rate.

MID.GG analysis

Kayn was 2.7 points below average, and reaching his form sooner helps him join fights at full strength. It is an adjustment that should lift his consistency more than his ceiling.

Riot’s reasoning
Malzahar’s W can now store up to 6 charges, letting him bank voidlings between fights.

WVoid Swarm

Maximum Voidling Charges: Can now store up to 6 charges.

MID.GG analysis

Malzahar was 3.5 points above average, and banking voidlings strengthens his opening burst at the start of each round. These are mixed changes, but summon-friendly duos benefit.

Riot’s reasoning
Milio’s Q becomes a slower, harder-hitting damage tool while his ultimate cooldown rises at early ranks.

QUltra Mega Fire Kick

Cooldown: 8schanged to 10s
Ability Power Ratio: 120%changed to 200%

RBreath Of Life

Cooldown: 160 / 145 / 130schanged to 180 / 150 / 130s

MID.GG analysis

Milio was 5.6 points above average, the highest of the changed champions, and his protective uptime drops. AP Milio builds that lean on Q damage gain, while pure enchanter setups lose.

Augments

Riot’s reasoning
Big Brain underperforms, so its out-of-combat timer changes in its favor.

Out-of-Combat Timer: 3schanged to 5s

MID.GG analysis

AP champions who already take Big Brain get a slightly more reliable Gold pick. It remains a filler choice unless your build leans heavily on its effect.

Riot’s reasoning
Castle is too weak, so its cooldown drops from 12s to 10s.

Cooldown: 12schanged to 10s

MID.GG analysis

Champions who take this Silver augment get its effect more often per round. It stays a low-priority pick but is less of a dead roll.

Riot’s reasoning
Chroma Flux is too weak, so its cooldown drops from 10s to 8s.

Cooldown: 10schanged to 8s

MID.GG analysis

Higher uptime makes this Gold augment more attractive for champions who fight in long skirmishes. Check it before skipping.

Riot’s reasoning
Dawnbringer’s Resolve heals too little, so its healing rises to 35/40.

Healing: 25 / 30changed to 35 / 40

MID.GG analysis

Bruisers and frontliners who take extended fights get a more meaningful safety net. It helps duos that cannot rely on a nerfed enchanter for sustain.

Riot’s reasoning
Flashy is too weak, so its charges double to 4/6.

Charges: 2 / 3changed to 4 / 6

MID.GG analysis

Champions who rely on Flash to engage or escape get far more value from this Gold augment. Aggressive divers in particular should look at it.

Riot’s reasoning
Hive Mind is too weak, so it starts with more bees at every tier.

Starting Bees: 2 / 4 / 6changed to 3 / 6 / 9

MID.GG analysis

Champions who fight frequently get stronger bee damage from the start. It becomes a reasonable Prismatic pick rather than a skip.

Riot’s reasoning
Minionmancer is too weak, so its minion power rises to 55/70.

Increased Minion Power: 40 / 55changed to 55 / 70

MID.GG analysis

Summoner champions get more from their pets with this Gold augment. Malzahar, with his new voidling charges, is a natural fit to test.

Riot’s reasoning
Rite of the Forge God is too weak, so its item stat amplification rises from 40% to 60%.

Item Stat Amplification: 40%changed to 60%

MID.GG analysis

Item-driven carries like Ezreal gain the most, since every completed item now gives far more stats. It is the strongest augment buff in the patch.

Riot’s reasoning
Spin to Win is too weak, so its damage amplification rises to 35/45%.

Damage Amplification: 25 / 35%changed to 35 / 45%

MID.GG analysis

Champions with spinning abilities get a sharper damage boost from this Silver augment. It turns a niche pick into a solid one for those champions.

Riot’s reasoning
Courage of the Colossus is too strong on crowd-control tanks, so its cooldown rises from 5s to 6s.

Cooldown: 5schanged to 6s

MID.GG analysis

CC tanks like Galio, who is also nerfed, lose some shield uptime. Tanks with frequent stuns still want it, just with less margin.

Riot’s reasoning
Dual Wield makes on-hit builds too strong at high tiers, so its on-hit effectiveness at those tiers drops.

On-Hit Effectiveness: 40 / 50 / 60%changed to 40 / 45 / 50%

MID.GG analysis

On-hit carries lose some of their ceiling, partially offsetting buffs to Teemo, Urgot and Varus. The first tier is untouched.

Riot’s reasoning
Nesting Doll’s stacked revives decide too many games alone, so each tier gives one fewer revive.

Maximum Revives: 1 / 2 / 3changed to 0 / 1 / 2

MID.GG analysis

Duos that drafted around surviving extra deaths lose their safety net, especially at the first tier, which now gives no revive. Treat it as a stacking bet only.

Riot’s reasoning
Trueshot Prodigy is too strong as a one-augment combo, so its base damage scaling, AD ratio and cooldown are all nerfed.

Base Damage: 175 / 350 / 525changed to 175 / 275 / 375
Attack Damage Ratio: 100%changed to 50%
Cooldown: 10 / 8 / 6schanged to 12 / 10 / 8s

MID.GG analysis

AD carries who forced it as their win condition lose half its attack damage scaling and some uptime. Ezreal players should lean on his R buff and Rite of the Forge God instead.

Items

Riot’s reasoning
Turbo Chemtank’s restore is too small to matter, so it rises from 4% to 20% maximum health.

Restore: 4%changed to 20% Maximum Health

MID.GG analysis

Engage tanks who dive first gain a much bigger health refund for starting fights. Frontliners paired with burst carries benefit the most.

Riot’s reasoning
Galeforce’s dash is too short to reposition well, so its maximum range grows from 600 to 900.

Maximum Dash Range: 600changed to 900

MID.GG analysis

Marksmen like Ezreal get a far safer escape or chase tool. It makes Galeforce a stronger pick for carries facing dive-heavy duos.

Riot’s reasoning
Night Harvester’s speed burst becomes shorter but stronger and comes back faster.

Cooldown: 10schanged to 8s
Movement Speed Duration: 1.5schanged to 1s
Movement Speed: 40%changed to 60%

MID.GG analysis

AP assassins who want quick engages and exits gain from the faster, sharper speed boost. These mixed changes suit short trades over long chases.

Riot’s reasoning
Mirage Blade’s cooldown refund value changes in its favor to raise its power.

Cooldown Refund: 20%changed to 15%

MID.GG analysis

Ability-reliant fighters who already build Mirage Blade get a small boost. It is not enough on its own to change most builds.

Riot’s reasoning
Moonflair Spellblade gains a third enhanced attack to give it more uptime.

Cooldown Refund per Attack: 0.5changed to 0.3
Number of Enhanced Attacks: 2changed to 3

MID.GG analysis

Hybrid champions who weave abilities and attacks, such as the newly AP-scaled Varus or Fiora, get more value per proc. It fits the patch’s push toward hybrid builds.

Augment combos that lose power

The nerfs target ceilings, not averages. Nesting Doll now gives no revive at its first tier, so it only pays off when you stack it, and duos that drafted around surviving an extra death need a real defensive plan. Trueshot Prodigy keeps its first-tier base damage but loses half its attack damage scaling and gains cooldown, so AD carries who forced it as their win condition should look elsewhere.

Dual Wield’s higher tiers are nerfed, which trims on-hit builds right as Teemo, Urgot and Varus get buffs to their on-hit or attack tools. Courage of the Colossus is nerfed alongside Galio, who loses taunt and knockup duration, so crowd-control tanks feel this patch twice.

Augments and items that gain power

Rite of the Forge God is the standout buff: item-heavy carries like Ezreal now get far more from every completed item. Flashy doubles its charges to 4/6, Hive Mind starts with more bees, and Spin to Win and Minionmancer hit harder, so augments that sat unpicked deserve a second look. On the item side, Galeforce’s dash range jumps from 600 to 900 and Turbo Chemtank restores 20% maximum health instead of 4%, a large boost for engage tanks.

Duo synergy: enchanters out, damage supports in

Yuumi’s bonus to heal and shield power falls from 10-25% to 4-8%, which guts the attach-to-a-hypercarry duo. Renata Glasc and Morgana lose cooldown on the spells that save allies, and Milio’s Q now hits much harder on a longer cooldown. The result favors supports who add damage to the fight over supports who only keep a carry alive.

What to play

Ezreal (marksman): buffed R with more bonus AD scaling and cooldown down to 40/30/20s, starting from 3.3 points above the Arena average, and Rite of the Forge God now rewards his item build.
Gangplank (fighter): buffed W and R, with Cannon Barrage at 100/80/60s; he sat 4.1 points below average, so this is a rebound pick with room to climb.
Skarner (tank): buffed Q bonus AD ratio from 90% to 150% and a faster W, so bruiser items now turn him into a frontline that also threatens damage.
Varus (marksman): buffed E with a shorter cooldown and a new AP ratio, which makes hybrid builds viable while his base stays near the average.
Katarina (assassin): buffed R with AP per dagger up from 26% to 35%; her on-hit ratio is now a flat 25%, stronger at rank 1 and slightly weaker at rank 3.

TipDraft the duo, not the combo

Pair a buffed damage pick with a buffed augment you can take on either champion, such as Ezreal plus a frontliner holding Turbo Chemtank, rather than drafting around one Prismatic roll that may never show up.

For Summoner’s Rift balance, see LoL Patch 26.21, and for the other rotating mode, ARAM Mayhem Patch 26.21. Every Arena update lives in our Arena patch notes, and the champion pages cover builds for each pick.

Frequently asked questions

What changed in Arena Patch 26.21?

Arena Patch 26.21 nerfs strong Prismatic augments like Nesting Doll, Trueshot Prodigy, Dual Wield and Courage of the Colossus, and buffs weak ones such as Rite of the Forge God, Hive Mind and Flashy. Enchanters Yuumi, Renata Glasc and Morgana are nerfed, while Ezreal, Gangplank, Skarner and other underplayed champions get buffs.

Is Nesting Doll still good in Arena after Patch 26.21?

Nesting Doll is much weaker after Patch 26.21. Its maximum revives drop from 1/2/3 to 0/1/2, so the first tier gives no revive at all. It now only pays off if you stack it to higher tiers, which makes it a poor plan for duos that relied on surviving an extra death.

Which Arena supports were nerfed in Patch 26.21?

Yuumi, Renata Glasc and Morgana were nerfed in Arena Patch 26.21. Yuumi’s heal and shield power bonus drops from 10-25% to 4-8%, while Renata and Morgana get longer cooldowns on their protective spells. Milio received mixed changes: a stronger but slower Q and a longer early ultimate cooldown.

What counts as a good win rate in Arena?

In Arena, a win in our data is a top-4 finish out of six teams, so the average win rate is 66.7%, not 50%. Judge a champion by its gap to that average: a champion a few points above 66.7% is strong, and one several points below it is struggling.

TL;DR

Full changes in Arena Patch 26.21

Champions

Augments

Items

Augment combos that lose power

Augments and items that gain power

Duo synergy: enchanters out, damage supports in

What to play

Frequently asked questions

What changed in Arena Patch 26.21?

Is Nesting Doll still good in Arena after Patch 26.21?

Which Arena supports were nerfed in Patch 26.21?

What counts as a good win rate in Arena?

Sources

See this patch played in high-elo VODs